Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105
Public health officials have told residents of Iqaluit, the capital city of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, not to use tap water for drinking and cooking due to suspected fuel contamination in the city’s water supply. The city council of Iqaluit declared a state of emergency last week and later urged its 7,000-plus residents not to swallow water when taking a shower. Municipal authorities said they were investigating “infiltration into underground chambers” at a city water treatment plant as the potential source of contamination but have not ruled out other possibilities. Several residents of Iqaluit, which has a large Inuit population, complained earlier this month that water from their taps gave off a fuel-like odor. As of October 13th, Iqaluit’s two major grocery stories had run out of bottled water and water jugs, Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper reported.
We pray for the residents of Iqaluit who are in immediate need of clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning. We pray for swift assitance from neighboring communities and government bodies as long as help is needed. And we pray for answers to how this could have happened, and ensure correction and justice.
Armed clashes between militias transformed Beirut neighborhoods into a deadly war zone last Thursday, raising fears that violence could fill the void left by the near-collapse of the Lebanese state. The tension has focused around a judicial investigation into the massive 2020 explosion that destroyed much of Beirut port and nearby neighbourhoods. The violence erupted with a financial collapse that has plunged much of Lebanon into poverty and with the international community unwilling to offer aid unless widespread financial reforms within the Lebanese government are introduced.
God, we pray against violence in all forms, and we pray for all those caught in the middle of infighting that has rocked Beirut. Cease the violent actions of all those who intend harm for their neighbor, and guide policymakers and leaders towards the reforms needed to ensure peace, stability, and a promising future.
British lawmaker David Amess was stabbed to death in an Essex church last Friday by an assailant who lunged at him as he met with voters, in what police said was a terrorist attack. The Metropolitan Police, whose counter-terrorism unit are leading the investigation of the incident, said in a statement early on Saturday that they declared the fatal stabbing as a terrorist incident.The early investigation has revealed a "potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism," the police added. Amess, married with five children, was first elected to parliament to represent the town of Basildon in 1983, and then nearby Southend West in 1997. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his public service in 2015.
For the Amess family, we pray for comfort amidst horror. For England, we pray for all those who mourn amidst this tragedy. For the perpetrator, we pray they be brought to justice and for transformation from extremism and violence. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Seventeen people, including five children, associated with an American Christian aid group were kidnapped on Saturday by a gang in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as they visited an orphanage, according to a former field director for the group, Christian Aid Ministries. As of Tuesday, the gang demanded a ransom of $1 million for each of those they were holding, the country’s justice minister, Liszt Quitel The Haitian police said the group behind the abductions was one of the country’s most dangerous criminal gangs. Known as 400 Mawozo, the gang was blamed for kidnapping five priests and two nuns earlier this year.. At least 628 kidnappings have taken place since January, of which 29 are of foreigners, according to data released earlier this month by the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH), a non-profit based in Port-au-Prince.
Lord, God, we intercede on behalf of those kidnapped and pray for their swift recovery. We pray for their return to the communities they belong to, and their safety. Help, Lord, help.
Though immigration may seem like a far-off topic to some congregations, immigrants are a group of people that is close to God's heart. Enjoy and use this collection of sermons in your community! Full details here.
Since March of 2020, asylum seekers at the border have been subject to violence and expulsion justified through the use of Title 42. Join us in urging the Biden Administration to treat all asylum seekers with dignity and halt the use of Title 42.
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