This is our Savior’s world

Though justice has not come

We wait in angst and groan in pain, 

Till Jesus' kingdom comes.

God will redeem this world

From the ashes shall come life

We will believe though we cannot see

The beauty birthed from strife.

~ Additional verse of “This is My Father’s World” by Julie Tai 

UN rights office warns of ‘unimaginable atrocities’ in Sudan’s el-Fasher

The United Nations Human Rights Office in Sudan says that “brutal attacks” are escalating in el-Fasher after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the city in the western region of Darfur last month. “Over the past 10 days, el-Fasher has witnessed an escalation of brutal attacks. It has become a city of grief,” Li Fung, the UN’s human rights representative in Sudan, said in a video published on X on Saturday. “Civilians who survived 18 months of siege and hostilities are now enduring atrocities of an unimaginable scale,” she said. “Hundreds have been killed, including women, children, and the wounded, who sought safety in hospitals and schools. Entire families were cut down as they fled. Others have simply vanished.” The warning comes as aid groups said that thousands of people who fled the capital of North Darfur state face dire conditions in the town of Tawila. Adam Rojal, the spokesperson for the Sudan’s IDPs and Refugee Camps aid group, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency that more than 16,000 people had arrived in Tawila, with many in desperate need of food, medicine, shelter materials and psychological support.

 Lord, so many have suffered in Sudan. We ask that you pierce the hearts of all who watch and witness this crisis unfold. Cease the hands and feet of the evildoers whose hearts are filled with violence and hate.

Canada no longer measles-free as outbreaks spread

Canada is no longer measles-free because of ongoing outbreaks, international health experts said on Monday, as childhood vaccination rates fall and the highly contagious virus spreads across North and South America. The loss of the country’s measles elimination status comes more than a year after the highly contagious virus started spreading. Canada has logged 5,138 measles cases this year and two deaths. Both were babies who were exposed to the measles virus in the womb and born prematurely. Measles elimination is a symbolic designation, but it represents a hard-won battle against the infectious disease. It is earned when a country shows it stopped continuous spread of the virus within local communities, though occasional cases might still pop up from travel.

God, we pray for the children who have been infected with measles. We pray that doctors, nurses, parents, and caregivers might provide them with the medicine and care they so desperately need.

COP30 climate summit held in Brazil

In Belém, Brazil, leaders from nearly 200 nations have gathered for the United Nations' 30th Climate Change Conference, known as COP30, to chart difficult next steps in the global fight against climate change. The absence of leaders from the world's three largest greenhouse gas emitters — China, the United States and India — cast a shadow over the summit as it kicked off.  Beijing and New Delhi did dispatch senior-level delegations for the two-week summit. The White House, however, said no high-level U.S. officials would attend this year's COP. Based on national plans submitted this year, the planet is on course to warm by roughly 2.5°C (4.5°F) during this century. The Earth's average surface temperature in 2024 was the hottest since record keeping began in 1880 — and the last 10 years have all ranked among the warmest ever observed. Still, U.N. Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell told delegates in Brazil this week that after three decades of dedicated talks, "we are now bending the curve of planet heating emissions downwards — for the very first time." "I am not sugarcoating it," Stiell hastened to add. "We have so much more work to do."

Our planet is hurting, Lord - burning here, flooding there, and altogether crying out for relief from our incessant fossil fuel burning, wholescale land use changes, and disruption to the wellbeing of plant and animal life. Please, God, empower our leaders to lead us with bold vision and urgent action.

Becoming (part of) the Answer to our Own Prayers

Learning from People on the Move: A Faithful Migratory Experience

Resonate Global Mission invites you to embark on a unique migratory learning journey—from Grand Rapids through Central America. This 10-day experience follows the route of migrants, offering participants the opportunity to learn from their stories, witness their faith, and connect their journeys to our own. Together, we’ll discover what it means to love our neighbors more deeply and live out God’s call to compassion and justice. Learn more here!