Intercession as a Process of Kenosis, and a Lesson in Unselfishness.

Last night we met for an hour in church to pray for and with our asylum-seeking friends, and to pray for a more just, compassionate and efficient system of responding to those who arrive on our shores, often traumatised, alone and in desperate need of a safe place to recover, and rebuild their lives.

 

The Scottish theologian P T Forsyth wrote important words about what happens when we pray for others and with others: “Trusting the God of Christ, and transacting with him, we come into tune with men [and women]. Our egoism retires before the coming of God, and into the clearance there comes with our Father, our brother.”

 

Intercession is a process of kenosis, a relinquishing of our own claims, and in their place a commitment to sponsoring the needs of others. Intercession is practised unselfishness in the presence of God. I and others prayed in English - a number of our Iranian friends prayed in Farsi, the one word we all recognised being 'Amen!'

 

That single word of "May it be so", said together and responsively, welded hearts together in shared hope and human sympathy. I know that migration is a huge issue facing our world, and immigration is a complex and controversial issue facing our country. But those shared times of prayer touch deeply into who we are as a community of Christians seeking to be the presence of Christ in our City.

 

"He has shown you O man what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6v8) For myself the question mark is the criterion for judging how I look at the world, and those I meet on the road - what does the Lord require of me? The answer informs my prayers - I pray that our Government, of whatever colour, will act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly in a world that belongs to God before any of the rest of us.

Comments

[W Salzer]

I came across your postings as I found your comments on the Wendell Berry poem -We Travelers. One of my most favored poems! And I appreciated your comments.

Looking through, at random) your other posts I wanted to applaud you for your thoughtful and encouraging words regarding immigration in this particular post. I’m from the US and have similar beliefs.

Also I’m a progressive Catholic and your comments from a Baptist perspective are so encouraging!

Journey onward! WS.

[Jim Gordon]

Thank you WS! Although we are on different sides of the Atlantic, the plight of those who are compelled to leave their homelands carries the same imperatives of compassion, thoughtful strategy, and a refusal to dehumanise vulnerable people. Thank you for your encouragement and appreciation - I've been writing here since 2007, and I'm always the better for hearing from folk like yourself1 Grace and peace from Scotland.