On the 15th of May, Palestinians around the world mark Nakba day. This day commemorates the Nakba as it is the beginning of the Palestinian people’s dispossession of their peoplehood, land, identity and culture. Although the events of 1948 completely changed the Palestinian reality, the Nakba is not an event but a structure, hence, the Nakba is ongoing. The current genocide in Gaza, the violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem, the realities of Palestinians in historic Palestine, and the refugees in the diaspora, all stem from the ongoing Nakba.
● God of Sumud, we the children of this land have been facing erasure for more than 76 years. The experience of oppression and death continues from our ancestors to our children and now more than ever we ask: for how long O Lord? Help us understand that every life destroyed from settler colonialism is itself a Nakba. We thank you for the Holy Spirit which manifests in the form of Sumud helping us to keep our humanity, our identity, our fight for justice, and our faith.
Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer