More Covid cases this summer than in 2020
26 Aug 2021
This time last year, the UK was slowly taking its first small steps into what would become the second wave of Covid-19. That led to tighter local restrictions and, ultimately, lockdowns across all the nations, which didn't start to unravel until late spring 2021. Case numbers right now are over 30 times higher than at the same point last year and showing signs of climbing again. We can pray to the Lord, our refuge and stronghold, to direct the health and well-being of our nation. As the media reports an increase in case numbers, may all who are fearful and anxious be at peace and free from worry. Pray for God to give people wise judgment as they increasingly gather with less social distancing and mask-wearing. Pray for medical staff and hospital workers who have been stressed and exhausted over the past 18 months, asking God to renew their strength as they contemplate future challenges from flu and Covid.
Paralympics disability awareness
26 Aug 2021
Ellie Simmonds and John Stubbs led the British team into the stadium to widespread welcome and approval on social media. The bright glare of Paralympics can be fleeting and all too quickly forgotten. On the day the Olympic flame was lit, the UK recorded a steep rise in costs of care for disabled adults. The Paralympics reveals some of the most inspirational stories in sport against a backdrop of the constant fight for equality beyond the games. Haven Shepherd lost both her legs below the knees at 14 months when her parents attempted a family suicide. Both parents died instantly. Haven became a disabled orphan. ‘You always have to look at the positives of life, and I got a second chance,’ she said, before her Paralympic swimming debut. These are Games of second chances for 4,402 Paralympians. Disabled people make up 15% of the world’s population. The International Paralympic Committee aims to place disability at the heart of the inclusion agenda, alongside ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.
Remembering her early school years, Princess Beatrice said, ‘I remember feeling really confused - an overwhelming sense of “Why does this all feel a little bit muddled?”’ She was reflecting on her childhood coping with dyslexia, as she prepared to welcome her first child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who is also dyslexic. It was the language she chose to describe her dyslexic experience that has sparked media and internet discussion. The pregnant princess referred to the language-based learning difficulty which can affect reading, writing, spelling, and speaking as a ‘gift’ that any of her future children would be lucky to have. ‘I think that having dyslexia and reflecting on where I am right now in my career path, and also as an older person looking back, has definitely allowed me to look at things in a new way and come up with solutions’, she said.
The government of the Luhansk People’s Republic, which declared itself independent from Ukraine in 2014, has added four Christian books to an official list of banned extremist materials. The books were seized from the Council of Baptist Churches in the city of Sverdlovsk and in July they were added to the list by the justice ministry ‘in order to secure the safety of the Republic’. There are 18 Christian works on the list of extremist materials, including a Russian version of the Gospel of John, a Billy Graham book, and a book by C H Spurgeon. Catholics have been denied a priest and the possibility to receive communion. An Orthodox Church of Ukraine chapel has been closed, and its bishop denied entry. Security forces also raid Protestant congregations and interrogate church leaders at police stations. We can ask God to soften the hearts of the authorities in Luhansk.
Minister for health Stephen Donnelly said that the government will continue to lift Covid-19 restrictions ‘as quickly as possible’. There would still be public health advice for situations where infection rates are higher. When asked if he thought that all restrictions on indoor capacity limits would be lifted before Christmas, he said, ‘Yes, I do. The road to freedom lies ahead, but things may still get worse before they get better. What we want to do is to provide real certainty for people. It’s been a brutal year and a half’, he added. The government is currently working on a roadmap on the lifting of all restrictions, which will be published next week.
Syria/Iraq: water crisis for millions
26 Aug 2021
Thirteen aid groups have warned, ‘Over 12 million people in Syria and Iraq are losing access to water, food and electricity and urgent action is needed to combat a severe water crisis.’ Rising temperatures, reduced rainfall and drought deprive people of drinking and agricultural water and are in turn disrupting electricity as dams run out of water. This impacts the operations of essential infrastructure including health facilities. Five million people in Syria directly depend on the river. In Iraq, the loss of access to water from the river, and drought, threaten seven million people. 400 square kilometres of agricultural land risk total drought. Two Syrian dams serving electricity to three million face imminent closure. Communities including displaced people in camps have witnessed a rise in outbreaks of waterborne diseases since the water shortage. Swathes of Iraqi farmland, fisheries, power production and drinking water sources are depleted of water. Wheat production is depleted by 70%.
Afghanistan: rescuing refugees
26 Aug 2021
Airbnb is offering free housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees globally and is seeking more assistance from hosts who rent their property through the accommodation-sharing company. Samaritan's Purse, the Christian humanitarian group led by Franklin Graham, is responding to the situation in Afghanistan by partnering with other organisations to get men, women, and children out of the country. They are sponsoring flights which have carried hundreds to safety. Open Doors say Afghanistan is the second most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian, after North Korea. Most Afghan Christians are converted from Islam. Pray for God to protect the thousands of Christians in hiding in Afghanistan. Ask God to provide permanent accommodation and living costs for Christians recently rescued from Afghanistan into neighbouring and distant countries. Ask Him to provide the fearful and anxious with peace of mind as they settle into completely unfamiliar environments and possibly need to learn a new language.
Argentina: profound anti-Semitism
26 Aug 2021
Argentines are far more anti-Semitic than they acknowledge and nearly 40% of the population believes that ‘Jewish businessmen’ are benefiting from the Covid pandemic. ‘In Argentina, we have a very distorted vision of ourselves’, said an award-winning columnist. ‘We think we are not anti-Semitic, but in many ways, this is an anti-Semitic country.’ He went on to say that myths about the Jews are part of Argentina's popular culture. The study’s main author was ‘surprised’ by the magnitude of antisemitic sentiment, particularly among younger people. Argentina is home to over 200,000 Jews, the largest community in Latin America.