Praying for Peace

Praying Hands by Albrecht Dürer

I attended an information-and-prayer session this week to learn more about, and pray for, the situation in Israel-Palestine. Obviously, our hearts were focused on the present situation of conflict, but part of our learning addressed the 75 years of geo-political conflict between states, the religious nuance of the region, the historical landscape of the conflict.*

We all understand it is a complex issue, an issue that we do not fully understand. Yet: we pray. We pray for peace, for health, and not just for the cessation of hostility but for an enduring commitment to supporting the humanity of the other.

One of our members, a gentleman I hold in high esteem, said that his wish was for leaders to sit down and pray together. “Praying Together Reduces Barriers” he said.**

While this was laid in the foundation of a discussion on present conflict, we can apply it to other conflicts: current and past; and hold in our hearts for potential disagreements of the future.

For we live in a world where conflict is a reality; it always has been and always will be.

Yet we live in the kin-dom of God, where we are called to seek peace and strive for justice. Which is easier to do when we are engaged in dialogue, intentionally speaking with one another and carefully including the Prince of Peace (who is already present, yet who we so often forget when we are riled up).

As the week continued and the wars around the world have continued, my heart has been torn by the devastation of conflict, and comforted by the promise that the peace of God is among us. My prayer has been that we would all lean in to this peace, to extend the reign of God, to commit to the hard work of reducing barriers in our own lives.

Lord, in your mercy; hear our prayer.





*Video can be found here: https://youxube.com/watch?v=fDe9mAmHsAM
**Paul Dumbrille