A key figure in one of China’s most well-known churches was released on bail last week, six months after she and dozens of other members of the congregation were detained and their church was closed. The release of Jiang Rong, 46, still leaves her husband, Wang Yi, pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church, and four other church members in detention, however. According to a church news release, Ms. Jiang was reunited with the couple’s son, Shuya, who had been living without his parents since they were detained in December 2018. Church members who have been released from detention said the authorities planned to charge Mr. Wang with “inciting to subvert state power,” a charge that can result in up to 10 years of imprisonment.
God, for those who have been released from detention, we praise you for reuniting families and pray for your presence when feelings of loss and trauma may be present. And we pray for the Chinese church, and churches across the globe who risk persecution when they praise your name. Protect our sisters and brothers, O God.
Hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic are being shipped from the United States every year to developing countries around the globe for the dirty, labor-intensive process of recycling, which poses immense consequences both for public health and the environment. In the past year, the equivalent of 68,000 shipping containers of Americn plastic recycling were exported from the U.S. to developing countries. The newest hotspots for handling U.S. plastic recycling are some of the world’s poorest countries, including Bangladesh, Laos, Ethiopia, and Senegal, which offer cheap labor and limited environmental regulation.
God, convict us to change our habits -- our addiction to convenience, our thoughtless disposal of waste, our out-of-sight and out-of-mind attitude toward the trash we create. Remind us, Lord, that all our actions have consequences. Inspire us to cultivate and maintain deep respect and wise usage for all the resources you have created. We pray too for wisdom for the people who have been bearing the burdens of our wastefulness.
More than two million residents of Hong Kong have taken to the streets over the past week, protesting a controversial bill that would allow fugitives in Hong Kong to be extradited to China. They fear that the bill would threaten the democratic legal protections for the people of Hong Kong and instead expose them to a flawed and dictatorial process imposed by China’s communist system. The government suspended processing of the bill on Friday, but protests continue as demonstrators demand the bill’s total retraction and the resignation of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s China-backed chief executive. Christians have been at the forefront of pursuing justice, taking to the streets and singing the hymn “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord” repeatedly throughout the demonstrations.
God, for our brothers and sisters who are courageously fighting for justice in Hong Kong, we offer our prayers for safety, for wisdom, and for your continued presence. We pray that justice would be done in Hong Kong -- that freedoms, dignity, and the ability to flourish would continue to be protected there.
More than 10,000 asylum seekers have been returned to Mexico by U.S. authorities to await court hearings as the Trump administration prepares for the immediate expansion of the controversial practice — known as "Remain in Mexico" — along the entire southern border of the U.S. The new policy is being challenged in court on grounds that it violates the U.S. law protecting an asylum seeker’s right to due process, and that it violates international law that prohibits returning a vulnerable person to the danger from which they’re fleeing.
God, for the thousands of people whose lives hang in the balance of often capricious decisions, we grieve and we pray and we hope for change. We pray for wisdom for all who create and carry out these policies, and for those who have the power to reverse them. Give them wisdom, courage, and compassion, God.
Under U.S. immigration law, it is legal for asylum seekers to remain in the U.S. while their cases are pending. A policy change requiring them to “Remain in Mexico” involves a drastic departure from previous practice and likely violates U.S. and international law. More importantly, it places a potentially dangerous, immoral, and unjust burden on an already vulnerable population. Contact your Member of Congress today!
This is the first installment in the blog series "Seeing Beyond Immigration Rhetoric." We are people committed to the truth. In fact, we believe that truth brings freedom. We are called to keep learning (or unlearning) and to keep our eyes open, to bear witness, and to advocate for justice on behalf of people suffering at the U.S. southern border. They are our brothers and sisters. Read more.
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