As you walk the good road with me, you are the salt of the earth, bringing cleansing and healing to all. - Matthew 5:13 (FNV)
Fighting in eastern Ukraine has reached pitched levels this week, according to Ukrainian and Russian officials, as Russia directed the might of its artillery and missile systems on an already devastated 75-mile stretch of land straddling the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. This comes while a court in central Ukraine sentenced two Russian soldiers on Tuesday to eleven and a half years in prison for shelling a town in the country’s northeast during the war. It was the second guilty verdict handed down by Ukrainian courts for war crimes since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February. Additionally, European Union leaders wrapped up their meeting in Brussels, which brought the breakthrough on the new package of sanctions against Russia, including the long-debated ban on Russian oil. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, told reporters on Tuesday: “Yesterday, in the middle of the night we decided to have a ban on de facto 90 percent of Russian oil imports to the European Union by the end of the year. And this comes at a time when we see that Russia has disrupted supplies to five member states. So our answer has to be very clear.”
God, we pray that the horrors of our world - whether in Ukraine or elsewhere - never fade to the back of our minds to be forgotten. Lord, help us find both rest and joy, and also commit our lives to identifying with the vulnerable, and to doing everything to alleviate that suffering. Help, O Lord.
Florida will craft a first-ever plan for addressing the growing threat of flooding and sea level rise, in an effort to be overseen by a newly established Statewide Office of Resilience, under legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed into law. The measure builds upon legislation approved last year that set aside millions of dollars for infrastructure projects and called on the state Department of Environmental Protection to compile flood and sea level rise data for a vulnerability assessment, among other things. Thomas Ruppert, coastal planning specialist for Florida Sea Grant, an education and research organization focused on coastal resources at the University of Florida, has noted that together this year’s and last year’s legislation represent a short-term fix but actually could make Florida more vulnerable in the future, as they make way for more development in flood-prone areas.
To address sea level rise without attacking the root causes of those environmental disruptions is equivalent to installing a fire alarm while your home is already ablaze. Lord, give us wisdom to see value in the small steps being taken, and the courage to call out the foolishness of those who would put others in harm's way for profit and comfort’s sake.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government introduced legislation Monday that would put a freeze on importing, buying or selling handguns. "We are capping the number of handguns in this country," Trudeau said. The regulations to halt the growth of personally owned handguns is expected to be enacted this fall. "It will be illegal to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada," the prime minister said. Canada already has plans to ban 1,500 types of military-style firearms and offer a mandatory buyback program that will begin at the end of the year. It already expanded background checks. Trudeau has long had plans to enact tougher gun laws but the introduction of the new measure comes after mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y., this month.
God of the mourning, something must be done. Whether this legislation comes to pass, it’s clear that the disease of violence has festered beyond simple solutions. Is this the world you long for, Jesus? One of ‘freedom at any cost’, regardless of how many worshippers, children, or grocery shoppers are slaughtered in the process? The ideologies that prop up a gun-obsessed culture did not come down from Sinai, Lord - remind us of this.
Hearts Exchanged is a learning and action journey designed to equip Reformed Christians to engage with Indigenous people as neighbours and fellow image bearers. Would you like to participate in a cohort this fall? Make sure you let the team know at crcna.org/hearts-exchanged
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (S. 1486) seeks to eliminate discrimination and promote women’s health and economic security by ensuring reasonable workplace accommodations. Ask your Senators to support the sanctity of life through workplace protections!
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