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Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out. - John 1:3-5 MSG
FIGHTING CONTINUES, WHILE UKRAINE WAGES COUNTEROFFENSIVE & MANY FEAR WHAT’S NEXT

As Russian forces struggle to advance along front lines that stretch over 1,000 miles across Ukraine, Western nations are growing increasingly concerned about Moscow’s potential willingness to turn to deadly unconventional weapons. There is deep worry about how the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, might respond to further battlefield setbacks, including fears that he might use a lower-powered tactical nuclear weapon, whose deployment would undermine long standing atomic taboos. Russia’s invasion has been hobbled from the start by poor communication, logistical struggles and an inability to effectively link up land, sea and air campaigns, according to Western officials. Currently, the Ukrainian military is mounting an aggressive counteroffensive to reclaim territory captured by Russia in southern Ukraine, hoping to use public defiance to bolster military efforts, according to Ukrainian and U.S. officials. Those efforts are most evident in towns and cities that were overwhelmed by Russian forces in the early days of the war, like Kherson, where Russian soldiers opened fire on protesters on Monday

We pray for peace, O God. For the laying down of arms and for every actor and action to move in lockstep on the road towards peace. For all those caught in the crossfire of war, for those who protest war and risk their security, and for all those forced into fighting their neighbor, we pray. Help us, Lord. 

WORSHIPPERS STOP AX WIELDING ATTACKER, THREATS TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REMAIN

Note: The Christian Reformed Church values Interfaith Dialogue which is an activity where people of different faiths come together to understand each other better, and where possible, stand together on selected issues that address the “common good” for our society. One of these issues is religious freedom for all faiths.  

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Worshippers at the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre outside of Mississauga confronted and restrained a man who was allegedly wielding an ax and attacked them with bear spray during Saturday morning prayers, police say. One worshiper knocked the ax from the man's hands, and held him down until police arrived, local media reports. A 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene in the suburb of Mississauga, and he has since been charged. "Before he could inflict harm on any worshippers, several congregants bravely were able to stop him in his tracks," Iman Ibrahim Hindy said in a statement, describing the moment the attacker entered the site. Canada's Muslim community has been targeted in a number of deadly attacks, including in 2017 when a shooting at a Quebec City mosque killed six people and left another eight wounded. Last year, four members of the same Muslim family were killed after a vehicle hit them in London, Ontario, which was described by police as a deliberate Islamophobic attack.

How long, Lord, must communities have in mind both their liturgy and their safety? God, we commit to carving out the violence in our communities and world. We commit to the elimination of violence in all its forms, and we pray for a world free from terror.