Thoughts for the Day
Sunday, 20th March 2022: The terrors of death
God Isaiah 55 Despair
Reading : Verses from Psalm 55
Give ear to my prayer, O God;
do not hide yourself from my supplication.
Attend to me, and answer me;
I am troubled in my complaint.
I am distraught by the noise of the enemy,
because of the clamour of the wicked.
For they bring trouble upon me,
and in anger they cherish enmity against me.
My heart is in anguish within me,
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.
And I say, ‘O that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
truly, I would flee far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness;
I would hurry to find a shelter for myself
from the raging wind and tempest.’
(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)
Thoughts
In Psalm 55 King David describes a power struggle against himself when a trusted colleague betrayed him. God feels distant to him, and rather than asking God to listen, he demands His atention. There are echoes here of Jesus' agony on the cross when he too felt that God had hidden Himself from His Son (Mark 15.34).
For us today, there are also enchoes of Ukraine, when families are being bombed out of their cities; when there is no food, clean water, or heat; when civilians are not safe even in a hospital; and when soldiers intend to take over your country. The terrors of death stalk the Ukranian nation, and no-one is safe!
At his lowest point David, turns to God in prayer, and we get these wonderful words "Oh that I had wings like a dove!" picked up by a number of composers, and in particular Mendelssohn's glorious anthem 'Oh for the wings of a dove'.
If we can do nothing else this day we can pray for the people of Ukraine, the vast majority of whom are our Christian brothers and sisters. Let this Lent become a turning point in our prayer life - turn to God, ask His mercy for Ukraine!
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
we ask Your mercy
for the people of Ukraine,
for mothers, father, brothers and sisters,
for ordinary people who live ordinary lives,
and for all who have found
they are now fighters or refugees.
We pray that the Russian government
will think again about their actions,
and we leave all those who have
instigated this war to Your judgement.
Amen.
You might like to listen to Mendelssohn's 'O for the wings of a dove', sung by Eton College Chapel Choir:
Here are two prayers from the Church of England, that you might use:
- Almighty God, ruler of all,
in whose kingdom peace and righteousness abound;
we pray for those who are in conflict especially Ukraine.
Take away prejudice, cruelty, and revenge.
Grant that barriers which divide may crumble,
suspicions disappear and hatreds cease,
through Jesus Christ our mediator.
Amen. - Sovereign God,
We pray for the nation of Ukraine, its leaders and people.
We pray that you would make your presence known to them at this time of strife.
We pray for their protection and for an end to the Russian invasion.
We pray for the innocent, the frightened, the dispossessed, and those who have lost loved ones, homes and family.
We pray that you would bless the endeavours of those who work for peace and an end to this conflict.
Have mercy, we pray, on Ukraine.
May your peace rule in the hearts and minds of all.
Continue to stir up the leaders of the world to work together for the good of all.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Amen.