Holy One,

Today, our hearts break for the people of Syria,
and we fear for the state of our world.
Assad tortures and kills his own people,
desperately grasping at power with weapons, threats, force.
Some Syrians join extremist groups,
hoping guns and bombs will lead them to freedom and peace.
Many Syrians flee.
They may or may not survive their journeys.
They may or may not find welcome in another place.
Other nations, including ours, look on in horror,
grieving for the Syrians, fearful for ourselves.
Our country is responding to this violence with threats and more violence.
Fifty-nine Tomahawk missiles.
Lord, have mercy.
O God of mercy, hear us from these depths.
The sorrow sits in the pits of our stomachs.
The fear rises into our chests.
So we lift up our eyes to you. From where will healing for this broken world come?
O Lord of life. O Prince of peace.
Do not let our feet be moved from the path of peace.
For us, for our leaders, for all the people of Syria:
Be our keeper. Be our shade.
Keep us from all evil. Keep our lives.
Keep our going out and our coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Have mercy on us, O God. And grant your peace to our world.
Amen.

This prayer uses language from Psalm 121 and is an adaptation of an earlier prayer I wrote for Libya.

We will have an open time of prayer for peace in Syria and around the world tonight, April 7, from 5-7 p.m. at Peace Mennonite Church (615 Lincoln). You are welcome to join us in person or from afar.