Brexit: possible ‘no deal on trade’
23 Jul 2020
On 22 July transport secretary Grant Shapps said that the United Kingdom wants a Brexit free trade deal with the EU, but is prepared for a no deal. A spokesman for Boris Johnson said later that day that Britain remains committed to agreeing the outlines of a balanced trade agreement with the EU, but significant differences between the two sides remain. Talks on a future relationship, which are now in their fifth round, have all but stalled. Some companies fear that there will be disruption at the end of the year if the two fail to secure a trade deal. Mr Johnson’s spokesman said, ‘We will make sure that we’re prepared for all possible scenarios.’
Some churches have faced the lockdown challenge by simply meeting the needs of their existing congregations. This could be a missed opportunity to discover what it might look like to ‘go and make disciples’ in the 21st century and beyond. Let us not forget that many revivals started outside the church and were later embraced by the church. This pandemic has introduced the many of the older generation to Skype, FaceTime and Zoom, which has helped those who live alone at home or in care to feel less isolated. The church in this new season still has a fundamental Christian mission to build relationships, to worship together, pray together and serve together. Each church must seek God to discover what He is asking of them. God is giving His church an opportunity electronically to ‘throw out a new net - where there are many fish’, and we can give thanks for the increase in online views of church services during lockdown.
EU agrees on a plan to save itself
23 Jul 2020
EU leaders have agreed on a 750 billion euro coronavirus relief package, both in loans and grants. A major accomplishment: for the first time all 27 members agreed to share the financial burden to rescue some of its members. However this is just the first step on a long road to recovery. The fine print is thorny. Any individual member state can delay disbursement of funds to another member by questioning the recipient's spending plans. For example, this would allow a country to put a temporary hold on funds for another if the Hague has a bone to pick about overspending. Not a veto, but it could delay the release of much-needed funds and pit countries against each other. Also money will not be released until 2022. So if Italy and Spain continue borrowing to pay for their domestic rescue plans, they will owe much more a year from now and be in a worse financial position to respond to any second coronavirus wave.
In Central America, people will struggle to eat in today’s lockdown; unable to provide for themselves and their families with food banks closed due to pandemic lockdowns. Pray for God to support those who are providing aid to families in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and other vulnerable countries. India has a social stigma around the ‘unclean’ disease, so individuals returning from isolation are treated as outcasts. To avoid being labelled and discriminated against people hide the illness, avoid tests and delay hospitalisation, with fatal consequences. Pray for this ‘unclean pandemic caste’ to be helped and healed not shunned. Africa’s virus is spreading rapidly. Rural areas in Tanzania have no food, and people like the cattle people in Kajiado (who depend on livestock markets) suffer because all markets are closed. Meanwhile, some Caribbean islands are now reopening for tourism with strict public health protocols. Pray for safe ‘sun, sea, sand and social distancing.’
Saudi Arabia: Hajj - 29 to 31 July
23 Jul 2020
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetime if they are able. On the Hajj Muslims seek the forgiveness of sins and to deepen their allegiance to Allah. In Luke 7, Jesus said to a sinful woman, ‘Your sins are forgiven: your faith has saved you; go in peace’. Jesus has the authority and power to forgive all of our sins through his atoning sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection. 1.8 billion Muslims in the world today reject Jesus as a Saviour. Instead, they go on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia in order to earn forgiveness of sins from Allah. A phrase used in most Arabic conversations is ‘al-ḥamdu li-llāh’ - literally, ‘Praise be to God’. Pray for people to truly know God and praise Him when they use this phrase. See also
Yemen and Syria: updates
23 Jul 2020
Yemen, currently home to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, has millions of people extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. Even before the pandemic, 80% of Yemen’s population needed aid. The spread of coronavirus is difficult to track with very little testing. Sometimes the only way to assess the severity of an outbreak is by how busy the gravediggers are. In parts of Yemen gravediggers are overwhelmed. Coronavirus has caused a reduction in funding for aid programmes. The UN has been forced to close nutrition, hygiene and sanitation programmes (see). Doctors in Syria are preparing for ‘an explosion’ of coronavirus in large overcrowded settlements. Only 64% of hospitals are functioning due to shortages of trained staff. 70% of health workers have fled Syria. Awareness of coronavirus danger is extremely low in some areas, so food and medicine are prioritised for people in poverty, not soap and hygiene. See
Floods cause humanitarian crisis
23 Jul 2020
A humanitarian crisis is deepening in South Asia as new figures reveal that over 9.6 million people have been affected by monsoon floods, devastating large areas of India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Pray for the millions of people marooned in their homes, with crops destroyed by the worst floods in recent years. This year’s monsoon has come at the height of a deadly global pandemic. Tragically, already 550 people have lost their lives. Close to one third of Bangladesh has already been flooded, with forecasts of worse flooding in the coming days. Pray for God's comfort to be over those living in fear of worsening weather and deadly pandemic enemy. Pray for those mourning the death of friends and family killed by landslides, drowning and sickness. Pray also for the aid agencies and the various ministries of disaster management to have clear communication strategies to work in united support of the vulnerable.
2019 saw Felix Tshisekedi elected president in disputed elections marred by violence. Ethnic tensions between Lendu and Mema saw 1,000+ deaths and another 1,300+ abducted or kidnapped, while the Ebola crisis took more lives. 2019 is being violently repeated in 2020. On 22 July authorities started cracking down on peaceful critics, journalists, and political party members using pandemic emergency measures as a pretext to curb political protests(see). Since 13 July hundreds have been demonstrating for the dissolution of parliament. This has been organised by the Catholic Church (see). Authorities are attempting to contain several health crises: coronavirus, the largest measles outbreak in the world, and two Ebola epidemics (see). Also rural violence is escalating: a Christian worker writes, ‘The route from Aru to Bunia is still not safe. If people want to reach Bunia they are accompanied by soldiers. But those who were killed last time were accompanied by soldiers who were also killed.’