We are dab-hands at fishing: why should we incline
To net people instead? {Matt 4:18ff
‘There’s a catch to convince you that I am divine.’
We’re five thousand famished; you tell us to dine
On two herrings? They’re red! {Mark 6:30ff
‘Except for a soul I will give you no sign.’
Whale Catch Sole Catch Pike Catch Plaice by Michael Ward
The United Nations Security Council on Monday authorized a yearlong multinational security mission for Haiti, led by Kenya, aimed at cracking down on rampant gang violence that has unraveled life for many on the Caribbean nation. The 15-member United Nations Security Council voted to authorize a security mission that would guard critical infrastructure such as airports, ports, schools, hospitals, and key traffic intersections and carry out “targeted operations” along with the Haitian National Police. Kenya has pledged at least 1,000 security personnel and several other nations are expected to offer other resources. The Council voted 13 in favor of the resolution, with two abstentions. The resolution’s passing marked an increasingly rare moment when the Council was able to act. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, divisions among its five permanent members, each with veto power, have impeded the Council from passing resolutions and taking actions.
God of peace and justice, we pray for the U.N. mission to Haiti and that it may be a start to the process of quelling violence. We pray for those who live under constant fear of senseless violence from those who prey on the innocent. We pray for authorities and officials to cease this violence at once, and to do the hard work of creating the conditions that deter violence.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires returned to New York City Monday, prompting an Air Quality Index of "moderate" for the city Monday morning. Although the sky is not orange and the air does not smell like a campfire, the Air Quality Index suggests that those with heightened sensitivity issues may be affected by the smoke this week. Approximately 42.7 million acres have burned in Canada in the past several months, which is equivalent to 1.2 times the size of New York state. Earlier wildfires caused New York City to become engulfed in a seemingly orange cloud of smoke back in June. However, this week's "moderate" air quality will not compare to what New Yorkers experienced this summer. On June 8, New York City had the worst air quality in the world and peaked at 484 on the Air Quality Index. Monday's AQI is forecasted to peak at 55.
These fires are disrupting all of life, near and far, O God. We need better forest management plans, better fire management, a cap on all fossil fuels that drive the problem, and a long term plan to protect our lands, our forests, and our skies.
Cleaner energy technologies like electric cars and solar panels are spreading so rapidly that the global use of oil, coal, and natural gas could peak this decade, but countries will still need to pursue more aggressive measures if they want to limit global warming to relatively safe levels, the world’s leading energy agency said Tuesday. In a new report, the International Energy Agency issued an updated road map of what it would take to slash the world’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions to nearly zero by 2050. Doing so would probably prevent global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels, a goal many world leaders have endorsed in order to lessen the risk of catastrophic climate disruptions. The agency laid out its first version of the road map in 2021 and said at the time that immediate action was needed to hit that target. Since then, progress has been uneven. On the one hand, global investment in low-emissions energy has increased roughly 40 percent, reaching $1.8 trillion this year. And the rapid expansion of solar power and electric vehicles has largely been in line with what that earlier report recommended, particularly in places like China, the United States and Europe.
We pray for the coming peak, O Lord: may it be sooner than expected, and the drawdown from peak levels be swift. We long for a world where humans, flora, and fauna can thrive together in harmony.
More than 1,000 people in Bangladesh have died of dengue fever this year, official data shows – nearly four times more than in the whole of last year. At least 1,017 people have died in the first nine months of 2023 and nearly 209,000 have become infected, making it the country’s worst recorded outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease since the first tallied epidemic in 2000. Among the dead are 112 children aged 15 and under, including infants. Hospitals in Bangladesh are struggling to make space for patients as the disease spreads rapidly in the densely-populated South Asian country. Dengue is a disease endemic to tropical areas and causes high fevers, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and, in the most serious cases, bleeding that can lead to death. There is no vaccine or drug that specifically treats dengue, which is common in South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season.
For those at high risk for dengue, we pray for protection in abundance. For doctors, health care workers, and public officials tasked with managing this crisis, we pray for energy and patience in abundance. For the departed, we ask, God, that your presence might be abundant, your grace be plentiful, and your love be unending.
In the fall of 2023, Reverend Zachary King is once again inviting several classes to join together with CRCNA leadership for a time of prayer. Check out the available dates and times at the link. If you are unable to attend with your classis, but would still like to participate, please respond to that email, and we will send you information about other upcoming prayer times.
Please ask your local MP to vote for Bill C-314 this fall. Bill C-314 would reverse the law allowing medical assistance in dying for people with mental illness alone. A vote in the House of Commons could come as early as Oct. 3. Please consider contacting your MP’s office – you could call to leave a message or talk with someone, or you could send an email or letter. You can also circulate a petition in support of Bill C-314 and return it to your local MP. For more resources including sample wording for a brief letter or call, visit TheEFC.ca/C314.
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