I often wonder how I can assist the victims of the Gaza genocide. Sure, I make information available to my blog followers. What more can I, and you actually do? Well we can pray, in particular with Palestinian residents throughout the Middle East. We can join the Sabeel Wave of Prayer.
Sabeel is an ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians. Inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, this liberation theology seeks to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians, to promote unity among them and lead them to act for justice and peace.
Each week I receive the Sabeel Wave of Prayer via email; I encourage others to sign up and join the movement. In these horribly violent times, the practice of prayer shared across nations and faith communities is more important than ever.
Please find below the posting for Saturday, August 2, 2025.
Let us pray, together.
August 2nd was the day of remembrance for the Congolese genocide, an ongoing silent genocide led by Rwanda and backed by Western powers which has killed over 12 million people, enriching Western tech companies that rely on Congo’s minerals. As empire ravages the Congo, we also hold sacred space for the famine in Sudan, now as catastrophic as Gaza’s, where over 500,000 have died since the civil war began two years ago—fueled by arms and funding from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other regional powers for economic and political gains. Seventy percent of fatalities are from starvation and disease.
Holy God, we lift up our beloved siblings in Sudan and the Congo who suffer through horrors hidden and unhidden. We grieve the deep racism and colonialism of a world that deems their lives invisible and disposable, and we confess our own complicity in participating in systems that contribute to their oppression. Holy Spirit, help us understand that our freedoms are intertwined. In doing so, may we pursue liberation in ways that uplift the voices of Sudan, the Congo, and all oppressed peoples.
Lord in our mercy…hear our prayer
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Sunday, claiming to have prayed at the site—challenging longstanding rules that prohibit non-Muslim prayer. The visit coincided with the Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av. The compound, overseen by a Jordanian Islamic foundation under a decades-old status quo, is Islam’s third holiest site and Judaism’s most sacred. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that Israel’s policy on the site “has not changed and will not change.”
God of mercy and justice, we lift our hearts in prayer for our Muslim brothers and sisters, many of whom are denied access to Al-Aqsa Mosque. We cry out against this injustice and the ongoing violations of religious freedom and human dignity. Let Jerusalem become a city of justice and peace, not domination and exclusion. May Your Spirit move among us, stirring hearts toward accountability, healing, and the shared dignity of all Your children.
Lord, in Your mercy… hear our prayer.
Last week, an Israeli settler shot activist Awdeh Hadalin in the lungs, killing him. Awdeh was a beloved local activist and educator from Masafer Yatta who helped film Oscar-winning film No Other Land. Even after his death, the military kidnapped members of Awdeh’s family and withheld his body on the condition that his funeral would be limited to just 15 mourners and that his burial was not allowed inside Umm al-Khair. As a result, more than 70 women of Umm al-Khair announced a hunger strike to demand the release of his body and Awdeh’s family members who remain imprisoned at Ofer military prison.
God of the brokenhearted, we come to you in grief for the killing of Awdeh Hathaleen, whose precious life was stolen due to hatred and racism. As you bring him into your embrace, give healing and safety to his family, and be with the women of Um Al-Khair who continue to embody his example of love and sumud through their hunger strike. Holy Spirit, teach us to we follow the path of Awdeh and the community of Um Al-Khair who refuse to let despair and violence have the final word.
Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer
Last week, the Christian village of Taybeh experienced renewed attacks. These attacks took place even after a visit by U.S. ambassador Mike Huckabee who publically stated that such terrorism and desecration of holy places cannot be tolerated. Despite his demand for settler violence to be curbed, settler rampages renewed across Taybeh and other villages across the West Bank with no consequences.
God of justice and peace, we lift up the people of Taybeh and all villages under attack, crying out for your protection over their homes, holy places, and livelihoods. We lament the hypocrisy of words without action, and the impunity that allows violence to flourish. Strengthen the hearts of those who endure these assaults, and stir the conscience of leaders to move beyond statements to true justice. May your light shine in the darkness, bringing an end to terror, and may your Spirit sustain all who long for peace, dignity, and safety.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
The situation in Gaza is beyond heartbreaking, with more reports including from a whistleblower of the Gaza “Humanitarian” Foundation that confirms the unfathomable use of brutality and indiscriminate artillery fire used on unarmed, starving civilians by both the Israeli military and American contractors. Meanwhile, rather than treat Gaza’s genocide and manmade famine with the urgency it deserves, France, the UK, Canada, and other Western countries are issuing weak statements “threatening Israel” with recognizing a Palestinian state if they do not stop their onslaught.
God of the oppressed, we cry out for Gaza, where your children endure unthinkable brutality, hunger, and death at the hands of powers who despise mercy. We grieve the cruelty and the indifference that cloak genocide in hollow words, and we repent for a world that delays justice while lives are extinguished. Kindle in us a holy anger that will not be quiet, and strengthen all who relentlessly labor for truth, relief, and freedom in the face of empire. May your judgment break the grip of oppression, and may your mercy bring healing and life where destruction now reigns.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
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Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 
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