Loving God,
We come before you today, in a world which feels torn apart.
Our natural environment feels hopeless right now as thousands across Northern and Western Canada are fleeing due to forest fires. And as Yellowstone National Park in the U.S.A. faces wildfires and hydrothermal explosions as well as nearby earthquakes. In the midst of these natural disasters, it’s easy to feel so small.
We pray for the protection of those who have to evacuate these areas as well as those on standby ready to leave at a moment’s notice. May they be kept safe on their journey and may those who have lost homes and property be supported by those who are able to give.
Our world often feels conflicted. Right now, we feel the weight of the Jewish communities in Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A who faced antisemitic attacks by a Muslim man who injured 12 calling to kill “all Zionists.”
Meanwhile, we also feel the heaviness of what is happening in Gaza where aid distribution sites have been closed and at least 27 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire close to the distribution center.
Our hearts often feel the most burdened for the innocent on both sides who are affected by this ongoing war. We remember in our prayers this week, the pregnant mothers and infants in Gaza who experience the worst of this tragedy. We pray for their safety and health as the UN reports 1 in 10 newborns is underweight or premature, and that there has been an increase in miscarriages, stillbirths, and congenital abnormalities.
We pray for other areas of our world affected by conflict and where human suffering is evident.
We lift up Sudan where five were killed in an attack on a UN Aid Convoy. We pray for those who did not receive food because of the disruption, and for at least 89 others who were killed or injured when Sudanese army planes launched airstrikes in el-Koma last Saturday.
Gracious God, it’s sometimes difficult for us to read or watch the news because often it feels like evil is winning.
When we hear about the 42-year old man from Lesotho who has been evading a South African police manhunt for 4 months after being accused of illegal operations at an abandoned gold mine claiming the lives of at least 78 people.
When we hear of two people in Uganda engaged in a suicide bombing on Martyr’s Day – June 3rd, one of the biggest Christian pilgrimages in Africa that draws crowds of millions each year.
And when we hear that more than 200 prisoners escaped from a jail in Pakistan following an earthquake. Currently 80 inmates have been recaptured and 130 are still at large.
As we enter the month of June – which is Pride month in some countries in the world (including the U.S., Canada, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Germany, and the UK) we pray for members of the LGBTQ+ community in 67 countries around the world where it is still illegal to love the same sex, as well as at least 9 countries where there are explicit laws targeting transgender and non-gender conforming people.
We pray for members of the LGBTQ+ community who have to flee as refugees to safer parts of the world. And we pray protection for those who have lived in traditionally affirming and supportive countries, which are now threatened by new legislation which is coming in.
Even as our world often feels heavy, help us to stay hopeful in the midst of grief, tragedy, and loss.
Keep our eyes fixed on you as we wait for your coming Kingdom, and as we do our part to work for peace and justice for all.
We ask all these things in your Name.
Amen.
Leave a Reply