Keep my anger from becoming meanness.
Keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.
Keep my heart soft enough to keep breaking.
Keep my anger turned towards justice, not cruelty.
Remind me that all of this, every bit of it, is for love.
Keep me fiercely kind.
Amen. — Laura Jean Truman
This past spring, Canada’s federal government made Sept. 30 the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process. We pray as the nation comes to this week:
One year ago, India enacted a series of laws that farmers say will hurt their livelihoods and leave them with little power against big private retailers. 100’s of thousands of people have been protesting throughout the year and are calling for a Nationwide strike on Sept 27.
Farming is a vast sector that sustains almost half of India's more than 1.3 billion population and accounts for about 15 percent of the country's $2.7 trillion economy.
Lord, we pray for the lives and livelihoods of those who work with the land to grow food. We pray for resolution to this standoff and for just policies that work towards good for the people closest to the ground.
After the devastating images of Haitian migrants being whipped and chased on horseback, and 10’s of thousands of people camped out in deteriorating conditions under a bridge in Texas, we resolve to continue to pray.
Lord, this is not your will and we know that the burden of sin’s consequences is always on the backs of the least and the most vulnerable. Lord, have mercy. Protect the most vulnerable in these situations. When previous policies are not working and are not humane in ever evolving situations, we need your wisdom to guide good decisions and create better solutions.
September 30th 2021 marks the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. It coincides with Orange Shirt Day, a grassroots commemoration marked by the wearing of Orange Shirts for children forced to leave their families and attend residential schools. Participate in a guided reflection for this day through the Do Justice podcast.
Want your congregation to be equipped to love our neighbors in tangible ways and work toward just public policies? We'd love to offer your group a workshop. Check out the full workshop lineup at this link.
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