Jeremiah 1:4-10
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
The Klamath River, which spans both Oregon and Northern California, is free of four huge dams for the first time in generations. This comes after catastrophic destruction of the ecosystem, killing off 90% of the salmon population for one. But for the Yurok tribe, the river's restoration is only just beginning – starting with 18 billion seeds. We pray for the continued restoration of land, people, and health to God’s creation.
Lord of 18 billion seeds, may the life you created begin to reseed these areas devastated by our misappropriation of your world for our use. May we learn to live with less need and less energy so that more life can come in the ways you know it was meant to. Restore the joy of seasons and cycles, the seeds and the salmon to your people, created to know their Creator as they know themselves on this land.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240902-how-controlled-burns-can-help-wildlife
Conservationists reintroduced concepts of “good fire” and are restoring wildlife populations in Nebraska. Bears, huckleberries, and cranes all depend on the nutrient cycling that happens with controlled low intensity burns. We pray for the continued restoration of the land.
Lord of good fire, we pray for the building and planting of ecosystems after this necessary deconstruction. In your economy God, seeds turn into life only after being broken open and no death is beyond the redeeming reach of new life. May these practices bring our humble awareness of how much we need to learn about cultivating true life for all creation.
25 years after the Supreme Court introduced the Gladue Principle into sentencing, a new report shows where it has not been implemented well. The Gladue Principle states that courts must consider an Aboriginal offender's background when sentencing for a crime. Factors that are considered include discrimination, physical abuse, separation from culture or family, or drug and alcohol abuse. The report, released in July of 2024, states, “The uneven application of Gladue, lack of related infrastructure, and near absent support for community justice initiatives has resulted in a process that now reproduces a myriad of harms it was initially designed to prevent.” We pray for the situation.
God, we pray for an understanding of what is not working so that the principle designed to rehabilitate and restore individuals as well as honor the justice needed for victims of crime can be held by the community. May we untangle the right issues hindering the help the Gladue Principle aimed for and rebuild a new way to do justice.
Across Canada, steps toward repairing broken relationships between Indigenous people and settlers are being taken. Long-established urban Indigenous ministries help the Christian Reformed Church serve local communities by meeting acute needs and helping to bring healing. Read full story.
Churches in Middle East Peace and Canadian Friends of Sabeel are two trusted organizations offering advocacy and education opportunities in light of the ongoing violence in the Middle East. We continue to offer regular prayer opportunities right here on the Do Justice blog.
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