“How beautifully on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Isaiah 52:7
In a world where war and other forms of violence touch the lives of the innocent, the fallen, the courageous, and the aggressors, we pause to breathe in the sacredness that is God. We long for good news, for the truth that love is abundant despite all the evidence to the contrary. May we not lose sight of God’s gentle touch in all that we do.
In Guatemala, community-run seed banks preserve Indigenous, climate-resilient seeds that can adapt to harsh conditions. They provide farmers a free, direct supply of seeds and help protect biodiversity. There are more than 400 seed banks in the world.
Lover of Growth, thank you for the innovators who offer us hope of new life.
At a nightclub in Chicago, USA, staff are holding trainings in de-escalation and bystander intervention, learning how to handle intense situations like violence, overdoses, and other forms of conflict. Their efforts are part of community care aimed at replacing policing with a different source of safety.
Protector of the Most Vulnerable, you generate creative solutions to bring peace to chaos.
In the 1990s, Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement, developed a direct-action campaign to replant seedlings in clear cut areas of Kaura Forest, Kenya. Braving attacks by loggers and developers, they established a forest nursery. To date, the movement has planted 51 million trees across Kenya.
Bestower of Courage, you remind us that we all have access to your energy of bravery.
After tech designer and wheelchair user Haraldur “Halli” Thorleifsson couldn’t enter a shop with his son, he launched Ramp Up Reykjavik, (Iceland) an initiative to install 100 ramps in the most-frequented spaces in Iceland’s capital city. Now, 5 years later, they’ve built more than 1,700 beautifully designed ramps across the country, increasing mobility and access for all.
Justice Warrior, you shine the spotlight on injustice, inviting us to honor every body.
An Egyptian company, Schaduf, is lifting water, sunshine, and life to barren concrete walls and roofs in an effort to provide inspired urban green solutions that elevate the quality of life through environmental and social change. Schaduf is also growing vegetables in hydroponic fridges inside supermarkets, reducing packaging and transport.
Sustainer of Life, you delight in the ways we reimagine our responsibilities to one another and to the earth.
In one of the first and biggest projects of its kind in Scotland, a landscape of more than 1,000 hectares, a globally rare and threatened habitat is being restored near Loch Ness, as part of Britain’s largest rewilding initiative. A partnership of charities, landowners and businesses has joined together to save and repair a connected area of blanket bog – among the world’s rarest habitats.
Great Healer, you witness the devastation we have caused, beckoning us to do the hard work it takes to repair, and to take the extra steps to foster new growth.
The Dallas Public Library, (USA) launched a podcast called, “On the Block,” featuring personal stories from the city’s homeless community. As part of the library’s homeless engagement initiative, the podcast aims to foster understanding and empathy by showcasing the diverse experiences and challenges faced by unhoused individuals.
Nurturer of Relationships, you introduce us to one another, in all our diversity, cultivating our ability to witness you in the eyes of the person before us.
Spirit, infuse us with your wisdom, based on the beauty of love, peace, and truth. Amen.
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