Holy One, whose tender mercy walks with us on our Lenten journey, we find the wilderness of our world both confusing and full of wonder.
In this season of Lent, remind of us of the pilgrimage Christ made to the Cross, while we also walk alongside our global family filled with refugees, those holding pain and suffering, and those learning to sing new songs in foreign lands.
On our journey of repentance and reconciliation, we lift up the escalating crisis of the Middle East – specifically naming Iran and the ongoing military strikes from the United States and Israel claiming hundreds of lives and reshaping regional realities with profound grief and displacement.
The journey to the Cross is often marked by tears, pain, and uncertainty. It is also a traumatic and heart wrenching journey. So, today, we lift up civilians caught in the crossfire – children in schools struck by violence, and families fleeing their familiar homes to go to strange new places. May the hearts of the people and nations be turned towards peace rather than to bloodshed.
Your Word reminds us “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
And, so, we pray for those navigating political upheaval, for voices drowned out by discord, and for people navigating change with fragile hope. We pray for cries for justice to overpower the cries for power, for the reign of peace to be greater than the reign of fear, and for the dance of rejoicing to be longer than the dirge of despair.
Specifically, we lift up Ukraine where instability has been a constant word for over 4 years; for Afghanistan where food scarcity and chronic malnutrition threaten the most vulnerable, especially mothers and children; and for the rapid collapse of glaciers in Antarctica where the invisible but profound shifts in weather patterns threaten to destroy natural beauty and wildlife.
We pray for communities that are in a time of uncertainty; for nations longing for ceasefires to last longer than the headlines – for Nepal as they hold their general election on March 5th amid political tensions and expectations; for more than 1,400 Filipino (Philippines) nationals who have sought repatriation from the Middle East due to escalating conflict and airport closures; and for the fall out in Canada over the recently released Musqueam Rights Recognition Agreement sparking public debate.
We pray for those grieving the loss of loved ones including the casualties and missing crew from the Iranian (Iran) warship that sank near Sri Lanka after an apparent submarine strike.
Whether we are friends or enemies, help us to remember that all human life is sacred and each person’s breath is a gift from You which You alone have the right to give or take.
We pray for the United States as the US Senate debates limiting President Trump’s authority to continue expanding conflict, and for the deep political tensions at home over foreign engagement. We long for the day when nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their and their spears into pruning hooks. (Isaiah 2:4)
God of diversity, colour, and creativity,
We lift up the many faiths of our world celebrating Holy days and holidays,
Our Muslim neighbours celebrating Ramadan,
Our Hindu communities celebrating Holi,
Our Jewish siblings who celebrated Purim this week and are now preparing for Passover.
May we learn from the tapestry of our global communities.
God of unfading hope,
Breathe peace into every troubled region,
Bring a healing balm to all the afflicted,
And ignite our wills so that justice flows like rivers and righteousness like a never ending stream. (Amos 5:24)
Amen.
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