Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz cries out to God for those who are harmed by changes in U.S. immigration policy and enforcement, as well as those who seek justice through peaceful demonstration, and those with the power to effect change.
Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz is Mennonite Church USA’s denominational minister for Peace and Justice. For more than 25 years, she served as the coordinator ofMennonite Central Committee’s Restorative Justice program. She also co-authored “The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools” and “What Will Happen to Me?” Lorraine graduated from Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, and earned a master’s in Social Work from Marywood University, Scranton, Pennsylvania. She and her husband attend Blossom Hill Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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O God of the captive and the free,
You have called us to walk with those exiled and called strangers.
They are our friends and our family and we feel powerless to keep them safe.
There are those who take to the streets in righteous anger,
Holding signs, not weapons,
Crying out for the dignity of all.
For those detained in silence,
For families torn apart by forced separation,
for every person the system seeks to erase,
Let us remember them now.
May those with power be moved not by pressure,
But by conscience.
May those who legislate do so with love.
May those who protest be safe, and strong, and seen.
Be present in our streets.
Be loud in our lament.
Be near to those feeling despair.
Until justice rolls like water,
Let us pray, let us hope.
Amen
Resources
- POTC launches website for young adults seeking nonmilitary career opportunities | MC USA
- Keeping Your Congregation Safe: Immigration Resources and Advocacy | MC USA
- Church Peace Tax Fund presentation | H.A. Penner
Support Mennonite Church USA’s Peace and Justice Initiatives by giving here.