Daily Worship

Prayers from India

July 20, 2013 0 0

Micah 6:6-7

“With what shall I come before the LORD and down down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the LORD be please with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?  Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”.

Kolkata has the biggest red light area in India, and arguably the biggest in South Asia.  The area is fed by the modern form of human trafficking crime, which is growing due to high demand in the urbanized city.  Most young girls are lured, coaxed and cajoled with false promises including marriage prospects, or a home without dowry demands and occupations, or some offer of help out of a crisis situation.  Many young women live in such a stressful, abusive and exploitative environment that they are easy prey to traffickers.

Lord, help us to be aware of what is happening around us.  It is easy for us to be concerned only with the problems and issues that we are going through.  As we are your disciples, our hearts will be big enough to see the things that you see, feel the pain that you feel, and take action according to your will, showing your love to the oppressed and marginalized.  In the midst of the conflict in our community, give us boldness to stand for justice.  In your name, amen.

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Written by Jenghee You, Calcutta, India