A future of joy

These words are attributed to Hezekiah, King of Judah in the late 700s BCE. He had been sick and was afraid that he would die. Although he recovered through prayer, these words were linked with him as a record of his outcry to the Lord.

These words may come from a king, but they could be the prayer of so many people in our own time, faced with coronavirus and emergencies of many kinds. We can all resonate with this honest cry for restoration this year. It might also be the cry of people migrating across the Mediterranean in frail dinghies, fearful of the sea. Or perhaps it’s the people of Beirut, Lebanon already struggling before the devastating explosion of August 2020. Or of those forced from their land in Brazil or Colombia for the cause of coffee growing.  Their oppression is real and heart-breaking.

Christian Aid seeks to bring peace to people who are oppressed. Our approach to emergencies is fast and effective. We work alongside communities to find their own solutions.

From Rohingya families who flee Myanmar, to people affected by the explosion in Lebanon, we offer security to people who have lost everything. And our hope is that they will find their way back to the future imagined by Hezekiah, where singing can once again be part of life.

God of healing love,
we thank you,
because you bring hope to the oppressed
and security to those in danger.
Be with those who are in danger this day.
Protect them from harm,
give them strength and courage to face trouble,
and bring them through hardship
so that they can sing for joy once again.
Amen.