Massacre of the Innocents, Nicolas Poussin
Where the waters of the river overflow the banks,
I entreat you, O Immanuel,
spread your wings and protect your children from the flood!
Where famine yet rages,
I entreat you, O Immanuel,
spread your wings, protect your children from starvation!
Where the butcher’s knife sheds the blood of innocents,
I entreat you, O Immanuel,
spread your wings, protect your children
that their corpses shall not cover the wilderness!
O Immanuel, you provide for the birds of the air,
how can you allow humanity, created in your image,
to die on the barren earth?
Abel’s blood cried out to you from the earth,
and you sought after him.
Can you then allow the blood of innocents to be shed?
O Immanuel, spread your wings, I entreat you,
fill the breadth of your land
and cover your children who dwell here!
Wang Weifan,1927-2015, Professor at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, China
___________________
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.
prayer & verse 
I’m glad for the rich balance of your prayer selection which keeps a focus on issues of global justice.
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