Herod - a prayer

In the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Centre and Cemetery to the Victims of the 1995 Genocide –the last genocide on European soil– we find these words:
We pray to almighty God,
may grievance become hope
may revenge become justice
may mothers' tears become prayers
that Srebrenica
never happens again
to no one and nowhere
Lord God,
the cries of the tortured and the maimed still pierce the air.
Still Herods claim power and innocents suffer.
Still mothers and fathers,
with children clasped to their sides like extra pieces of baggage,
desperately flee, looking for safety.
Be with those caught in the fearsome circumstances of our time.
Be courage for the oppressed and restraint for the perpetrators.
Strengthen all who work for peace,
protect those who risk their lives to transport aid and rescue the vanished.
Lord God,
You ask us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute.
Help us not only to find the words,
but the spirit of mercy and forgiveness and to truly pray –
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done.
AMEN
Invite friends and family to open our Advent calendar by sharing
https://churchofscotland.adventcalendar.com
Let’s keep in touch. If you've not done so already, sign-up below for our e-news service. When you submit, you can also opt-in for daily Advent alerts with a link to each new film.