The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his,
and he is mine forever.
- The King of love my Shepherd is
A spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) says Israeli ‘strikes are now relentless’ and some Palestinians in Gaza have no choice but to live in the rubble of destroyed buildings amid expanding Israeli evacuation orders. Israel’s military says its soldiers are operating in central Deir el-Balah, further forcing Palestinians into just 11 percent of the Gaza Strip.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Monday the Israeli prime minister had accepted a Biden administration proposal to close some of the remaining gaps on a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and he urged Hamas “to do the same.” A spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu, Omer Dostri, confirmed the prime minister had told Mr. Blinken that Israel had accepted the proposal, which American officials presented last week with the support of Egypt and Qatar in an attempt to stop the fighting in Gaza and avert a wider regional war. The proposal seeks to forge a compromise on at least some of the disputes between Israel and Hamas on the details of a truce after months of on-and-off negotiations. But officials in both Israel and Hamas have said the plan, known as a “bridging proposal,” left major disagreements unresolved. Some Israeli officials privately expressed skepticism that the American proposal would result in a breakthrough with Hamas. Hamas officials did not immediately comment on Mr. Blinken’s announcement, but its officials have called the U.S.-backed proposal fundamentally slanted toward Israel.
Lord God of mercy, how long must we pray these prayers for peace? How long must we mourn and lament? We long for days of life, and life abundant. Give the evildoers among us the insight to turn from their ways, and give the peacemakers strength, wisdom, and courage.
In mid-July, the heat index in Dubai was 144 degrees Fahrenheit. In late June, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, registered a temperature of 125 degrees. This heat coincided with Hajj season. When it was over, more than 1,300 people had lost their lives. And in Egypt, temperatures have rarely fallen below 100 degrees since May. It was actually hotter in the Gulf region last summer, topping out at an eye-popping real feel of 158 degrees in the coastal areas of Iran and the United Arab Emirates. That reading and the unrelenting heat this season exceeded the “wet-bulb temperature” at which humans, if exposed for six hours, can no longer cool themselves off, leading to heat-related illnesses and death. The World Bank estimates that by 2050, water scarcity will result in GDP reductions of up to 14 percent in the region. In 2021, a UNICEF report stated that Egypt could run out of water by 2025, with the Nile River coming under particular stress. Water stress in countries such as Egypt is exacerbated by the upriver flow of the Nile being restricted because of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Syria and Turkey have been at odds over many years because the Turks have built dams along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, cutting the flow south. And among the many issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians is water and who has the right to tap into the Mountain Aquifer of the West Bank.
God, as the heat of summer intensifies day after day, year after year, we pray for all those without ways to cool off, for those without clean water to drink, and for those who lack healthcare. So many are stuck in survival mode, and we pray Lord that communities across the world might have the resources they need to not only survive, but to thrive.
Canada's two largest railroads are starting to shut down their shipping networks as a labor dispute with the Teamsters union threatens to cause lockouts or strikes that would disrupt cross-border trade with the U.S.
Both the Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National railroads, which haul millions of tons of freight across the border, have stopped taking certain shipments of hazardous materials and refrigerated products. Both are threatening to lock out Teamsters Canada workers starting Thursday if deals are not reached. On Tuesday, CPKC stopped all shipments that start in Canada and all shipments originating in the U.S. that are headed for Canada, the railroad said Saturday. The Canadian Press reported that on Friday, Canadian National barred container imports from U.S. partner railroads. The two railroads handle about 40,000 carloads of freight each day, worth about $1 billion, Windau said. Shipments of fully built automobiles and auto parts, chemicals, forestry products and agricultural goods would be hit hard, he said, especially with harvest season looming. CPKC said bargaining is scheduled to continue on Sunday with the union, which represents nearly 10,000 workers at both railroads. The company said it continues to bargain in good faith.
We pray for good faith bargaining, for resolution, and for the rights, dignities, and liberties of workers to be upheld both by employers and the government. We pray for jobs with liveable wages, health care coverage, and safety.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) checkpoints at the entrance to the Jasper, Alta., townsite have been removed, but visitors are still being told to keep their distance from the wildfire-ravaged community.
In a statement on social media Monday, the municipality announced that traffic checkpoints near the townsite would be dismantled at the request of residents with damaged or destroyed properties who need support navigating the insurance claims process. RCMP officers will continue to patrol the community. Services remain scant and a local state of emergency remains in effect four weeks after a wildfire moved in, triggering a mass evacuation and ultimately destroying a third of the structures in the historic townsite.
Christine Nadon, incident commander for the municipality, said Jasper has taken steps toward recovery but that does not mean the community is ready to welcome outsiders in. Services such as fuel and food are reserved for residents, local business owners and first responders, she said. An evacuation alert for the town was lifted on Sunday as Parks Canada officials announced that the status of the wildfire that devastated the community was no longer burning out of control. The fire, which now spans 33,000 hectares, is now classified as being held, meaning that it's not expected to spread beyond its current perimeter. It was welcome news for the town's 5,000 residents, many of whom took their first steps through the wreckage over the weekend. Friday was the first day residents were allowed back but under the caution that basic services remain extremely limited. Hundreds have returned during the first days of re-entry, at least temporarily, to assess the damage. An estimated $283 million in property value was wiped out in the fire. Entire neighborhoods were incinerated when the fire moved in on July 24, with a wall of flames hundreds of meters high, fuelled by powerful winds and parched conditions.
We pray for the wisdom of Canadians to support their neighbors in Jasper from afar, and to not create undo stress on people and resources by visiting during this time of extended crisis. We pray that government agencies, health care professionals, first responders, and all deployed in Jasper might work in unison during this recovery effort.
Do you work in youth ministry? We invite you to learn more about joining Generation Spark’s 2025 cohort through one of our upcoming webinar conversations! Grab a cup of coffee and join us on Wednesday, August 28 at 11:30am EDT or Thursday, September 12th at 7:30pm EDT. Details and Registration »
Kennedy Van Zee had been on the stage to sing during worship services in the past, but this occasion was different. As a seven-year-old who has spina bifida, she was delighted to be there with her friends because one of the church members, the owner of a construction company, had built a ramp allowing her to more easily access the stage in her wheelchair. Continue Reading »
The Reformed family is a diverse family with a diverse range of opinions. Not all perspectives expressed on the blog represent the official positions of the Christian Reformed Church. Learn more about this blog, Reformed doctrines, and our diversity policy on our About page.
In order to steward ministry shares well, commenting isn’t available on Do Justice itself because we engage with comments and dialogue in other spaces. To comment on this post, please visit the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue’s Facebook page (for Canada-specific articles) or the Office of Social Justice’s Facebook page. Alternatively, please email us. We want to hear from you!
Read more about our comment policy.