Lord, in the
wake of the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers last Thursday night, the
Israeli government has launched a campaign of mass arrests across the West Bank,
resulting in the killing of a 20-year-old man near Ramallah overnight Sunday; more
than 150 Palestinians have been taken from their homes and put in detention
since the weekend. Lord, we fervently pray for the safe return of all those
held captive, both the Israeli teenagers and the hundreds of Palestinians held
without charge in Israeli prisons, many of whom are currently hunger-striking. Lord
in your mercy…
At the end of
May, Rachelle Friesen, a Canadian development worker with the Mennonite Central
Committee, was detained for more than 30 hours at Ben Gurion Airport before
being deported and banned from entering Israel for 10 years. Not only do we
pray for peace and support for Rachelle in this difficult time, but we cry out
against the blatant discrimination which characterizes the policies of the
Israeli government toward Palestinians and foreigners who work for justice. Lord
in your mercy…
Lord, news from
the Middle East has been extremely heavy this past week, with the recent events
in Iraq and Syria no exception. In light of such horrific acts of violence
committed by ISIL, the subsequent disintegration of Iraq, all compounded by the
ongoing Syrian civil war, we feel helpless to effect change and stop the cycle
of bloodshed. Lord, do not allow this helplessness to turn into apathy or to
overpower us; rather, strengthen those who suffer and
sacrifice for the pursuit of peace, empower local peacemakers, and inspire us
to seek creative solutions to combat these atrocities. Lord in your mercy…
Gracious God,
throughout difficulties and conflict, you remain faithful, including in the
work of Sabeel and its staff. We ask your blessing on our upcoming programs,
including a women’s retreat in Haifa this weekend, an interfaith event in
Zababdeh early next week, and Sabeel Nazareth’s programs. Lord in your mercy…
Lord, we pray alongsidethe World Council of
Churches forBrazil. Lord in your mercy…
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