Lead me, guide me along the way
For if you lead me, I cannot stray
Lord, let me walk each day with you
Lead me my whole life through

- “Lead Me Guide Me”

Ukraine Under Negotiation 

This week marks a crucial moment for Ukraine and Europe as diplomatic efforts intensify while the war in Ukraine drags into its fourth year. Western officials, including U.S. and European leaders, are meeting in Berlin to discuss NATO-style security guarantees (without Ukraine becoming a full NATO member), the possibility of a European-led peacekeeping force, and plans for postwar reconstruction. Ukraine has signaled openness to Western security assurances, even as key issues like territorial boundaries remain unresolved.

This pivotal moment exposes a deep justice tension. At stake is not only how the war ends, but who gets to decide the terms of peace. From a justice perspective, Ukraine is a sovereign nation and should have the right to choose its alliances; no other country should be allowed to veto Nato membership. But from a world-politics perspective, great powers such as Russia and the United States are acting to protect their own security interests. Ukraine’s struggle raises a defining question for our time: does international law protect the weak, or only the current super power, and does sovereignty still matter to world leaders deciding the fate of a smaller nation?

God of justice and peace, we hold before you the beleaguered people of Ukraine and Russia. May international law serve to protect the vulnerable and bring about world peace.  May truth - not greed - guide negotiations.  Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, come and make your presence known among the nations.  

Helping Without Hurting

In this season of giving, Diaconal Ministries Canada (and thinkers like Corbett and Fikkert) remind us that not all help is the same. Some giving offers relief - meeting urgent, immediate needs. Some support rehabilitation - helping restore what has been lost. And some fosters development - walking alongside people and communities as they build what they already have. 

The challenge is learning to ask better questions. Is this gift responding to a true emergency, or is it offering relief where development is needed? Does it strengthen dignity, agency, and long-term flourishing, or does it quietly reinforce dependence? Is it listening to what people say they actually need or just making assumptions? 

Justice-oriented generosity moves beyond feel-good giving toward shared growth. It resists using money as power and instead treats it as participation; a way of joining God’s ongoing work of restoration.

God of abundance,you have given enough for all to be fed and all to have dignity. Free us from using money as power or comfort for ourselves. Help us to be “small d deacons” where all of us are called to be a deacon in life,  but sometimes in a role of Deacon in our churches. Teach us to walk humbly, show mercy and share wisely, so our giving becomes true partnership with your will for universal human flourishing.

Violence in Australia

On December 14, 2025, a mass shooting occurred at a Hanukkah celebration near Bondi Beach in Sydney, when a father and son opened fire on the crowd. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured, making it Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly 30 years. Authorities have described the attack as an antisemitic act of terrorism.

In the aftermath, analysts and commentators have pointed to broader political and social patterns that appear across national contexts. These include the presence of fear-based nationalism, the use of dehumanizing language in public discourse about migrants and minorities, and narratives that frame certain groups as inherent threats. 

Policies and rhetoric that rely on exclusion and fear can quietly legitimize harm, even when violence is never explicitly encouraged. Justice work asks us to trace not just acts of violence, but the stories that make them thinkable. 

God of peace, we grieve lives lost to violence and fear. Disarm hearts shaped by hatred and suspicion. Heal nations tempted to secure themselves by excluding others. Teach us to see every person as neighbour, not threat, and lead us into paths of peace.

Becoming (part of) the Answer to our Own Prayers

World Renew Gift Catalogue 

The Gift Catalog gives you the opportunity to choose how you want to support families around the world to achieve sustainable, healthy lives. Whether it be a goat, a chicken, a hand-washing station, or agriculture training, your gift could be just what someone needs to move forward with hope.