St. Helen’s Daily Lenten Devotional
For God shows no partiality. Romans 2:11
‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40
“No power on this earth can destroy the thirst for human dignity.” Nelson Mandela
When a nation fails in its responsibility to protect and respect the rights of its peoples, we understand that breakdown, willful or otherwise, as a human rights violation. Economic, religious, social and cultural rights are among the best know areas of exploitation and abuse, but there are many variations on those themes. Any news feed will offer stark evidence of human rights violations around the world and indeed we are praying this week specifically for the Philippines and for Hong Kong. But lest we become smug, “the true north strong and free’’, Canada has her own list of deeply troubling concerns: from the rights of Indigenous peoples, concerning women’s and children’s and LGBT needs, to corporate and industrial accountability, the climate crisis and the Criminal Justice System, among many.
Opening our eyes to the realities is the first step towards deeper understanding and once that has happened, we can never close them again. We have work to do…education, prayer, personal wrestling, solidarity, action… It’s called justice. To this we are called.
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice,
and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8