Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.
Peacemaking God, in Christ you were reconciling the world to yourself, and breaking down dividing walls of hostility
We pray for Ukraine and Russia, for Israel and Gaza, for Yemen and Sudan: For these, and other places where for generations, fear and anger has blinded and divided communities into enemies, and created communities whose history is fear, distrust and hatred of each other.
We pray for countries and communities where grievances suffered and suffering inflicted leaves legacies of hate and suspicion, where history overshadows the present, violence silences every call for peace, and deep wounds cry so loudly they drown out voices for peace and conciliation.
Help us to listen for the subversive wisdom of the Peacemaker Spirit of God, informing our prayers, and recalibrating our minds towards new strategies for the healing of our world,
Teach us to speak the language of peace with fluency and courage, and to pray for reconciliation with renewed and determined hopefulness in the God of hope.
As at the creation your Spirit brooded upon the waters of chaos, so Peace-making Spirit of Christ, overshadow our broken world with mercy and justice, and help us to trust, not in Presidents and Prime Ministers, not in military power or economic levers, but in you the Prince of Peace and Risen Lord whose first words to your perplexed disciples were, “Peace be with you.” Amen
Leave a Reply