God of Peace, Lover of Justice,
We come before you with hearts filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for the countless women and men, past and present, who have worked tirelessly advocating for equality and promoting peace. May we be inspired by their bravery and wisdom.
May we get to know one another, fostering trust and honoring our unique God-infused gifts to collaborate in order to continue to do the good hard work that is before us.
We ask that you nurture our relationships, prompting us to be curious about our differences and to delight in the ways we challenge one another.
We pray for your guidance when the obstacles seem insurmountable and when our vision gets blurry.
We pray for your tenderness when violence erupts, and we fall into despair.
Hear our heartfelt plea to show us the way to make a difference in a world that is on fire.
Prompt us to slow down and to focus on the depth of your love, our most Gracious God.
May we experience You in all your fullness, allowing us to soften our hearts while we name injustice and speak truth to power. Amen.
During this time of great strife and chaos in our world we pay attention to the extraordinary things that are happening and the lovely people that are doing God’s work:
We honor the work of Sindyanna of Galilee (Israel) where Arab and Jewish women work side by side, sharing a vision of peaceful coexistence as they lovingly market olive oils, almonds, honey and other items.
We are inspired by Conductor Ron Davis Alvarez (Sweden) who founded the Dream Orchestra comprised of unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, and Albania.
We lift up the work of Dr. Kwane Stewart (USA) whose nonprofit, Project Street Vet, provides medical care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness.
We give thanks for Mozambique’s most influential contemporary choreographer, Panaibra Gabriel Canada, who uses bodies in motion to artfully trace the complex recent history of his country.
We admire the perseverance of Thomas Mayo (Australia), the calm champion of the effort to give Indigenous people a voice in Parliament. Australian voters rejected the proposal and Thomas is preparing to continue the work that is so important to him and countless others.
We learn from the partnership of Felinnos Foundation (Chile) and Humane Society International who systematically collect feral cats from Santiago Sur, Chile’s oldest and most overcrowded prison. This collaboration has allowed inmates to foster meaningful relationships with the cats of Santiago Sur.
We are thankful for the passionate spirit demonstrated by Osei Boateng (Ghana) who delivers medical care to thousands of people in remote communities in Ghana through the use of a converted van.
We applaud the work that Stacey Buckner (USA) does through her program Off-Road Outreach, bringing showers, laundry, meals, and more to homeless veterans wherever they are.
God of all things beautiful, bless the work that is happening all around the world, sending messages of hope, mercy, and love. May we seek this. May we be this. Amen.
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