Thoughts and Prayers for the Monday / Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent.
"Could You Smite Him Lord?" - A sentiment that many of us might secretly think
but perhaps feel uneasy to openly express. Let Andy Braunston say it for you! A Divine smite aimed in the right direction could make for a peaceful world. The Revd Andy Braunston, URC Minister for Digital Worship.
COULD YOU SMITE HIM, LORD?
Oh Lord, I want to ask you
to smite Mr Putin;
it hasn’t got to be a big smite,
just enough to remove him
from power, topple him
from his throne, remove his advisors, disable his armed forces, and make him see sense.
Is that a big ask Lord? Invading
generals confounded by your power, so that your people would be free.
Even your mother sung of your power
to remove tyrants from their thrones, and she faced the might of Rome.
The problem with asking you for some smiting, is that I see myself as a trendy leftie, what they call a "snowflake". I don’t really believe in violence. I think anger can be used more productively. I know you call us to solve our own problems and not depend on you to sort out our messes, but just this once Lord? A bit of a smite? A localised precision smite? A silencing, damage-limitation smite?
In the meantime, Lord, please look after Mr Zelensky; inspire him to continue to use his skills to defend and encourage his people. Protect him as you protected his ancestors of old. Give hope to the people of Ukraine; hope in your providence, hope that the world won’t ignore their plight, hope that the invaders will go, and if
you’ve got time for a smite…. ?
A Prayer for Peace - Pope Francis.
Lord, we have tried so many times
and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
