Healing Prayers for a Wounded World

Adelaide
The Archdiocese of Adelaide, Multifaith South Australia and Religions for Peace will hosted Healing Prayers for a Wounded World on Wednesday 30 March. This event was attended by leaders of many faiths.


Leaders of many Faiths attended Adelaide’s Healing Prayers for a Wounded World

Healing Prayers for a Wounded World

Front Row (from left): Martha Johansson, Australia Adelaide Mission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; Vani Shukla, Vice-President, Hindu Council of Australia; Philippa Rowland, President of Multifaith Association of SA; Balbir Kaur, Sikh Society of SA; Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky, Beit Shalom Synagogue; Anne Hewitt, Executive Officer and General Secretary of Churches Together SA.

Back Row: (from left): Adolf Johansson, President, Australia Adelaide Mission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; Sri Dilip Chirmuley, Shri Ganesha Temple; Venerable Thubten Dondrub, Resident Teacher Buddha House FPMT; Archbishop Patrick O’Regan, Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide; Deirdre Palmer, Past President of the Uniting Church of Australia; John Lochowiak, Kaurna Elder, Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Commission; Fr. Zenjo Racki, Ukrainian Catholic Church; Professor Mohamad Abdalla, Centre for Islamic Thought and Education, UniSA; Rt Rev’d Chris McLeod, Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral and National Aboriginal Bishop of the Anglican Church of Australia; Manpreet Singh, Allenby Gardens Gurdwara, Guru Nanak Society of Australia.

The presence of Ahmadiyya, Baha’i, and Quakers communities was disrupted by Covid-19.

John Lochowiak welcomes all on Kaurna Land Welcome to Country – John Lochowiak
Good evening, everyone. It is a great honour to be able to do the Welcome to Country this evening. On behalf of my grandmother, Linda Walker, who is a Kaurna Elder, I’d just like to acknowledge that we are meeting on the Traditional Lands of the Kaurna People and to respect our Elders, both past, present and emerging. And we like to say ‘emerging’ because it is important we prepare the younger people for the future. Our Elders are really important to us, they are our teachers. And when I say, respect the Elders, that is all of our Elders. It is a great honour to do a Welcome to Country, because once we do a Welcome to Country, we have a duty of care to make sure you are safe and taken care of. I will just say a few words in my grandmother’s language, Kaurna: Ninna marni, marni-yi, nunga, kunya, merindi, kunga, chowilla. That is a greeting and saying it is important that we walk together. Because when we walk together as human beings, what we learn is that, in actual fact, we have got more in common than differences. Building that common ground builds better communication and understanding. Chowilla is the spirit of the land, and in our culture, we live in harmony with the land, we work in with the land. We breathe the air that we all breathe – the air comes from the trees, the oxygen they produce, we all breathe that air. When we feel a gush of wind, we all feel that. I’d like to sing a little welcome song my grandfather taught me – it’s a song that builds our Spirit up. We’re spiritual people, we have that special connection with the Holy Spirit. That Holy Spirit strengthens us and the power of prayer. When I play the tap sticks, it calls on our Ancestors as spirits to come and support and guide us. Thank you – and Welcome.

Healing prayers for a wounded world
Kaurna Elder and Chairperson, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council; with Rt Reverend Chris McLeod, National Aboriginal Bishop of the Anglican Church of Australia and Michael playing the Didgeridoo

Good evening everyone and welcome. In our busy world, pushing the pause button is not easy. In our noisy world, pushing the silent button, the mute, is not easy. But it strikes me that what we are doing tonight are both of those things: trying to pause, trying to be silent. So many voices in our head, telling us to do things, pushing us this way, and yet, tonight we come to listen to the deepest voice of all, and for, whatever our Faith, that is the deep voice for us of God, in Whose image we are created.

Healing prayers for a wounded world

The lost art of pausing, of being silent, is in our gift tonight. Whatever faith tradition inspires us, those things that help us to remember who we are, are important. I have a few friends, I don’t have to pay them much, but one of them sent me a link recently to a YouTube channel. There are millions there that I’d rather not know about, but this was actually a little bit helpful. Everyone has their own quirkiness on YouTube it seems, but this person has behind them a little banner that changes each time, with a pithy saying – and they’re not corny, much as I’d like them to be, but they make you think. So even if you can’t remember a thing about what the YouTube was all about, you often remember what was on the wall behind the person, and perhaps that is the whole idea.

This one said: “Remember Why You Started”. It strikes me we end up in cul-de-sacs, we end up in war, or the absence of peace, because we forget where we started.

Tonight, in this little oasis in the middle of Adelaide, we are creating that space, we are reminding ourselves not only who we are, but why we started. So, a very big welcome to everyone. If this is your first time here, an especial welcome, have a good look around. But it is what we do in this place together that really matters.

Tonight we are creating that space in our own hearts and our collective heart to allow not only our own voice to speak, but the authentic and gracious gift of God to be present and speak with us as well.

Acknowledgement of a Wounded World:

Rev. Anne Hewitt – Exec Director & General Secretary Churches Together SA

Tonight we gather in prayer. We thank you for coming this evening and we hope that you find this a time of reflection and rest as we move through the different stages of our time together. Each of you should have a copy of our Order of Service and this will help you see the flow as we go through. There are three areas of this service: Acknowledgement of our Wounded World; Healing and Solace; and then Peace-making and Justice-seeking. As we go through this service, different faith leaders will stand and offer prayers for us as we sit here and reflect and listen deeply within.

We acknowledge the hurt and grief in this Wounded World. Damage to each other, Damage across the Earth. We grieve what is lost, we mourn for what is happening now We lament for what is still to come if change is not realised. Woundedness raises in our consciousness, fundamental effects for people & places. So, tonight, we pray and recall both: People – Invasion & conflict, oppression, slavery, displacement & famine Place – ecological damage, devastation and extinction, and escalating climate change.

Healing prayers for a wounded world

Father Zenjo Racki Ukrainian Catholic Church

We have gathered here today to pray and express our concern and our support for the people of Ukraine. And also for the people in Australia who are affected by floods. When I think of what the Ukrainian people are going through, I cannot help but feel upset. Sometimes, from a human view, you even get angry. It is hard to accept what is happening to the people of my country. Ten million Ukrainians fled their homes in one of the greatest humanitarian crises of modern times. Around twenty thousand were killed, many were children and for what reason? One person’s hunger for power and domination over his neighbour. At what point do we say ‘Enough!’ The world stands with Ukraine. We know that and we feel that and thank you for that. Unfortunately, everyone is too afraid to get involved – I am talking about politicians, governments. They are doing many things, but not enough. Despite this, Ukrainians demonstrate how determined and brave they are, they are ready to give their lives to protect their families, their people and their land from the aggressor. We are not without hope. We put our trust in God and believe that all will work out for the greater good. We pray that our Lord will strengthen us and increase our Faith in these trying times.

Healing prayers for a wounded world

Now I will read a Prayer in the Ukrainian language, and translate it into English:

We also pray that the Lord God will send down his Spirit upon the Ukrainian nation and give them endurance and faith, hope and love in these times of trial. May He grant Peace and liberate Ukraine from all enemies, so they can in Justice and Truth glorify our Good and Merciful God. For God’s care over all the armed forces that perform their duty to protect Ukraine, for those who suffer as a result of the hostilities, for the injured, for the displaced, for those who have lost their relatives, homes and property. For all those who are in the conflict zone, that the Lord God defend and heal them, preserve them from all these disasters and give them His Grace. We pray you O Lord, hear us and have Mercy. Lord, have Mercy. God Bless.

Rabbi Shoshana Kaminsky Beit Shalom Synagogue
I want to share with you the first four verses of Lamentations, which I will chant in Hebrew and then read in English.

Eha, Alas. Lonely sits the city once great with people. She that was great among Nations is become like a widow. The Princess among States is become a thrall. Bitterly she weeps in the night, her cheeks wet with the tears. There is none to comfort her of all her friends and all her allies have betrayed her – they have become her foes. Juda has gone into exile because of misery and harsh oppression. When she settled among the nations, she found no rest. All her pursuers overtook her in the narrow places. Zion’s roads are mourning, empty of festival pilgrims. All her gates are deserted. Ger priests sigh and her maidens are unhappy. She is utterly forsaken.

The Book of Lamentations is about 2600 (twenty-six hundred) years old. It still speaks, I think, straight to the heart about what it means to lose one’s home. So, for the people of Jerusalem, seeing their beloved Temple destroyed and forced to leave their homes, we see parallels that haunt us today. The parallels that we see with the First Nations of this country, whose homes were taken away from them, along with so much of their culture. The people of New South Wales and Queensland who have lost their homes to the floods that warn us of the catastrophic effects of climate change, and the people of Ukraine who have been forced to flee their homes to find a place of safety. So these words from so long ago still haunt us today, as we continue to pray that all those who are in need of safe shelter might find it.

Healing prayers for a wounded world

 

Silent prayer and Reflection

Together we pray:
We grieve over loss and devastation.
We stand with those who are sorrowing.
Empty words without just outcomes,
leave empty hope without resolution.
We hear your voices. We offer our care.
We commit to peace-making and justice-seeking.

 

Healing and Solace:
Philippa Rowland- President, Multifaith Association of SA

Letting go, receiving healing and moving towards peace within.
Living each day with peace and in peace,
so that we bring healing to the land on which we live,
and to the people and all living beings
with whom we live and share this one Planet, Mother Earth.

Prayer and Candle lighting

Venerable Dondrub Resident Teacher, Buddha House
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

In the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition that I try to follow, the word that is translated as Prayer literally means ‘Wishing Path’, indicating the prayers help to develop and reinforce meaningful thoughts and intentions. So the more we pray, the more these good thoughts and intentions can develop, and the more these thoughts can develop, and the more these thoughts develop, the more it an lead to meaningful changes in our behaviour. In this way, World Peace depends on peace of mind in each individual.

As Thich Nhat Hahn, the great Vietnamese Buddhist Master says, the act of praying is not just a wish, because behind each prayer, there is the practice of mindfulness and concentration. So whether we believe in God or the Buddha or have no belief, prayer can be meaningful. When we pray and direct our thoughts to a particular person or group or situation, we connect to a purer level of ourselves while connecting to the World as a whole. So I’d now like to read two prayers.

The first is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist prayer on the Four Immeasurable Thoughts:

“How wonderful it would be If all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free of hatred and attachment. May they abide in equanimity. I myself will cause them to abide in equanimity. Please Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. May they have happiness and its causes. I myself will cause them to have happiness and its causes. Please Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were free of suffering and its causes. May they be free of suffering and its causes. I myself will cause them to be free of suffering and its causes. Please Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated from the happiness of higher rebirth and liberation. May they never be separated from this. I myself will cause them to be never separated from these. Please Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this.”

Healing prayers for a wounded world

The second is a modern Prayer for Peace composed by the Chinese Master Venerable Hsing Yun: O great compassionate Buddha, as your students and followers, we are sincerely kneeling here before you. Please listen to these words from our hearts. The rumbling of Wars between Nations, the clamour of discord between people, the roar of greed in the rapids of craving, the growl of hatred among races. These sounds are like tidal waves storming our hearts. These sounds are like hurricanes pounding our hearts.

As we observe all of this, we realise that all human suffering originates from our self- conceit, prejudice, and delusion. As we contemplate all of this, we realise that all worldly turmoil is caused by our attachment to things – dharma, relationships. Disagreement between different people has caused so many arguments, discrimination between different races has caused so many disasters, intolerance between different religions has caused so many misfortunes.

Conflict of interest between different nations has caused so much chaos and upheaval. Living in this kind of world, every day we live in fear with no ease. Every day we live in senselessness with no peace. O great compassionate Buddha, please listen to our sincere prayer. We sincerely wish that, in this World, there be no jealously, only admiration; no hatred, only harmony; no greed, only generosity; no harm, only achievement. O great compassionate Buddha, let people of different ages live in harmony, let people of different social stations have mutual respect; let people of different professions work in co-operation; let people of different religions practice in tolerance. O great compassionate Buddha, you once said that the mind, Buddha and all sentient beings are no different from one another. You, I and others are all equal. We need to learn from you the wisdom the close the distance between self and others. We need to learn from you the selflessness to eliminate all our attachments. We need to learn from you the truth to resolve the confrontation between races. We need to learn from you the compassion to reconcile the conflicts between nations. We need to learn from you the Buddha Light to illuminate the darkness of the World. O great Compassionate Buddha, please hear my sincere and highest prayer. Please bestow peace upon the World. Please bless all sentient beings with harmony.

O great Compassionate Buddha, please accept our sincere prayer.
O great Compassionate Buddha, please accept our sincere prayer.
Namo Shakya Buddha.

Rt Rev’d Chris McLeod Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral; and National Aboriginal Bishop of the Anglican Church of Australia

Healing prayers for a wounded world

I acknowledge the destruction of this land of my non-Aboriginal forebears, of those who came and took this land away, and did not pay their respect to the tradition and culture of the original custodians.

But I join together with our Kaurna People, my mother’s people, the Gurindji people, we are kindred spirits with all First Nations people throughout this land.

Also, I acknowledge that my Church, the Anglican Church, played its role in not only the removal of First Nation’s children but also shared in the taking of this Land, and in the destruction of this land. And my church asks for forgiveness and also reconciliation. We commit ourselves to working and walking together in the path of Unity.

Let Us Pray: God, Creator of the Universe, we pray for the healing of the Earth, for its Waters and Land. We pray that we may reverse the harm done to your Creation. We have marred its beauty, poisoned its waters, killed wastefully its life, and have selfishly damaged the ability for many human and animal life to live safely. We pray that those who lead us will act responsibly and address these issues and not leave it to future generations. We pray that we may all seek to live responsibly and justly. Creator God, we join with all of Creation in singing Your praises and Your Presence fills the Universe. The stars, the sky, the land, the seas and ocean and rivers. We stand in awe at what you have made, and we repent of the fact that we have been unwise stewards of your Creation. Creator God, teach us to walk upon your Land gently and wisely.

We ask this in the Unity of your Spirit. Amen.

Ms Vani Shukla Vice-President of Hindu Council of Australia, SA chapter
Sri Dilip Chirmuley Senior Hindu Priest, Shri Ganesha Temple

Namaste. According to our faith, this is the era of Kali Yuga going on. Kali Yuga means the Dark Age. It is unfortunate to see what is happening across the World in different regions, and we can literally relate it to that darkness which is covering the brightness of our Soul, the brightness of our existence. And we are not able to think exactly what is good for the human race. It is not just about the present, we are also ruining the future with this darkness.

Healing prayers for a wounded world

Having my background from Motherland, Bharat, India, I can certainly feel the pain of the people of Ukraine because we have had invasions for centuries and centuries and we have always talked about the Peace, we always spread the message of Peace. We are the land of Buddha, we are the land of Saints and Sages who, from the very beginning of Creation, have spread the peace and lovingness and welcoming people into our Land with open hearts. That is the kind of history and civilisation we had. And having that atmosphere, still we had to face those dark times with the invasions, and that is what is happening in the Ukraine right now. So, it is very simple to feel that pain of those people who are homeless, who are just dying without any reasons, just the darkness of greed, the darkness of the ego is just too much across Humanity.

Today we will do two prayers together to send that message to the universe. May this darkness go down so we can again see the brightness in each other, we can see the love we have in our hearts for each other. This darkness is nothing but the clouds of our ego. Our first prayer, we will first sing in Sanskrit and then I will translate for you in English:
OM
Asato ma
sad gamaya
tama-so ma
jyoti gamaya,
mrityorma
amritam gamaya.

O God, lead us from the unreal to the real.
O God, lead us from the darkness into the light.
O Lord, lead us from death to the immortality.

Next Prayer:
OM Shanti Shanti Shanti:
May all be blessed with Peace. May all be blessed with Prosperity, May all be blessed with Perfection, May all be blessed with Bliss. Hari Om Tat Sat. Namaste.

 

Silent prayer and Reflection

Together we pray: As we let go of hate, and fill ourselves with love,
peace is present in our loving, in our being,
in how we think and in what we do.
Forgiveness blossoms. Patience grows.
Humility comes, and kindness flourishes.
Goodness draws us forward to be
peace-makers and justice-seekers.
We live as we mean to be.

 

Song: “Prayer of St Francis” sung by Lauren Bierer

Healing prayers for a wounded world

Peacemaking and Justice Seeking:
Rev. Anne Hewitt – Exec. Director and General Secretary, Churches Together SA

Each person offers their own unique gift.
Every culture and faith bring a richness to the world.
We can find unity in our diversity when we, as a community,
live in peace and with justice.
Across this great planet, let us walk gently and humbly together,
helping restore balance to the vast ecosystems in waters and on lands.
Let us watch closely, listen quietly,
and act with intention as we work towards restoration, healing and renewal.
Let us choose to reverse damage to wellbeing of all.
We can only do this together, with integrity and commitment.

Prayer and Candle lighting
Dr Deidre Palmer Past-President, Uniting Church in Australia

We offer prayers for Peace and Justice for those seeking it and those who are peace- makers and justice-seekers. And we pray for courage, that we might join together as communities that bear light in the darkness. Let Us Pray.

God of Healing and Comfort, we bring before you the life of our world. For those who continue to live with the devastating impacts of the global pandemic, we pray for comfort for those who have lost loved ones, for those who are living in uncertainty and isolation. We pray for strength and wisdom for government and health workers, researchers and community leaders as they guide us into a place where our communities can flourish. God of Peace, we pray for all those who are living in war zones, and we particularly bring before you the people of Ukraine. We pray for all those who work for Peace across our world. Give courage to those who resist violence and seek to resolve conflict in ways that encourage us to live in harmony and at peace with one another. God, our refuge and strength, we pray for all those who are fleeing violence in their countries and seeking asylum and refuge. May they find safety, refuge and compassion here in Australia and throughout our world.

For those who are experiencing family and domestic violence, who live in fear and whose homes are not safe, may they find safety and places where they can grow into their fullest humanity, in love and trust.

Healing prayers for a wounded world

May we shape relationships of mutuality, respect, equality and dignity. God of Justice, we pray for First Peoples of Australia, we pray for Voice, Treaty, Truth-telling and Justice in our country, shaped by the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We pray that as First and Second Peoples, we may walk together towards justice, healing and hope in our future together as a Nation. God of Hope, we give you thanks for all people of faith who see the people of Earth as neighbours and friends to be cherished and respected. We pray that we might continue to live together in unity and in peace, embracing our diversity as a gift that comes from Your creative presence. We pray for all people of good will, who advocate for justice and flourishing for all people.

Bless us all with courage, and empower us to be bearers of Your compassion, peace and hope. God of Love, weave us together into community, that your World will know your reconciling love and joy. Amen.

Prof Mohamad Abdalla Director, Centre for Islamic Thought and Education

Arabic Prayer – Ameen: Sisters and Brothers in Humanity, the oppression of any sort and kind, whatever its’ colour and shape is disliked and hated by our Maker and Creator, the most Compassionate. In the Islamic tradition there is a saying that (in Arabic then in English): that oppression – and absolutely occupation as we see it today in Ukraine and other parts of the World is one of the highest forms of oppression – the statement says “al-thulmu thulumaat” that oppression is darkness on the day of judgement, and that God is absolutely just and hates oppression.

Interestingly, in the Arabic language the word for ‘Oppression’ (Thulm) is exactly the same word as Darkness (Thalam). And what we are witnessing today, what we are witnessing in Ukraine, the destruction of their land and the devastation that is taking place, is nothing but the highest form of oppression and aggression and injustice and must be rejected with no compromise.

As we must reject all forms of aggressions and oppressions against all peoples, regardless of their colour, their race, their ethnicity, and their gender. For we must all stand brave and stand against all forms of oppression and aggression. If today, we do not stand against the oppression and aggression against our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and we turn a blind eye, then we will do the same for others.

And, as one whose land has been occupied for seventy odd years, I feel your pain. As one who is unable to return to his homeland, I feel your pain. And I feel the pain of so many other people who have suffered equally.

There is one verse in the Koran that sums it up. It says (in Arabic then in English): Oppression and tyranny has become widespread, not only in the Land, but also in the Sea, and I would say in the Space now, because of what our hands brought forward. And therefore, in order to reverse that, we must do introspection, each one of us, regardless of who we are, and feel brave enough to say that I will stand against any form of aggression and oppression.

My prayer, now, is to do that.

When we pray, we turn our hands like this, to the Heavens, to God, our Lord, in the form of a beggar who is hoping that he will be answered. You may wish to do that as I do the prayer, you don’t have to, but you may wish to – and again, we say Ameen as many others would say. And I will pray in English, so that each one may understand:

Healing prayers for a wounded world

O most merciful among all those who show mercy, O most holy, most compassionate, O Lord who has created us in the best forms and the best shapes, we ask of You to remove all forms of oppression, all forms of aggression, all forms of tyranny, from the face of this Earth. We ask of You in Your most beautiful and holy of Names that you give us, each one of us, the strength and the courage to be able to stand against oppression and aggression regardless of who is committing it, and regardless against whom it is being committed.

We ask you to give us the strength, Ya Arham ar-rahemeen (Arabic), O Most Merciful of those who show Mercy, for you are the Absolutely Just and the Absolutely Merciful. For you hate aggression and tyranny and transgression and You told us it is darkness.

We ask You to heal us and to heal those who have been oppressed and make it easy for them to return to their own countries.

We ask You to help the ten million Ukrainians who have been expelled forcibly out of their own homeland and who are suffering ad struggling. We ask you to give them the courage and the strength and the resolution to be able to stand firm against this aggression and this tyranny. Like we ask you also to give all People, regardless of who they are, who are oppressed who are transgressed to be able to stand strong and to allow us to help them to move away from this aggression.

Also we ask You to give us strength and the courage and the wisdom to Heal this Earth which we have destroyed with our own hands, and to give us the strength and the courage and the wisdom and to allow us to be united as human beings so, regardless of our backgrounds, so we may be able to heal this World, the Lands and the Seas and the Mountains and the Trees and the Birds and the Insects and all the Animals and the Humans which we have brought their destruction with our own hands. Ameen

 

Silent prayer and Reflection

Together we pray: We commit to living together in unity as we celebrate our diversity.
We each have gifts and skills to share and acknowledge that we must make space so each person can be the best of themselves.
We respect the land and waters and are thankful
for all that they bring to living.
Together we commit to work for peace,
justice and the healing of creation in our different ways.
We are determined not to let these areas of injustice be ignored
We commit to living ethically, justly, sustainably,
and with intention, through who we are and in all that we do.

 

Words of Encouragement
Rev. Anne Hewitt Exec Officer and General Secretary, Churches Together SA

Healing prayers for a wounded world

When we think about being together in a place of prayer, it’s also a good time to think about our Prayer life as we walk out into the wider world. This Palm Sunday, on Sunday 10 April, we have organised a Walk for Justice and Peace, and we are calling it a walk, because we want to walk together, slowly and with intention. We are hoping to do this in silence, so we can be a prayerful presence in the midst of the city.

We’re gathering at Tarntanyangga /Victoria Square at 2pm. After a Welcome to Country, we will then make our way up King William Road, then turn at North Terrace and come back and there we will hear some speakers and also celebrate togetherness and community as we listen to some music and probably get asked to join in some songs. When we use our feet and our hands together, when we use our voices together then we can make a difference together.

Philippa Rowland President, Multifaith Association of South Australia
I feel deeply grateful to be here together, and particularly thankful for Archbishop Pat hosting us and for the Welcome to Country by Uncle John and Michael – it was very humbling to be met by a smoking ceremony. We live on a vast beautiful land and there were people here who had lived here for generations upon generations before we arrived. I’m glad we began by paying respect and working as we can to support First Nations regain their rightful place in their own Country.

Secondly, I’m grateful because the Ukrainians have shown us grace and courage as they have faced invasion and an unprovoked war. I feel we need to learn to show the same grace and courage as we face these escalating challenges of climate change – the climate crisis and the extinction crisis. We are living in troubling times, and it is good to have courage together to turn and face the situation before us all.

Healing prayers for a wounded world

A person speaking into a microphone Description automatically generated with medium confidence We can find some solutions in Living the Change, a global faith-based activity to get individuals, communities and countries to look at our lifestyles. Are there changes we can make in our choices about our energy, our food and our transport. We also need to begin turning the circle and Healing the Earth in care for lands, forests, waters and seas. May our faith provide a moral compass to guide our collective action.

I lived in Russia as a very small child and when I watch the news these past weeks, one word rings in my ears: Strachna Strachno Strachno – it means terrible, terrifying.. I will try saying something in Ukrainian and then I’ll translate. “Страшно, Страшно. але з Любов’ю та Відвагою Ми зможемо знайти Надію разом.” I hope what I’ve said is “Terrible, Terrifying. But with Love and Courage, We can find Hope Together”.

Closing Songs Sung by members of the African Catholic Choir,

Healing prayers for a wounded world

Our world stands on the brink of peril, with a dark shadow of war over Ukraine and clear evidence of escalating climate change, including recent fires and floods across our region of South-East Asia and Oceania.

Sincere Thanks to all those who assisted in the preparation of this evening’s service and all who attended in shared commitment to interfaith harmony, peace and justice.

Photos by Nat Rogers (NR), Philippa Rowland (PR) and Anne Hewitt (AH)

Transcription/compilation of prayers by Philippa Rowland
Intercession Prayers written by Rev. Anne Hewitt

May our shared prayers light candles of hope across our troubled world.

For more information:
Churches Together SA – www.churchestogethersa.org.au
Multifaith SA – www.facebook.com/themfasa
Living the Change – https://livingthechange.net/
Australian Religious Response to Climate Change – www.arrcc.org.au
Religions for Peace Australia – https://religionsforpeaceaustralia.org.au/
Live-stream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgNK12jZ8QE