Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of July 17, 2017
Ranan, a member of our Sabeel family who works at the office in Jerusalem, got married last Friday. Her wedding was a wonderful celebration with lots of friends and family members. She and her husband, Alex, will be leaving for their honeymoon in Sri Lanka next week.
Lord, we thank you for Ranan and Alex. Please bless and guide them as they begin their married life together, and give them safe travels on their honeymoon. We thank you also for this occasion to celebrate.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer…
Eighteen-month-old Abdul Rahman Barghouti died last Friday after being hospitalized for almost two months as a result of tear gas inhalation. The IDF shot tear gas into several Palestinian homes in the village of Aboud, near Ramallah, during mid-May protests related to the prisoners’ hunger strike. The IDF also blocked ambulances from reaching the Barghouti house, forcing medics to carry Abdul Rahman on foot to reach medical care.
God, we mourn for Abdul Rahman Barghouti, and we grieve the systems of oppression which devalue and end the lives of Palestinian children. We pray for a world in which children are not gassed in their homes and emergency medical care is not delayed. Lord, be with Abdul Rahman’s family and community as they continue to struggle forward through the depths of despair.
Lord, in your mercy…
UNESCO recently declared the Old City of Hebron/Al-Khalil a Palestinian cultural world heritage site. It was also placed on the list of endangered sites due to the Israeli occupation of Hebron. The government of Israel has protested this decision, calling it anti-Semitic, even though the Palestinian Authority explicitly stated that the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs is sacred to all three Abrahamic religions.
Lord, we thank you for organizations like UNESCO which seek to preserve cultural heritage for all people. We are grateful for UNESCO’s recognition that Hebron is occupied Palestinian territory.
Lord, in your mercy…
Since the beginning of July, three church bodies have passed resolutions in support of peace and justice for Palestinians. Mennonite Church USA passed a resolution to divest from companies profiting from the illegal occupation of Palestine and continue to support Palestinians and Israelis who are working for peace. The World Communion of Reformed Churches passed a resolution to start discerning ways to work for peace in Palestine and Israel, connect with Palestinian churches, and reject theologies which are used to justify the oppression of Palestinians. The United Church of Christ passed a resolution to advocate for the rights of children in Israeli military detention.
Lord, thank you for churches around the world who are standing in solidarity with Palestinians and working for an end to the occupation and other human rights abuses. Help them to be faithful in this work, and let them be an example for other churches.
Lord, in your mercy…
The Friends of Sabeel and Kairos Palestine in the United Kingdom have been working for over a year on a motion calling for investment practices consistent with biblical and moral principles to ensure that churches will not profit from the occupation of Palestine. They have been bringing the resolution to denomination leaders in the UK, and it has made substantial progress in the Church of England in the last week.
Lord, thank you for the diligent work of our friends in the UK who are encouraging church institutions to live out biblical imperatives by resisting illegal occupation and settlements. We pray that you will enlighten the hearts and minds of those in positions of influence and strengthen the resolve of people working for this resolution. We pray also that church leaders will not abandon this resolution through fear of accusations of anti-Semitism.
Lord, in your mercy…
We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Lord, in your mercy…