In the land so many have called Holy,
Fresh blood is seeping into the ground in Gaza.
Unarmed men, women, and children caught
In the cycle of violence John Paul II lamented,
Reminding us only peaceful means
Can bring peace; violence is always a defeat.
With new images of death, of so many wounded,
We lament again that this conflict still continues,
As it has for seven decades, turning neighbors
Into enemies, taking land, burning century-old olive trees
In the land so many have called Holy,
Fresh blood is seeping into the ground in Gaza.
Unarmed men, women, and children caught
In the cycle of violence John Paul II lamented,
Reminding us only peaceful means
Can bring peace; violence is always a defeat.
With new images of death, of so many wounded,
We lament again that this conflict still continues,
As it has for seven decades, turning neighbors
Into enemies, taking land, burning century-old olive trees
So the dispossessed have no homes to return to
And live in unending, impoverished displacement.
Christ, who walked where this bloodshed is happening,
We cry out to you for the end to this violence:
Grant that our voices are heard as we petition
The international community, the Israelis, and the Palestinians
To practice the ways of peace in the land of the prophets.
May the weeping end and may new life be possible
From the ruins of old stones. Amen.
This prayer laments the ongoing conflict and bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians and petitions the international community to bring an end to this violence.
Copyright © 2018, Education for Justice, a project of Center of Concern.
Date Added: May 17, 2018