Weekly Thursday Noon Time Prayers – 7th May 2020

This week we have a Christian reflection on peace kindly written by Kathy Pope from the Christian Faith Community.

Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’ and after saying this he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced at seeing the Lord, and he said to them again ‘Peace be with you’. (Jn 20:20-21)

Today we have many reminders of violence, its terrible, long lasting and traumatic impact. Violence is such an indictment of our failure to resolve conflict constructively and peaceably. So on Victory in Europe day of course we are thankful for the cessation of one conflict and the release of people from dictatorship. However we also remember those, mostly women, who suffered from an increase in domestic violence at the end of the second world war when the troops returned. We pray as well for all victims of the many terrible wars since then and those still caught up in conflicts today; we think especially of people in Syria, the Holy Land and Yemen.

We give thanks too for the courage and inspiration of conscientious objectors and for all peacemakers. As Christians we celebrate the victory of Jesus, a victory of justice and lasting peace. Peace be with us all as we pray…

Prayer

To the home of peace, to the field of love,
To the land where forgiveness and right relationship meet, we look O God,
With longing for earth’s children
With compassion for the creatures
With hearts breaking for the nations and the people we love.
Open us to visions we have never known
Strengthen us for self-givings we have never made
Delight us with a oneness we could never have imagined
That we may truly be born of You as makers of peace. Amen.
(Newell 2011)