The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins... Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. - Isaiah 51:3
Leaked secret documents are revealing the systematic scope of mass detention of ethnic minorities in re-education camps in northwestern China. From 24-hour surveillance, forced ideological lessons and psychological modification, official Communist Party documents from 2017 describe the imprisonment and indoctrination of Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim minority in China's Xinjiang province. "In my opinion, what we are looking at in Xinjiang is probably the largest internment of an ethno-religious minority since the Holocaust," said a leading researcher on the Uighur crisis.
God, though this persecution is happening to a people that feel different and distant, we proclaim their deep value, unmistakable human dignity, and belovedness. We cry out to you for their protection, for an end to their suffering, for them to be set free. We pray for the powerful in China who make such decisions -- lead them to repentance, Lord.
Local elections over the weekend ended in a landslide victory for Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, which swept nearly 90 percent of the district council seats and gives the party an unprecedented majority. The district councils have little power, but the vote became a referendum on public support for the protests and a repudiation of the leadership of Carrie Lam, who has served as chief executive of the semi-autonomous Chinese city during the past six months of violent protests. The result of Sunday's elections could force the central government in Beijing to rethink how to handle Hong Kong’s unrest.
God, we pray for peace to emerge in Hong Kong which has its roots in justice -- in people’s freedom, flourishing, and dignity. We pray for all those who have risen to positions of power to hold that responsibility with care and with an eye for protecting the rights of those without power. We pray for all those in Hong Kong who are today afraid and vulnerable -- bring protection, peace, and courage.
In October 2019, the United States settled zero refugees. This is a first in recorded history for relief groups like World Relief, which connects faith communities wiht the government process of refugee resettlement. The number is due to a pause placed by the State Department on admissions that has resulted in hundreds of canceled flights and thrust thousands of hopeful refugees back into a state of uncertainty. For the past five fiscal years, the average number of refugees resettled in October by all refugee resettlement agencies has been 4,945 refugees.
God, for those whose lives hang in the balance of decisions like these, we offer heart-felt prayers. We remember their humanity, their dignity, their belovedness. We pray for leaders in Washington DC who have the power to change policy and impact lives. We pray for those who have devoted their lives and talents to a now disappearing field of humanitarian work. We pray for the voice of Christians in the U.S. to be heard clearly and loudly in defense of the contributions refugees make, and the importance of hospitable policies.
A bill that would have prohibited abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome was vetoed Thursday by Pennsylvania’s governor one day after it passed the legislature. Pennsylvania law allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy for any reason except to select a gender. The bill would have added to that prohibition a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, with exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergency.
God, for beloved people, created by you, who have Down syndrome, we give thanks. We offer prayers for loving, supportive, and life-giving communities for those who live with disabilities of all kinds. We pray for women and men whose babies will be born with this, or another, chromosomal abnormality -- give them helpful information, good medical care, loving advocates and supporters. For all those considering abortion, draw near. Help us to become communities that embrace difference, that celebrate a variety of gifts, that allow all people to belong.
The Climate Witness Project is excited to announce that we will once again be sending a delegation as Christian climate observers to the twenty-fifth annual Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change.This year’s summit will be hosted in Madrid, Spain from December 2 -13. Made possible by the Christian Climate Observers Program (CCOP), our delegation will be a part of the evangelical Christian presence advocating for God’s creation at the summit. In light of this, we are dedicating this newsletter issue to explaining our history with COP, our participation in the Christian Climate Observers Program, and the significance of this year’s summit. Sign up for updates here.
World Renew and the CRC Office of Social Justice will distribute a free email devotional to your inbox during Advent. Don’t let Christmas presents overtake the Christmas Presence. Sign up to receive reflections on this year’s theme of How Long, Lord? every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through Christmas Day. How Long, Lord? will explore how witnessing destruction and injustices can often lead us to ask the same question that God’s people and the prophets in the Bible asked: “How Long, Lord?” Yet, in the midst of asking that question, we can have hope that our pain will not be forever and that the God who made us is with us, now and forever. Go to crcna.org/advent to sign up today!
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