South African civic and church leaders have launched a campaign and hunger strike to press its government to find an urgent solution to the crisis. Desmond Tutu said he was now fasting once a week. “If we would [only] have more people saying ‘I will fast’, maybe one day a week – just to identify myself with my sisters and brothers in Zimbabwe.”
Africa’s largest grouping of churches, All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), in Maputo, Mozambique, set aside January 25, 2009 as a special ‘Africa Day of Prayer and Fasting for Justice in Zimbabwe’.
Christian Aid has posted this prayer:
Lord of justice and wisdom, in whom we place our hope, we place before you the crisis facing the country of Zimbabwe.
We pray for immediate aid, wise leadership and an end to injustice at this critical time, as disease and extreme food shortages threaten to grip the nation.
Compassionate God, we know of your special love for the poor. We pray for relief for those who suffer, and action from those who watch their suffering.
As we stand alongside the people of Zimbabwe in prayer, we passionately oppose the social injustice and oppression affecting that nation.
We know that your love extends further than we can ever ask or imagine and pray for your protection, healing and close presence there.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen
