(I tried to post this before we left the hotel this morning but had some technical difficulty.)
Woke up this morning to the news of Osama bin Laden's killing. We are not joining in the celebration that is occurring in DC. This has cast a pall over the group as we head out on our first day's journey. Not the way we wanted to start this trip. And yet, it is perhaps good that we are here, that we have the opportunity to experience this critical moment not just in our nation's history, but the world's, precisely in this place--the World of Paul and now a Muslim nation. We feel fortunate to be in Turkey, one of the most stable and secure nations in this area of the world.
So we begin this day in prayer, as taught by Jesus, we pray first for our enemies and for those who mourn this day. We pray for peace and reverence for all life. We pray for all those who live under terror and threats of violence and an end to its endless cycle of destruction. We pray for soldiers and for victims of war. We pray for guidance and new understanding as we begin this journey.
I stand with you with my prayers for peace.
ReplyDeletePrayer for peace and safe travels
ReplyDelete"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
ReplyDelete--Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., written from jail, delivered as sermon at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama, Christmas, 1957.
Amen!
ReplyDelete