Daily Worship

War and Peace

September 27, 2015 0 0

Ecclesiastes 3: 8

God sets a time for love and a time for hate,
a time for waging war and a time for making peace.

Reflection
You may like to use the symbol of a heart or a cross or perhaps a toy soldier as a focus for your prayers.
We are content that God encourages love and peace, but hatred and war? Is God responsible for these times of human failing? Perhaps we can reconcile our thoughts with God encouraging us to hate all that is evil and wage war against oppression and injustice. But are actual hatred and warfare in God’s hands? Does God use our hating and fighting? Are there times when we need to act this way to see God’s purposes fulfilled? There is mystery to contemplate, but also there are questions to ask about times we feel hatred and about the wars raging in our world. We need to ask how God’s purposes might be served before we act.  

Prayer
God of Hosts,
in the bible you lead your people out to war,
and thundered over the earth;
as I look around my world I see too much war and hatred,
and I dread to see you in it, for it is not good.
Bring peace and justice, love and mercy,
to all caught up in wars and violence.
Teach me what you are doing now,
open my eyes to what I must do to live for you;
take all hatred from me, 
except the hatred of evil,
help me quit the ways of violence and anger, 
and make me still,
let my voice join with yours to bring life.