Welcome to 2020! In this first edition of Justice Prayers for the new year celebrate some good news with us.
The world is five per cent greener now than it was two decades ago, according to a study by Nasa. The US space agency claims that leaf cover on Earth has increased by two million square miles since the early 2000s, which is roughly equivalent to the area covered by the Amazon rainforest. Even planting a trillion trees won't save us from climate change, according to one new study, but a greener, leafier earth will certainly be a healthier, and happier, planet to live on.
God, for the gift of trees -- for the shelter and sustenance they bring -- we give you thanks.
One-third of the world's installed electricity generation capacity is from renewable sources, according to the latest industry statistics. The data compiled by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows that two-thirds of the power capacity added around the world in 2018 was from renewables. Wind and solar accounted for 84% of that total.
God, for renewable, sustainable, and clean energy -- and for those who create and innovate these hopeful new technologies -- we give you thanks.
Young Muslims and Christian professionals in the Philippines, after threats of faith-based violence, in February joined their hands to form a human barricade to secure a Mass being celebrated. Later in the week, they did the same around a Mosque. They aimed to be a symbol against violence. “We are not bad guys and we condemn any terror activities targeting innocent people,” one young activist said. “As Muslims, we would like people to feel that we are concerned, that we care, and that we love our Christian brothers. We are here to guard the Church,”
God, for signs of peace and friendship in places that are rife with violence, we give you thanks.
Canada resettled more refugees than the United States in 2018, the first time the U.S. did not lead the world on this measure since the adoption of the Refugee Act in 1980. (For perspective, Canada has a population slightly more than one-tenth that of the United States – and an economy slightly less than one-tenth the size.) Like the United States, Canada carefully screens applicants for admission as refugees and has had great success in integrating them into Canadian society.
God, the gift that the stranger can bring, and for the extension of hospitality to those in need, we give you thanks.
The imprisonment rate for African Americans in the U.S. is falling, has been falling since 2001 and now stands at its lowest level in more than a quarter-century.
God, for the hope of systemic change, amidst a racist and dignity-robbing set of policies and practices, we give you thanks.
The number and rate of abortions in the U.S. have fallen to their lowest levels since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion in 1973. The numbers were provided by the Guttmacher Institute, which researches data on abortion. For 2017, the last year for which full numbers were available, the institute recorded 862,000 abortions. That translates to 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44, a rate less than half of the 1990 count.
God, for the hope of life affirmed, life saved, life celebrated, we give you thanks.
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