Here is the news:
Today is Refugee and Migrant Sunday
Message from Stuart McMillan, President,
Uniting Church in Australia.
In the Christian story of faith, it is often refugees who seek and experience God’s justice. We have consistently advocated positive policy development on people seeking asylum and refugees that would see Australia take moral leadership on the issue in our region.
We will continue to do so. There must be alternatives to public policy that seeks to punish people who have done no wrong. Australian courts have time and time again recognised the harm caused by mandatory offshore detention on Manus Island and Nauru.
We can and must do better.
As Christians we are called to live compassionate lives, to care for the marginalised and vulnerable in our society. People seeking asylum fleeing from persecution deserve to have their claims for refugee status processed fairly while they reside in Australia.
We continue to call for an increase in the humanitarian intake of refugees to 60,000.
We will also continue advocating for policies which are humane and which uphold people’s rights and their fundamental human dignity.
You are encouraged to share God’s love with all people, to bring justice where there is injustice, peace where there is violence, and hope where there is none.
Prayer of Intercession
Wise and compassionate God, help us to be willing to respond to the needs of refugees and people seeking asylum and not simply seek to shift the burden of care to others. Call our leaders to justice, generosity and compassion. Help them create and implement strategies that are fair and just and treat refugees and asylum-seekers with dignity and care.
O God, our comforter, we ask you to comfort the broken-hearted and protect the vulnerable.
We pray for those who live in fear of detention and removal, for those who are in detention at this time and for those who face removal for an uncertain future.
We ask you to assure them of your great love, surround them with your presence and fill them with your peace.
God bless our eyes that we will recognise injustices.
God bless our ears so that we will hear the cry of the stranger.
God bless our mouths so that we will speak words of welcome to newcomers.
God bless our shoulders so we will be able to bear the weight of struggling for justice.
God bless our hands so that we can work together with all people to establish peace.
Rae Anderson
Stand Up! Speak Out!
