Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths. - Isaiah 2:3
On April 11, 2021, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old African-American man, was fatally shot by Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
Jesus, we pray for the family and friends of this beloved son and father, that your spirit would minister to them, speaking words of compassion to their whole selves. Protect them from the work of the enemy, that seeks to accuse and malign the image of God in them. Keep them close and under the shelter of your wings and surround them with people of your spirit. For all those who grieve, we pray for justice and healing.
A Prayer for the Church in this Moment – Again.
Do not let us look away. Do not let us look away. Do not let us look away.
In THIS week, after THIS year, in THIS city, after hearing of this young man and how a traffic stop ended with unnecessary violence and death, AGAIN, do not let us, your church, look away.
Say what you need to say to us, your people, your church. Rebuke us when we are dismissive and ignorant. Stop our mouths when we are tempted to say things that do not help but hinder your healing justice. Open our mouths and embolden us when it is time to speak for the restoring justice you are bringing. Open our ears to listen to the voices you want us to hear. We need your wisdom.
You’ve called us all to mourn with those who mourn. May your children, who have the privilege of not having to attend to this tragedy, honor the pain this is causing in his family and in the black community continent-wide by not looking away with these saved-by-grace eyes. May your children, who are most exhausted and affected by these events be protected and consoled. We mourn with you, Creator of Daunte Wright, that these things happen in our times and have for too long happened with tacit consent.
In February, President Biden announced he was raising the annual cap on refugee admissions to 125,000 for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, up from Trump’s historically low limit of 15,000. However, Biden has yet to sign a presidential determination changing that number. Without that action, the 15,000-person cap set by President Trump on refugee settlements remain in effect.
Father, we know that staying in limbo and uncertainty is soul crushing so with those who find themselves seeking a place of refuge, we pray for a process that works and flows with wise and compassionate decisions from wise and compassionate civil servants.
There continues to be reports of forced labour among other human rights abuses for the Muslim Uyghur people in China. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken staunchly rebuked China on Sunday for "acts of genocide."
Lord, the more we know about this situation, the more we cry out on behalf of the Uighurs in Xinjiang Province. We ask for your light to reveal and uncover what is being kept hidden and for restoration to begin. Expose any deceptions and bring peace to bodies and souls in your mighty name, of Prince of Peace.
For 2020, the Canadian government set a target of resettling 32,000 refugees. However, due to pandemic travel restrictions, only 9,155 landed by year’s end. Refugee travel should be considered essential. Sponsors and refugee resettlement agencies have proven over the past year that they can provide safe quarantine for arriving refugees, allaying health concerns. Allowing refugees to be exempted from travel restrictions, with all quarantine requirements in place, will provide urgent protection to refugees and reduce application backlogs and pressure in the system. Take Action Here
We are a community of Christians who believe every human being is made in God’s image and has inherent dignity. We are a community who believes that immigrants are integral members of our society and that we are better together. We recognize that too often our immigration policies are not shaped by the values that the church upholds. Scripture teaches this truth: immigrants are a blessing, not a burden. Continue to join the conversation with us!
The Reformed family is a diverse family with a diverse range of opinions. Not all perspectives expressed on the blog represent the official positions of the Christian Reformed Church. Learn more about this blog, Reformed doctrines, and our diversity policy on our About page.
In order to steward ministry shares well, commenting isn’t available on Do Justice itself because we engage with comments and dialogue in other spaces. To comment on this post, please visit the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue’s Facebook page (for Canada-specific articles) or the Office of Social Justice’s Facebook page. Alternatively, please email us. We want to hear from you!
Read more about our comment policy.