Maundy Thursday Prayers for Garissa, Kenya

For many Christians, the Thursday which falls between Palm Sunday and Easter is known as Maundy Thursday: from the Latin word Mandatum meaning "commandment."  

The commandment being referred to is Jesus' command at the Last supper when, after passing among his disciples a cup of wine (a picture of the new relationship between God and his people that Jesus was about confirmed in his death and resurrection) Jesus said, "Do this to remember me as often as you drink it". 

Tonight hundreds of millions of Christians will read that story from the upper room, and we will break bread and share a common cup of wine. It is a picture of the sacrifice made by God, broken that we might become whole. 

Our world needs that kind of healing. We need that kind of wholeness.

Early this morning another sign of the brokenness erupted in the town of Garissa, where Canadian Baptist Ministries and many of our local church partners serve. We received an early morning call from our friend and colleague, William Wako, that Al Shabbab terrorists had stormed the Garissa campus of Moi University. The ordeal is still ongoing tonight with the local media reporting more than 147 students killed. We are sure that by now the story is being reported throughout the global media as well. Another violent attack. Another hostage taking. Another travesty. 

On every second Thursday night, Erica and I host a small Bible study group in our home. Tonight was such a gathering and we prayed together for the captive students, for the hostage takers, for the police, for the mourning families, for the community of Garissa and for the people of Kenya. We prayed for peace. We prayed for reconciliation. And we prayed for healing. 

Our study was entitled the "Tragic Sense of Life", and it was a heavy topic especially given the current horrors of Garissa. But one line in particular struck us tonight from the Franciscan Richard Rohr, and it is a word of hope that we would like to share:

"Salvation is sin turned on its head,

and used in our favour."

Evil, brokenness, and death do not have the last word. God is moving among us and although we all must experience the loss and suffering of this world in in one form or another, that experience of fallenness is not the end of the story. 

Maundy Thursday, the night of the "command", led to the cross, and to the tomb, but that was not the end of the story either. 

Please join us in praying for the people of Kenya.

* Pray for the freedom of the remaining students (possibly more than 300 are still being held).

* Pray for peace in Garissa, that this senseless incident will not devolve into further violence.

* And please remember the local churches of Garissa, our colleagues and friends that are committed to living in gracious hospitality and mutuality with their Muslim neighbours.