Advent is a journey towards Bethlehem. May we let ourselves be drawn by the light of God made man. - Pope Francis
A fire broke out at a factory in India's capital New Delhi early on Sunday morning. At least 43 people have been reported dead. Many of the victims were asleep in beds in the factory, resting between shifts, when the fire began. Most of the victims were Muslim migrant workers who came from the Eastern state of Bihar, earning as little as $2.10 a day making a variety of garments.
God, for workers who work harder than they should, who cannot make ends meet, who are injured on the job, whose health and dignity and well-being are discarded by the companies that rely on their labor, we pray. Help us, those who consume goods made all over the world, to be mindful of the cost that our consumption has on lives created in your image. Help us to find ways to change our habits. For the grief that this fire has caused, we offer prayers for comfort and for peace. We pray for new policies to be put in place that offer safer, more humane working conditions in India and wherever these kinds of factories exist.
The number of African migrants seeking to come to the U.S. through Mexico has increased tenfold over the last decade — from 460 in 2007 to more than 5,800 in 2019. In addition to the challenges faced by most migrants traveling through Mexico, African migrants face additional obstacles in terms of language and cultural barriers. They also have less access to services from legal aid organizations who do not have staff who speak the same language as the migrants.
God, for those who have to be so resourceful, so courageous, so patient as they seek shelter and safety and a new place to be at home, we pray. We know that you draw near to the sojourner. We pray that those who have been called to welcome would indeed open their doors. We pray for policies that allow for swift and safe migration to be possible. We pray for the situations that have driven people to leave their lives and homes and families behind. We pray for justice, Lord.
The U.S. Justice Department recently issued a policy memo that would limit access to legal assistance in immigration courts. Immigrants do not have a right to government-appointed counsel -- those who cannot pay for a lawyer, find a pro bono attorney, and lack the skills to represent themselves well (especially vulnerable immigrants like unaccompanied children, trafficking victims, or those with disabilities) have sometimes relied on volunteers who help them navigate the legal process. The new memo prohibits these volunteers from speaking on behalf of an immigrant in open court.
God, we pray for those who have gone through so much trauma already, and find themselves re-traumatized by the U.S.’s legal immigration process. We especially pray for those who don’t have their questions answered, who don’t get advice, who don’t get an advocate. We pray for those who have the power to change policy in the U.S. to make the process easier or harder for vulnerable people to follow the rules. Give them the kindness, the willingness, and the moral courage to push against changes that will imperil the vulnerable.
Beginning in 2021, all practising lawyers in British Columbia will be required to take a six-hour online course covering the history of Indigenous-Crown relations, the history and legacy of residential schools and specific legislation regarding Indigenous peoples in Canada. This comes in response to gaps in legal education that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified. Until the 1960s, it was illegal for a lawyer to take a retainer from an Indigenous person in Canada.
God, we pray for changes like these, intended to right historical wrongs and create new ways to live as a community of equals in Canada, and to ensure that each person is treated with dignity as respect. We pray that this, and other changes like it, would result in a more loving, more just, more flourishing community for everyone. We give thanks for policies and systems that change.
Marc Miller was appointed the new Minister of Indigenous Services on November 20, 2019. Join us in lifting up the #EducationTogether campaign and asking Minister Miller and the new Government to work for justice and equity in education for Indigenous students. Ask Parliament to implement the TRC Calls to Action and support Indigenous communities! https://p2a.co/CKrH0lh
January 19 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, and we are offering resources for your church to honor the day. We hope your congregation will join the many others commemorating the sanctity of human life in ways that are mindful of the impact abortion has on our communities and affirm the value of every life, at all stages of development.
Visit Visit crcna.org/life for worship resources, including bulletin inserts, a prayer, and a responsive reading. The deadline for ordering bulletin inserts is December 19. Important note: if you already ordered our bulletin inserts through the church ordering link you received from the CRCNA, you do not need to order them again.
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