Praying for Peace and Justice on July 27, 2025
Today I offer this prayer for peace and justice for families. It is not easy to pin down what to pray for when the world is in such turmoil and so I am including a multitude of prayers for families that I know well or have been impacted by our current political crisis that I have been following as well as praying for my own family.
Let us pray for peace for families experiencing anxiety because of medical procedures, especially dangerous surgeries on new born babies. We pray for families in despair due to anorexia and those who are at a loss for how to reverse the mental health afflictions of these young people. We pray for hope for families struggling through custody battles and separation due to irreconcilable differences, ongoing microaggressions and even domestic violence.
Today we pray for justice for all families awaiting news of their loved ones suddenly and unlawfully deported and falsely accused of crimes keeping them locked up in horrendous situations, depriving their families of their love, attention and financial support.
We pray for justice for all families that have suffered losing their mental stability as they hear about an abducted family member being tortured for ransom, losing their family’s savings due to extortion related to risky border crossing enterprises that prey on vulnerable and poor immigrant travelers.
Finally, I pray for a local resident of Takoma Park whose family is from Gaza. She recently sent a letter to the PEN list, asking for help for her family, something that was very hard to do as her family has always been very resourceful and has managed to pull together enough food to eat and help provide neighbors with what they need sometimes over and above their own. Now, she explains, the situation is completely dire. Their family lost their home due to bombings, the prices on food is astronomical with a single chicken, if you can find it, costing $100 USD. In her letter she explained that her family survives on lentils and flour and just a few weeks ago shared a jar of jam with 30 neighbors, a teaspoon each, their last sweet treat for potentially months to come. I was particularly drawn to this story for a few reasons. One, the woman asking for help is from Earlham College which is where I also attended and two, I find the situation in Gaza so impenetrable that learning of a family that I can send money to that will also help support others in the community brings my heart great joy to know.
May all families around the world find peace and justice in the midst of chaos, may those in fortunate circumstances recognize how lucky they are and reach out as possible to those in need and may Spirit guide us all as we continue to pray and search for small ways where we can provide service and friendship.
Amen.