Advent Prayers to End Hunger: Hope

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Editor’s Note: In celebration of Advent, we have invited faith leaders to reflect on where they find hope, peace, joy, and love in this season. Each reflection will be followed by a prayer for this season.

Hope for bread.

What causes the refugee to cross borders?

What caused the enslaved to abandon slavery and reach for freedom?

The prisoner of hope becomes a living hope as they trust in the God of hope. The living hope is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Archbishop Desmond Tutu often says that we who believe in the resurrection have no option but to hope.

Isaiah writes (9:2): those sitting in darkness have seen a great light. This is the light that is embodied by the prisoner of hope. Hope is Christ in us, God with us, and God for us. If God is for us, then who can be against us? Just actions create hope. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we may abound in hope (Romans 15:13). May the power of the Holy Spirit activate an abundance of hope in us as we overcome injustice in the world.

Let us pray:

Patient and Loving God,
We are caught in the hustle and bustle—trying
to make ends meet, trying
to plan just right, trying
to get all the justice work done, trying
to make everyone happy, trying…
Time moves so quickly, we struggle to
pause,
to recognize this advent season.

Stop us in our tracks.
Give us wonder.
Give us anticipation.
Give us longing.
Prepare our hearts for your gifts of
Hope
Peace
Joy
Love
Wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger,
born in Bethlehem.
We wait for the one in whose name we pray,
Amen.

Siki Dlanga – a proud South African of the Madiba clan – wrote this Advent reflection.
She is the youngest board member of the South African Christian Leaders Initiative and founder of Freedom Mantle, which mobilizes young Christian leaders to be engaged in social change in South Africa.

 

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