[Sundaycommunity] (no subject)

[Dean Riley]

Dear friends…

Please excuse this long email… I learned this morning that tomorrow is the 31st anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi. Over a span of 103 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were systematically killed by Hutu militias. It is estimated that 800,000 Tutsi were massacred. 

Particularly striking is the massive number of orphans who were left alone to mourn and to rebuild their lives.







I did some research on Wikipedia and discovered a list of all incidents of genocide in recorded history much longer than I could ever have imagined! 

Of course, the most recent on the Wikipedia list is the Gaza Genocide with a present estimate of 186,000 deaths. 

The two first incidents of historical genocide included on the Wikipedia list were very thought provoking for me personally…

“The Taíno genocide refers to the extermination of the indigenous population of Hispaniola in 1492, due to forced labor and exploitation by the Spanish. Andrés Reséndez argues that even though disease was a factor, the native population would have rebounded the same way Europeans did during the Black Death if it were not for their constant enslavement in the island's gold and silver mines. According to anthropologist Jason Hickel, a third of Taino workers died every six months from lethal forced labor in the mines.”

It is estimated that over 96% of the Taíno population perished under Spanish rule.

And particularly sobering… the very first recorded incident on the Wikipedia list:

“The Albigensian Crusade was a 20-year military campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III in 1209 to eliminate Catharism, a Christian sect, in Languedoc, in southern France. The Catholic Church considered them heretics and ordered that they should be completely eradicated. Raphael Lemkin referred to the Albigensian Crusade as “one of the most conclusive cases of genocide in religious history”. Kurt Jonassohn and Karin Solveig Björnson describe it as “the first ideological genocide.”

Estimates of this genocidal campaign are between 200,000 and 1,000,000 deaths.

In this moment of remembrance and reflection, let us pray for all victims of genocide, seeking comfort, justice, and an end to such atrocities, remembering the sanctity of every human life. 

I found an extensive prayer resource for reflecting on and praying for the victims of genocide… I find these prayers very beautiful, and wanted to share them with you all!

Peace to you all - and to the ends of creation…

Dean. 

-::-::-::-

In this moment of remembrance and reflection, let us pray for all victims of genocide, seeking comfort, justice, and an end to such atrocities, remembering the sanctity of every human life.  

Prayer for the victims of genocide…

Acknowledge the Suffering:

“Eternal God, we come before you with heavy hearts, remembering the countless lives lost and the profound suffering endured by victims of genocide throughout history and in our present time.”

Seek Comfort and Healing:

“We pray for the families and communities who mourn, for the survivors who carry the scars of trauma, and for those who have witnessed or endured unimaginable violence.”

Remember the Sanctity of Life:

“May we never forget that every human being is created in your image, and that no act of hatred or violence can diminish their inherent dignity.”

Call for Justice and Accountability:

“We pray for justice and accountability for those who have perpetrated these crimes, and for the dismantling of systems that enable such atrocities.”

Seek an End to Genocide:

“We pray that the world will learn from the past, that hatred and violence will be banished, and that love and peace will prevail.”

Call for Action and Solidarity:

“Inspire us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed, to speak out against injustice, and to work towards a future where genocide is never repeated.”

End with a Plea for Peace:

“Grant us the wisdom and courage to build a world where all people can live in dignity and peace, and where the cries of the innocent are never silenced.”




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