‘Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are against us.’
(see Matthew 6:7-15)
The prayer we know as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ and learned by heart as a child, forms part of the staple diet of prayer for all Christians. It is prayed at times of joy and sadness, celebration and misery, and provides a momentum to our life—but it also packs a punch and, whilst we pray the words, the intentions of the prayer may at times be far from our heart, or difficult to believe for ourselves! The prayer is a profound challenge to the injustice of the world, and the part we play.
If you’re poor, you’ll often end up paying more for things. Living week by week or day by day, there may not be the luxury to buy in bulk or get those three for the price of two offers. Those whose financial circumstances demand they have a prepay metre for their gas or electricity will usually be on a higher tariff. And if you are scratching around to make ends meet, it is easy to fall into debt, to allow credit and loans to get out of control, to miss bills and then become susceptible to high interest loans.
Likewise, it’s reported that lower income countries spend five times more on debt than coping with the impact of climate change and reducing carbon emissions. Figures from Jubilee Debt Campaign showed that 34 of the world’s poorest countries are spending £21.4bn on debt payments a year compared with £3.9bn on measures to reduce the impact of the climate emergency.
PRAY FOR those who are struggling financially, and for poorer countries burdened with debt, and for those who are able to reach out and make a difference.
Our daily reflections for Lent focus on the many injustices which exist in our world, as we seek to connect our life of prayer to social justice the Justice of God which Christ proclaimed. More resources are available at www.southcardiffministryarea.co.uk/just-lent
South Cardiff Ministry Area 