"Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase." - MLK Jr
Ninety Palestinians have been freed from Israeli prisons and were greeted by large crowds of jubilant relatives, friends and supporters as they returned home to the occupied West Bank in the first prisoner exchange of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire following the release of three Israeli captives in Gaza. At about 1am local time on Monday (23:00 GMT), Red Cross buses carrying the 90 Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where they were greeted by crowds of thousands despite warnings from Israeli forces that celebrations would not be allowed. The freed Palestinians included 69 women and 21 teenage boys – some as young as 12 – from the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. Israeli authorities have confirmed that Hamas handed over the first three female captives as a ceasefire deal for the war-ravaged Gaza Strip took effect. Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Sunday evening that 24-year-old Romi Gonen, 28-year-old Emily Damari, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher were handed over to the Red Cross and are “in safe hands” in Israel. The Red Cross vehicles took off from Gaza City in the heavily besieged northern part of the enclave after Hamas brought the captives to as-Saraya Square as a crowd gathered.
God, we pray that as prisoners and hostages return to their families, they might receive the healthcare, counseling, and support that they so desperately need. We pray that the ceasefire might hold, and that the violence and destruction – from which there is no recourse nor revision – does not continue.
More than 80 people were killed in the country's northeast over the weekend following the government's failed attempts to hold peace talks with the National Liberation Army, a Colombian official said. Twenty others were injured in the violence that has forced thousands to flee as Colombia's army scrambled to evacuate people on Sunday, according to William Villamizar, governor of North Santander, where many of the killings took place. Among the victims are community leader Carmelo Guerrero and seven people who sought to sign a peace deal, according to a report that a government ombudsman agency released late Saturday. Officials said the attacks happened in several towns located in the Catatumbo region near the border with Venezuela, with at least three people who were part of the peace talks being kidnapped. Colombia's army rescued dozens of people on Sunday. Defense Minister Iván Velásquez traveled to the northeast town of Cúcuta on Sunday where he held several security meetings and urged armed groups to demobilize. "The priority is to save lives and guarantee the security of communities," he said. "We have deployed our troops throughout the entire region." Officials also prepared to send 10 tons of food and hygiene kits for approximately 5,000 people in the communities of Ocaña and Tibú, the majority of them having fled the violence.
We pray for the victims from this past weekend’s violence. For the peacemakers – those who sought to sign a peace deal – we pray for their work. We pray you might bless it abundantly, and that those along the Colombian-Venezuelan border might live in dignity and peace.
President Donald Trump's administration on Monday announced the United States' intention to withdraw from the Paris climate accord for a second time, a defiant rejection of global efforts to combat planetary warming as catastrophic weather events intensify worldwide. The Republican leader also said his administration would declare a "national energy emergency" to significantly expand drilling in the world's top oil and gas producer and scrap upcoming stringent pollution standards for cars and trucks, which he has derided as an "electric vehicle mandate." "President Trump will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord," the White House said in a statement shortly after the Republican was sworn into office, without providing a specific timeline. It would take a year to leave the agreement after submitting a formal notice to the United Nations framework that underpins global climate negotiations. Even before the formal exit, the move delivers a serious blow to international cooperation aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Critics warn it could embolden other major polluters like China and India to scale back their own commitments.
We have leaders who continue to make decisions that run counter to scientific consensus. More fossil fuel production means more greenhouse gas emissions, means more climate chaos. God, we pray that local and state governments might prioritize the flourishing of their communities in and through the protection of their lands, seas, and air.
A U.S. official confirmed to Reuters that Trump will hold off for now on implementing tariffs on Canadian goods and instead direct agencies in a memo to "investigate and remedy persistent trade deficits and address unfair trade and currency policies by other nations." The federal government has made clear it's prepared to impose retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. if Trump eventually moves ahead with any trade action. Officials have already drawn up a plan that will levy immediate tariffs on $37-billion worth of American goods if Trump moves against Canada. As Ontario braces for potential U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, Premier Doug Ford said removing American products from LCBO outlets will be among the provincial-level retaliatory measures he would pursue. "I've sent a direction to the LCBO, that if these tariffs come, to clear off every bit of U.S. alcohol off the shelves," Ford said during a Monday morning speech to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association.
Alberta found itself square in the national headlines as inauguration day approached, for its chief export — energy is Canada's largest export to the U.S., worth about $125 billion last year — and for its premier's response to Canada's plans to retaliate. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who recently met with the president-elect, is in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration, as is a large Alberta contingent of government and industry officials. In recent days, Smith had rejected the idea of retaliating against Trump via energy export taxes or bans.
Lord God, we pray for cooperation between these two nations can thrive together when working together, rather than existing in conflict. We pray that as new leaders in the US, and those soon coming in Canada, have a chance to discuss their relationship, they might find it in the benefit of their citizens to work together so that costs can be lowered, cooperation can be prioritized, and goals can be aligned.
Introducing a leadership development course designed to equip those who are preparing to serve as a deacon or those who are deacons in the Christian Reformed Church. This 5-lesson, self-led course will orient your team to the teachings about deacons in the Bible, our confessions, and the ordination form for deacons. By the end of this course, you will have a deeper understanding of your role as a deacon and how you can participate in God's mission as it is uniquely embodied by your church. Learn more »
In 2024, 13 CRC churches in Canada committed to meeting and working with one another for ten months to have conversations about how to be the best expressions of intercultural congregations they could be. Near the end of the year, representatives from all 13 churches that were part of this Multicultural Cohort joined together for a time of learning and reflection. Catch a glimpse of this celebration and hear from participants in this brief video story. Watch »
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