STAMMERING PRAYERS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST
06/10/2024
the Sunday before October 7th... thinking of Israel/Palestine/Lebanon... prayers in Fitzroy...
God of love
Who loved the world so much that he gave...
We worship you, give you praise
God of peace
Whose angels heralded in Christ’s arrival on earth with “Peace on earth and good will to all human beings..”
God who hears us in the dark
Because you are up all night
Our world is in a violent, frightening, bleak moment
We can hardly watch the news for the horror
In the place Jesus walked it is mayhem and death
It has been a year, in the recent killings
And we feel hopeless
Helpless
We don’t even know how to pray anymore
God, it is such an emotional, divisive conflict
You feel that if you say anything about it
Someone will attack you for prejudice
So Lord we stammer a few prayers...
Lord we pray for humanity to be restored
Where whether state or rebel forces
All will see the other as themselves
Where every victim will be seen as made in your image
And compassion rather than hate will overcome
Lord we pray for the safety of the people
Comfort for those injured
God of love be around those who have lost loved ones
Children living through the trauma
We pray that ceasefires will be called immediately
So that humanitarian needs can be met
We pray for those NGOs who are trying and planning to help
Lord we pray for wisdom and vision
Not only in that local geography
But among world leaders
May the UN be given imagination
Strategy and courage to end the violence
And bring all side together
May all sides see their people as more important than their land
And compromise for the peace and prosperity of their people
God we are week in belief
We are heavy with doubt
But we seek you God of love and peace
To interrupt
We know about such interruptions
And are thankful for the peace we now enjoy
As we live between the 30th Anniversaries of our ceasefires
We long to hear news of ceasefires in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon
In the name of the Prince of Peace we pray
AMEN