The Rev. William Tembo, General Secretary of the Livingstonia Synod (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) in Malawi, has issued an urgent appeal for prayers and support for Malawians living in South Africa, many of whom have been “rounded up and placed in camps without access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, clean water, and proper medical care.” The situation is playing out in a volatile atmosphere of rising xenophobia, with some South Africans demanding that “foreigners leave the country.” View or download the Rev. Tembo’s letter:
We pray for all who are caught in this difficult situation.
God of life and freedom
When Abraham’s family wandered,
when the Hebrew people fled into the wilderness,
when the Israelites lived in exile,
you called them,
and gave them words of comfort and promises of hope.
In Christ you crossed the border.
You put on frail flesh,
were born and lived your life
always on the move in a dangerous world.
From your first night you slept in a bed and
a place that was not your own.
You and your family fled terror and found refuge in foreign lands.
You were always the guest in the homes and at the tables of strangers.
You were not always sure of your next meal.
We remember before you
those whose lives are more like yours
than we can imagine or care to acknowledge.
We pray for your protection and care for those who suffer and must take refuge because of war, politics, xenophobia, natural disaster, status, race, gender, sexuality, and faith.
Many African immigrants from Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana and Zimbabwe are forced to leave South Africa as protests grow over illegal migration.
We pray for their safe passage and protection, and for those who are placed in camps without access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, clean water, and proper medical care.
In the strong name of Jesus.
AMEN