Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land;
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.
But over you the Lord will rise,
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open;
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, The City of the Lord,
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence will no more be heard in your land,
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation,
and all your portals, Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by day;
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
The Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Isaiah 60: 1-3, 11a, 14c, 18-19
11 October 2023
Dear Members of the Episcopal Church in Central Pennsylvania,
The Third Song of Isaiah is one of the canticles that we pray in Morning Prayer. Written in the 6th century BCE, it imagines a time when God’s people will live together in unity, delivered by the Lord and living in the light of God’s peace.
I have prayed this canticle all week as we have watched from afar the attacks on the Israeli people by Hamas and the desperate and deadly acts of retaliation. We need, your Peace, O Lord.
Violence, unrest, and political-religious tension have existed in the Middle East for centuries. There are, currently, more than 45 armed conflicts taking place in the Middle East and North Africa as classified by international humanitarian law. (Geneva-academy.ch) I have grown up reading of bombings, attacks, checkpoints, and boundaries marked by barbed wire and formidable walls. Violence is a daily currency in the place that we call “The Holy Land.” In this week’s conflict directed at Israel, the evil of terrorism has taken innocent lives, and the attacks in response have been equally deadly. As of this morning, nearly 2,000 lives have been lost, and thousands of others have been injured.
Please pray for those who have died and for those who mourn. Pray for all those who live on that holy ground that the full measure of God’s healing spirit will be poured out and peace will prevail. It is an enormous plea that we make to our God and- our God is mighty, our God is good, and our God hears our cries.
The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, The Most Rev. Hosam Naoum has invited us to join him in this prayer:
O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land. Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths – Jews, Muslims and Christians and for all people of the land. While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children for, to all of us, you are our Heavenly Father.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
In the way of Love,
The Rt. Rev. Audrey C. Scanlan
XI Bishop
Additional Resources
Episcopal Church and Anglican leaders continue to share prayers and statements calling for an end to the violence impacting Israelis and Palestinians. Click here to read and view additional resources.
