Heartbreak in the Holy Land
Pray for peace and reconciliation in the Land of the Holy One.
CMS people in mission urgently ask for prayer.
The church is called to stand at the place where the world is in pain precisely in order that the spirit, the living presence of the loving God, may be there, groaning to the father from within the depths of the world’s pain, of our own pain…
NT Wright
With the catastrophic situation continuing to unfold in Gaza, Israel and the Middle East, and increasing violence of speech and action, it can be difficult to know how to pray. What we know is that people are in pain. And whatever else we might be called to do, prayer is not optional.
To help you pray, here are some short videos from our people in mission in the region.
Tanas Alqassis, CMS regional manager for the Middle East, Europe and North Africa, happened to be travelling in his home town of Bethlehem when the violence started escalating. He is still there, and shares an urgent message from his heart. Video recorded Tuesday 17 October.
Jennifer and Kevin Cable, CMS mission partners, normally based in Jaffa, are currently in Jerusalem, assisting people who have fled southern Israel. They give us insight into the constant fear local people are living with. Video recorded Monday 16 October.
Some ways to pray:
- For peace. As followers of Jesus, the Peacemaker, we cannot give up on praying and being a voice for an end to violence and for true, just and lasting peace.
- For everyone in pain – people in Israel, people in Gaza, everyone. We pray for healing and hope to somehow prevail. At the time of writing, we are particularly struggling to comprehend the agonising reports of destruction and loss of life at Al Ahli hospital in Gaza, which was founded by CMS. Lord, have mercy.
- For an end to the anti-Semitism and Islamophobia that are reverberating around the world and that these would find no home in the Church.
- For a ceasing of irresponsible sharing of misinformation and violent rhetoric online.
- One of our local partners in Beer Sheva has asked: “I ask you to pray that now, when our people see that all the systems they have ever trusted – strong army, decisive political leaders, police and emergency services, etc. – are simply collapsing, they will truly start seeking the Lord and will find him in the midst of this terrible tragedy.”
- For a revolution of love instead of hate.
“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Luke 1:78–79
