After the Bombings, A Call to Peace and Prayer

As President of the Uniting Church in Australia, I welcome news of an imminent ceasefire between Israel and Iran. A pause in violence is always a grace –and for many across the Middle East, it may mean a breath of relief after days of fear and uncertainty.
But even in ceasefire, we must not lose sight of what has occurred: lives lost, sacred places violated and global tensions dangerously inflamed. Communities in Syria, Iran, Lebanon and beyond are still grieving. And in the face of such suffering, the Church must respond –with prayer, with presence, and with prophetic love.
I offer these words from Johannesburg, South Africa, where I am meeting with global Christian leaders as part of the World Council of Churches Central Committee. Together, we have been wrestling with the cries of the world –cries that echo from Gaza, from Sudan, from Iran, West Papua and from every place where conflict robs communities of peace.
The Uniting Church in Australia has always held a clear commitment to peace, nonviolence, and nuclear disarmament. We believe in the sanctity of every human life, and in the call of Christ –the Prince of Peace –to love our enemies, pray for those who suffer and resist the powers of violence with compassion and justice.
In this moment, we also acknowledge the important leadership of our global ecumenical partners who spoke with moral clarity as the violence unfolded. We stand with them in calling for diplomacy, not destruction, dialogue, not dominance.
Some may ask: why speak now when a ceasefire is imminent? Because peace is not simply the absence of conflict –it is the presence of justice. And the work of healing, repair, and truth-telling still lies ahead.
So, I call upon the Uniting Church –across our congregations and councils, schools and agencies and across cultures and generations –to join in prayer. Pray for wisdom among global leaders. Pray for families grieving in the Middle East. Pray for courage among peacemakers. Pray for war torn countries.And let us continue to bear witness to God’s vision of a world where swords are turned into ploughshares, and where mercy triumphs over fear.
Let us be a Church that prays without ceasing and weaves peace with every thread of love.

Rev Charissa Suli
A Prayer for the Middle East
God of all peoples and places,
You are our shelter when the world trembles,
our peace when fear overwhelms,
our strength when justice feels far away.
Today we lift to you the people of Syria and
Iran, of Lebanon, of Gaza, of Palestine –
all those whose lives are shaken by bomb
grief, and fear.
We remember the lives lost near St Elie Church in Damascus,
the wounded, the broken-hearted,
and those who now cry out from under rubble and despair.
Pour out your Spirit of peace,
the same Spirit that fell on Pentecost and gave voice to hope.
Steady the hearts of leaders, soften the grip of power,
and awaken in us a hunger for justice that protects life.
We pray for our sisters and brothers in the Middle East –
Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant –and all people of faith.
May they know your comfort, your nearness, your light.
Help us as your Church, O God,
to pray without ceasing,
to speak truth with grace,
and to weave peace wherever we are planted.
In Jesus’ name, the Prince of Peace, we pray.
Amen.
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