O God of compassion,
The fires in Hong Kong have spread devastating sorrow and pain across the world. Our hearts reach out to the people suffering from unspeakable grief and loss. And so, we turn to you in prayer.
Bring comfort to those who have lost family and friends, and to those who live in fear as they wait for news of the missing. We pray for the firefighters who risk their lives to save others; for the medical staff who tend to victims of fire and smoke; and for all the workers on the scene who witness horror as they respond to this emergency. Give them strength in their exhaustion. Give the people hope when the temptation to despair presses in from all sides.
O God, when you made us in your image, you made us with extraordinary intelligence and with the capacity for great love and creativity. Yet you also made us vulnerable and fragile. Be with us in this time of sorrow. May your Spirit surround us as we pray for the people of Hong Kong and for our human family across the globe. Give the people strength to weep, to care for one another, and to go on living with renewed hope and an undying capacity to experience joy once again.
Trusting in your unfathomable love and peace, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.