This week we’re using a variety of songs as aids to our prayers. Singing and praying often go hand in hand. These songs are peace themed, meant to help us pray for the peace of Jesus in our lives and in our world.
Today’s Bible reading and an excerpt
Read Matthew 2
Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Today’s song and an excerpt
Buzzing of a Bee [spoken word song] by Blew Kind, Circle of Hope Audio Arts: Song and Lyrics
“…Hear our wail
Mother Justice of the great deep
Father Refuge in the shadow of your wings..
Hear our wail…”
More thoughts for meditation
The story of this song is on Circle of Hope audio arts website:
“Blew Kind wrote this spoken word piece preparing for the event in Fall of 2014 called “Peacemaking in an Era of Drone Warfare” put on by the Philadelphia Interfaith Network Against Drone Warfare, of which we are a contributing member along with The Brandywine Peace Community, Mennonite Central Committee (East Coast), Red Letter Christians, The Alternative Seminary, and American Friends Service Committee.
The military plans on building and opening a US Drone War Command Center in Horsham, PA, just outside of Philadelphia. We first performed this piece at the coalition event with Medea Benjamin of Code Pink and a viewing of the short documentary “Wounds of Waziristan” and then at a monthly peace vigil outside the Air Guard Station, the future home of the command center. Try to listen as she connects violence and white supremacy to drone warfare and calls into question its morality and our need to root ourselves in Jesus to fight against their propagation.”
“A voice is heard” “Hear our wail”. This prayer of lament is spoken on behalf of those whose wail is literally not heard by their assailants, who fly faceless, heartless drones from far far away and high up in the sky from where they cannot clearly see the ground and hear nothing of the wailing of it’s victims. 90% of drone victims are non-combatants: women, children, civilians. The most vulnerable of society suffer the most in any kind of war. But God hears. God is close to those who suffer. God suffered himself. God hears where others have shut their ears. Imagine yourself the relayer of laments to that ever compassionate ear. He will hear and he will act for the suffering, and in so doing he will inspire you and others to do the same.
Pray
“…Hear our wail
Mother Justice of the great deep
Father Refuge in the shadow of your wings..
Hear our wail…”