So turn me tender again
Fold me into you
Turn me tender again
And mould me to new
Faith lost its promise
And bruised me deep blue
Turn me tender again
Through union with you
- Turn Me Tender Again by Martyn Joseph
Fears are rising over the numbers of lone children risking their lives to reach Europe after 114 were pulled from the Mediterranean Sea in one day this week. The unaccompanied minors were among 125 children rescued off the Libyan coast on Tuesday by the authorities, aid agencies said. Unicef warns many child refugees and migrants picked up off the coast of Libya will be sent to ‘appalling’ detention centres.
For children forced to face such peril alone, we pray. We pray for justice and safety in the places where they come from, for it to become possible to flourish and survive there. We pray for those who love them, for those who attempt to rescue them, for those who decide the policies that impact their futures.
India has become the second country in the world after the United States to pass the 20 million coronavirus cases mark. The intensity and scale of India's current crisis is outpacing the country’s ability to respond, with patients desperate for short supplies of oxygen, pleas for help from overwhelmed hospitals, and images of body bags and funeral pyres. Experts caution the official COVID-19 numbers are likely a massive undercount. World Renew’s International Disaster Response Team is asking for donations so they’re able to scale up and meet this crisis directly.
For India, we offer our fervent prayers. We pray for medical supplies, for vaccines, for infrastructure that can keep up with the need. We pray for World Renew and its ability to respond in compassion and effectiveness. We pray, God, for an end to this pandemic.
U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday he has resurrected a plan to raise refugee admissions this year to 62,500 after drawing criticism from supporters for initially keeping the refugee cap at a historically low level. Biden formally reversed himself just two weeks after his administration announced it would keep the cap at the 15,000 level set by his predecessor, Donald Trump. Delays in Biden's decision making on the issue led to hundreds of cancelled flights for refugees already cleared to travel to the United States, often after years of waiting, refugee groups said.
We pray for the lives impacted by indecision and changes, for the people whose lives rely on the infrastructure of resettlement. We pray for healing and justice in the communities that refugees have fled -- for restoration and hope. We pray for the work it will take to reignite the resettlement process in the U.S., and we pray for resilience and safety as people wait.
Do you want to grow in your reconciliation journey in a robust and appreciative way? Hearts Exchanged is now recruiting participants from across Canada to be join other Reformed Christians in this learning and action journey. Find out more and express your interest here.
Join us to hear the story of advocacy to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Author and professor Finis Dunaway will share the stories behind his latest book. Register here.
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