We thank God for the present cease-fire in
Gaza. After 22 days of violence, this tenuous truce is a very welcome
development. In the past three weeks, 100,000 people were driven from their
homes, fifty United Nations facilities were attacked, 24,000 houses were
flattened or damaged, more than 5,300 people were injured, and 1,300 people
died. We pray that the lack of electricity, drinking water, and sewage
treatment does not lead to public health crises.
We pray for Sabeel’s prayer service for the
people of Gaza that will be held this Friday in Haifa. We pray that this will
be a hallowed time for commemorating the dead, comforting the living, and petitioning
God for a just peace.
We pray that the Gaza cease-fire does not
lead to a cessation of international interest in Palestine/Israel. We pray that
investigations of alleged war-crimes by the Israeli military take place and
that the world helps Gazans rebuild their society and economy. We hope that the
world remembers that Gaza is not simply a humanitarian crisis, it is also a
crisis of justice. For a lasting peace, Israel must end its siege and
occupation of Gaza.
We ask for an end to the cholera epidemic
sweeping across Zimbabwe. With 43,000 infected, more than 2,100 dead and a
dictator in place that refuses assistance from the outside world, the situation
is becoming very desperate. We pray that God will affect change in this country
and in the heart of Robert Mugabe.
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