Thursday, April 5, 2012

5/4/12 - English

In this last week of Lent we humbly remember Jesus’ suffering and passion, his commitment to nonviolence and love.  We also remember those who are celebrating Passover.  May the experience of this week spark deep spiritual renewal for the people of Palestine-Israel and all over the world. Lord in your mercy…

As we celebrate Palestinian Children’s day, the words of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi come to mind, "If we are to teach real peace in this world,” he said, and if we want to truly stop war, “we shall have to begin with the children." We pray for the children of Palestine, who know mostly wartime and occupation, that somehow they are able to imagine and work towards a world renewed.  We especially pray for Palestinian children between the ages of 10 and 18 who are arrested in the middle of the night, and imprisoned under harsh conditions, most often for crimes they did not commit.  We pray for these children and families who have been traumatized because of these extreme actions. Lord in your mercy…

This coming April 9th we remember the horrendous event of the 1948 Deir Yassin massacre.  An event that was pivotal in the Nakba and ongoing conflict, it terrified Palestinians and helped trigger their mass exodus.  The political consequences and emotional trauma of the event remain today.  Even given the complexity of this world, we pray for God’s healing and justice.  Lord in your mercy…

We thank God for the success of the conference organized by Sabeel, Bilda, and Diakonia in Bethlehem.  It was a week full of events, speakers and fellowship. We pray that the conference results in concrete action back in Sweden; that the relationships formed will truly further assist in the work of liberation for all the people of Israel-Palestine. Lord in your mercy…

With the World Council of Churches, we specifically pray for the churches and populations of Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.  Lord in your mercy… 


No comments:

Post a Comment