who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
- Psalm 65:7-8
Effective at Midnight March 25, the Safe Third Country Agreement will be in effect across the entire US/Canada border closing a loophole which allowed migrants arriving in Canada from the United States between official ports of entry to make asylum claims. Canadian authorities patrolling the border are now able to turn asylum seekers back to the United States. This particularly affects unofficial points of entry such as Roxham Road between NY state and Quebec.
Last year 0ver 39,000 migrants made asylum claims after crossing at Roxham Road.
Jesus, be with the ones who are travelling for their lives and continue to provide community and care through your body, the church, to those who have already arrived in Canada. Complicated policies and politics have real effects on real lives and we pray for safe passage and safe harbor for those most in need. We pray for policies to be re-examined through lenses of “what we do for the least of these” knowing that we do for them is what we do unto you, Lord.
For more information about the policies behind this prayer read this blog.
In a government run migrant detention center in Northern Mexico close to the US border, a fire broke out that killed at least 39 people and seriously injured dozens more. Official reports are that inmates set the fire in protest at the news of being deported, but it quickly became out of control.
God of grace, the loss of life is incomprehensible. We say you hold all things but when despair culminates in tragedy, we need you to act and to speak. Help us watching these events unfold pray with your words, your heart. And be with those whose isolation and exhaustion at trying to find a home are creeping towards despair. Be with the ones who recovering from this trauma. Have mercy.
In the wake of children being murdered with assault rifles at school again, this time in Tenessee, we pray:
Your mercy is needed for we are a people who keep showing ourselves to be helpless to curb violence. Helpless to lessen the despair that leads to these acts. Helpless in the face of lobbyists, ideologies, thoughts and prayers. We don’t want it to be true – but the fruit of our choices is clear in the fact that number one cause of death for children in America is a gun. Trouble us until we choose life in our words, deeds, systems and policies. In your mercy, do not leave us here.
Trees. Solar panels. Education. These are some of the ways people of faith are fighting the effects of climate change. That’s why we created a new documentary series, This is Hunting Park. Learn how people of faith in one Philadelphia neighborhood are coming together to make a difference. Watch the films and download the study guide here.
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.