A Note to My Conscience: You are welcome to serve at the throne of Christ, because it is a throne of grace. You may not sit on the throne because you can't be trusted to render a verdict of mercy. Your job is not to condem me. Your job is to call me from the pigpens back to my Father's house. In doing so you will be my prophet. - Brad Jersak
Alarming new research by the National Audubon Society finds two-thirds of North American bird species — 389 different species — are at risk of extinction from climate change. A recent, independent study that said nearly 3 billion birds have already disappeared from the United States and Canada in the past half a century. Changes in precipitation and temperature is changing the timing and growing patterns of plants, and resulting in fluctuations in insect and animal communities, and thus limiting the places that birds can live and eat. Extreme weather events can also wipe out entire nesting nurseries or winter flocks. Advocates say that passing laws to facilitate investments in, and use of, renewable energy will improve the chances for 76% of the at-risk species.
God, you have called us to love and take care of the world you created. We also delight in this created world -- the variety, the beauty, and the interconnectedness of the ecosystems that you designed, God, humble us and point us to you. Call us to love sacrificially -- even the creatures that are without power -- and strengthen our voices to advocate for that which will protect and defend the creatures you made, and that you love.
Alberto Fernández has been elected president of Argentina in a vote dominated by economic concerns. The vote was held amid an economic crisis that has left a third of Argentina's population in poverty. The previous president had promised to achieve "zero poverty", but things actually worsened during his four-year rule. Mr Fernández has vowed to play things safe financially -- and gained the trust of voters seeking a way out of their economic distress.
God, we pray for those who are poor in Argentina. We pray for those who are newly elected to power. We pray for policies and plans that might address the dire need there -- and that might uplift and defend the dignity of those who are without power. We pray for new life, and new hope, in Argentina.
The Algerian government shut down three churches this month, including the country’s two biggest congregations. Authorities forced Christians from their buildings and arrested some who continued to protest the crackdown. At least 15 Protestant churches—out of only about 46 in the country—have been shuttered since January 2018. The country is home to just 125,000 Christians, fewer than 1 percent of the population. Christian congregations struggle to register with the government agency tasked with regulating non-Muslim worship, per a 2006 law. It never convenes and has not issued a single approval.
God, for your church in Algeria, we offer our prayers. We pray for wisdom, for courage, and for the strength to continue to remain faithful to your calling in the midst of a context so dangerous and full of challenges.
The Trump administration is testing a new program which would expedite migrant deportations. The “secretive” pilot program, Prompt Asylum Claim Review, would give migrants a decision on their asylum application in 10 days or less. Immigration lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union believe this pilot program denies asylum seekers due process and highlights the limited role lawyers can play; lawyers are not allowed to meet with their clients in Border Patrol stations and are limited to brief conversations by phone.
God, we remain steadfast in praying for an end to the oppression that immigrants face in the United States -- in the rapidly changing environment where new policies seem to constantly find new ways to restrict the ability for people to find safety and hope. We pray for policy makers to stand up for the dignity of immigrants. We pray for advocates to voice their values loudly. We pray for justice, Lord.
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October 2019 has been an important month for refugee policy in the United States. The refugee shutdown continues, and the proposed ceiling of admitting only 18,000 refugees for 2020 is still not official. This is the lowest proposed refugee number since the program officially began in 1980, and would represent less than 0.1% of worldwide refugees. Due to this delay, there is also still a moratorium on refugee flights to the United states that were already booked and scheduled.
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