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Environmental Missions Prayer Digest
October 2010 |
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Greetings!
Autumn has come to Kansas. As I write, the leaves are swirling from some of the trees, others are working themselves up into a vibrant colourful frenzy and the air is cool behind the sunshine. The Glory of God fills the temple!
I'm still thinking about hope. It's hard not to, when the temptation to despair feels like a steady opposing force pulling me ever downward. I'm perpetually inclined to cynicism and sarcasm and negativity but those are not luxuries I'm allowed. I'm called to hope.
The writer to the Hebrews seemed to understand a connection between hope and diligence. He writes, "Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true" (Heb 6:11) We are to keep on loving--- and that diligence to keep on loving ensures us that what we've hoped for will come true. Isn't that amazing? It's an antidote to despair. What do you do when it all seems hopeless? Keep on loving! What do you do when the tide of your own cynical spirit overwhelms your soul? Keep on loving!
The writer goes on to talk about Abraham and the promises God made to him and kept. He keeps weaving hope into this conversation. "Therefore (because God doesn't lie, because God keeps his promises) we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us (before us-- as in eternity and, I think, before us-- as in right in front of our faces!) This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls..." (Heb 6:18-19)
Thank you for joining us in the prayers we here at Eden Vigil are praying. In a powerful way this is how we keep on loving those in Bangladesh affected by arsenic poisoning and we keep on loving those in Washington. We pray. We pray with confidence and with boldness and with love. As we keep on loving our faith stays alive and active and our hope remains sure.
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Arsenic Poisoning in Bangladesh
In response to high numbers of water borne illnesses in Bangladesh found in surface water, well-meaning development agencies in the 1970s advised digging wells for drinking water. While that did cut back on cases of cholera and other diseases, it introduced a far more serious dilemma: toxic levels of arsenic in the well water. The mineral and periodic element, Arsenic, is a carcinogenic and is extremely dangerous to the liver, the skin, the kidneys and the cardiovascular system. Arsenic also has the notorious reputation of still having adverse effects for up to 20 years after exposure. It is estimated that one in five deaths in Bangladesh is attributable to Arsenic poisoning. The World Health Organization calls the wells, "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history... beyond the accidents at Bhopal, India, in 1984, and Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986."
Solutions are available in the form of deeper wells and filters for water. However those that have already been exposed will likely not benefit from either.
Please join us in praying:
- Pray for the Bangladeshi government to recognize the severity of the situation and to put their best resources toward fixing the problem.
- Pray for hope for those affected. Pray for health. Pray for miracles. Pray for Living Water to parch their deeper thirsts.
- Pray for the availability of technology. Deeper wells and accurate filters are needed for each community. This will require parts and pieces. Ask God to make a way.
- Pray for ongoing ministries in Bangladesh. Ask God to give them courage to promote the Gospel of Peace. Pray for their protection. Pray for the establishment of the indigenous church for the glory of God and the hope and salvation of the people.
- Pray against corruption. Pray the money designated reaches the communities and results in local solutions.
- Pray for informed science. Pray those doing this research will think things through in such a way as to avoid any other unintended consequence in the future. Pray this broadly across borders. Ask God to convict development agencies and NGOs of the sins of superficial solutions. Ask Him to enlighten their thinking and to bring creative integrated interdisciplinary successful outcomes to mind.
Link: United Press International article
Link: Earth Island Journal
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Political impasse in the US greatly affects the global environmental situation
When I actually come to write up this issue without traces of cynicism and despair I'm finding it tremendously difficult. Claiming an outsider advantage (you'll remember I'm a Canadian who's lived 23/40 of her life in Asia) seems to only justify my temptation to sarcasm and sin. If I didn't fervently believe that we as Followers of Christ must commit ourselves to prayer on behalf of the political situation here in the US, I think I wouldn't even try to give voice to this pent up passion.
We recognize governments and their decisions have tremendous effect on environmental issues and on the condition of the poor who are affected by those issues, both inside and outside their borders. It grieves me that the latest rounds of climate negotiations in Tianjin did little to improve on the debacle of Copenhagen last year and certainly did little to prepare for any decisions for change in Cancun in December.
It further grieves me that a good number of the candidates for US Senate seats, including the total number from one party refuse to engage climate science let alone climate action--- It seems to me that as long as we keep our proverbial heads buried in the sand of selfish ambition there is little hope for change. Politicians politick. It's what they do. Ask them a difficult question and hear them give an answer that neither reflects their own convictions nor that jeopardizes their connections with their constituents-- particularly the wealthy, donation based dominating few. (These are the forces that we must intercede for. These are the minds that must be changed --if we are to see any change in the outcomes in Congress. Go to your knees for these that manipulate with money and power.) If you want to read a heartbreaking narration of what went horribly wrong when self interest got in the way and wherein everyone, including Democrats and Republicans, the White House and Congress, environmentalists and industrialists are implicated, read the article in the New Yorker magazine entitled "As the World Burns" (see attached Link).
And how do we come back to hope in the face of such things? Daniel 2:20-21 reads, "Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars." I was also reading in Romans recently and stumbled again on the practical list of things Paul says we should be about. Listen in on a few: "Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." (Rom 12:12)
Let's lift this to the God who controls the the course of world events:
- Ask Him to renew our hope!
- Pray that the American people will vote according to the leading of the Spirit of God. Don't know who to choose? Ask God who "removes (senators) and sets up other (senators)".
- Pray that President Obama will also experience the hope of Christ and the courage to act on his convictions.
- Pray that polarized politicians would lay down their political agendas and begin to truly serve the American people with hard work and active consciences.
- Pray for a humble realization of the full implications of what they decide regarding the environment-- these decisions affect all people regardless of available resources, status and nationality.
- Ask God to do a miracle in Cancun! Pray that He would send His Holy Spirit to be the loudest delegate of all. Pray that people would come with an uncanny willingness to compromise and to cooperate. Pray that God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
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We here at Eden Vigil are deeply committed to prayer! With burdens on our heart for the creation, doesn't it make sense we would turn to the Creator? Thank you for praying with us. Let us all continue to pray that God would fill our hearts with His Hope... which endures and teaches us to do the same.
What should we pray for next month?
We are always asking that question of God, not only because we need to publish a new prayer digest next month, but because we want to be praying for that ministry, people group, or issue where God Himself is ready to act. If you would like to suggest a prayer focus, please contact us.
full of hope...by faith!
Robynn Bliss
Eden Vigil
Links: Contact the editors, Eden Vigil website, Donations to Eden Vigil
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