God of grace, have mercy. We’ve heard that the arc of the universe bends towards justice, but we watch the nightly news in horror and doom-scroll through the reports of bombs falling on innocent Ukrainians – mothers, children, babies in newborn intensive care, the frail and elderly, hunkered down in fear and danger in basements, subway tunnels and parking garages. Our hearts beat for Ukraine as we mutter our laments and groan over the atrocities, praying for the safety of the hundreds of thousands fleeing their homeland, and for those who remain to resist Russia’s attacking forces.
We go about our day’s work but return to our screens over and over to bear witness to the injustice, to face the harsh reality that we live in a world of evil and ego, of power-hungry men and the threat they pose. God-with-us, strengthen your peacemakers for this time. Encourage the Ukrainians in their resistance. Turn all hearts from destruction, domination and violence.
O God, in your loving purpose answer our prayers and fulfill our hopes. Give us the will to work for peace and for justice, for compassion, to be a balm in Gilead for your fractured world, for the sake of our savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
