"Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing." - Philippians 2:14-16 MSG
On April 12, a gunman set off a smoke bomb and shot passengers on a subway car and platform in New York, injuring at least 29.
Prince of peace, we come to you again, burdened by the senseless violence in our cities. We come to you tired and numb to the scenes that fill too many of our screens.
We come to you grieving with the injured, the witnesses, those watching from afar. We come to you on behalf of families and community workers who support the afflicted. We come to you on behalf of the people of New York tired of violence and anxious in their comings and goings.
Lift them up to feel your presence in their pain. Lift our eyes over the screens of despair to your life. We remember the violence you saw, Jesus, the violence lodged into your skin. Lift our eyes above the violence to the life you have for cities and the expressions of love that cover its many wounds.
In his first public announcements in a week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said peace talks hit a dead end as Russian troops reengaged in Ukraine’s east.
Light of Heaven, breakthrough in Ukraine, we pray. We thank you for your light that rises unfailingly, drawing us out of sleep and together in your world. For every battle line broken, your light of heaven breaks through. Dawn over Ukraine and Russia again and bring people together in your light. Bring peace to the sunrise so no more wars cast a shadow on the land.
The UN Human Rights Council warned of severe flooding that will bring about “devastating human consequences” to South Sudan as the wet season begins in May. After last year’s worst flooding on record, 2022 is set to challenge the fragile landscape again. The Special Advisor on Climate Action to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Andrew Harper, is calling for accelerated action to avoid mounting losses and prepare for another crisis season.
Creator of the heavens and earth, you bring rain to parched land and relief to the inundated. We pray for respite from crisis and flooding in South Sudan. We ask for your hand to turn the rains to where it is needed most. Turn our hands toward prevention, preparation, and global action on the climate crisis. Join our hands with the people of South Sudan.
Videos of the fatal police shooting of Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who was pulled over for a traffic stop, was released Wednesday. Lyoya, 26, was shot and killed on April 4 by a police officer in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Incarnate God, you were publicly killed at the hands of the state, and we need your resurrected and redemptive presence. We know you are embodied mercy and justice and we know you have said you would make God’s love known. We pray for truth to be seen and we pray for justice to come. We pray for redeeming accountability. Be present to the family who is mourning. Soften all of us who watch and heal us in your image. We need your eyes and your power to move us all towards transformative living. We need your presence. Resurrect your justice and your redemptive ways in your people, in this time, in this situation so that we all may live as you created us to.
The CRC's Office of Race Relations recommends this event. Black Impact Collaborative is hosting a Community Conversation surrounding the death of Patrick Lyoya. Clinicians will be on hand to help process the trauma.
Recent media coverage about abortion laws has prompted questions from our community about how the Office of Social Justice (OSJ) can support churches and individuals on the issue of the sanctity of human life. . We encourage you to think about how you can respond as a Christian to support babies as well as expectant mothers. Read the full reflection.
The events of 2021, including a ruling made on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by a federal judge in Texas, have demonstrated the critical need for a permanent immigration solution that will keep families together and protect the lives, dreams, and futures of millions of undocumented immigrants. Contact your Members of Congress today and urge them to prioritize a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS-holders, and essential workers.
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