Race

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.  - Psalm 143:8

In response to the continued calls for racial justice around the world, we devote our prayers again this week to confession and the reconciliation of the church.

Inspired by the Belhar Confession

As the world grapples with the global spread of the coronavirus, there’s been a lot of news and information to sift through to make sense of our new reality. In the United States in particular, we continue to hear a lot of blaming and negativity about immigrants as the country addresses the COVID-19 crisis. 

It is time for Canadians to know that First Nations people have held up their end of the treaties.

Dear Children, 

The last few weeks have shaken us again.  This is not business as usual or prayer as usual.  Our African American sisters and brothers in Christ have been calling for lament, for equality, for justice, for a long time.  And so we have not asked them to teach us something new.  Rather, we point you to prayers and laments written several years ago when we found ourselves in similarly raw moments.  Join us in lament and on this long journey of pursuing racial justice.

Dear Church,

As I write this letter, I find myself in a place of lament. I lament the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many black lives taken by the grasp of white supremacy. I lament the numerous blacks lives that are being taken by this pandemic. 

Hear my prayer, Lord;  let my cry for help come to you.  Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress.  Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. - Psalm 102:1-2

Bethany Christian Services

This week, Bethany Christian Services is asking for prayer after an increasing number of their clients who are essential workers are diagnosed with COVID-19.  Their work with refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers guides, advocates, and supports key settlement locations around the globe, including the U.S.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

Over the past two weeks rhetoric has heated up with regards to race.  I heard one woman question whether COVID-19 was passed through Chinese food.  I’ve heard from Chinese friends that they’ve been targeted with derogatory remarks (and in other cases physical attacks).  Most disturbing, I’ve heard that the Christian community is not immune to spreading these sentiments.  As we discuss this let’s start with the basic fact that there is

Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—  although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.  Now he had to go through Samaria.  So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well.