And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. - Matthew 14:19
In violence between two rial military factions that has killed 400 people since April 15 and injured 1000’s, evacuations of non-Sudanese citizens have escalated. We pray for those trying to leave and for those who stay amidst water and power shortages.
Lord, with what words can we pray in senseless war other than asking that you stay close. For those leaving, create pathways of safety. For the people living in Khartoum we pray for peace, for enough food and for neighbors at the mercy of powers and principalities to experience your presence through one another. God have mercy and make the fighting stop.
**content warning, details are disturbing
On April 15, partial remains of a woman’s body was found near the Red River. While full details of identity are not known, this comes two weeks after an Indigenous woman’s body was found in a local landfill and a few months after a Winnipeg man was charged with the murder of 4 Indigenous women in the last year, the bodies of two of the victims having also been found in landfills or garbage receptacles. We pray for Indigenous women living in Winnipeg especially under this cumulative weight of this news of dehumanization.
Why God are we watching this happen again and again. Never let any of us become numb to hearing about the dehumanizing of Indigenous women and their bodies in our midst. You said what we did for the least of these we did for you. Do not let us who look at this from the outside ignore you a moment longer. We hold inquiries but nothing seems to change.
Rebuke the deep seated uncaring and fear of caring in our collective hearts. Protect the women of the city. Comfort those who mourn. Heal spirits and bodies through your spirit and body – which you said was us. We know you heard the voices of these who now need justice. Help policy and community care reflect your redeeming vision of them.
Mikisew Cree First Nation has declared a state of local emergency for the numbers of suicide the community has endured recently. A remote fly-in community, social and mental health resources are not enough. We pray for this community in this time of deep grief.
Comfort those who mourn. We pray that the despair that stalks at night would flee. We pray for a hope for this community and for the resources that many Canadians enjoy and benefit from would be available. Keep your eyes on this community Lord and may there be healing even with all the grief.
We’re looking for a Communications Coordinator! If you are interested in faith, communications, and social justice apply for this position. The deadline to apply is April 28th. This is a full-time paid position the coordinator helps to maintain and develop communications across a variety of types of media including articles, resources, bulletin announcements, and social media.
Join Jonathan Nicolai-deKoning (the director of the Micah Centre at King’s University, which helps students explore ways of seeking justice in today's local and global contexts. He joins Chris to talk about the lines of thought in two of his recent blogs on Do Justice which lent inspiration to the theme “Long Obedience in the Same Direction” of this season of the podcast.
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.