Don’t just #PrayforBerlin – #PrayforHumanity – all of humanity!

Days before Christmas, a tragic event unfolds in Berlin. Families and tourists are shopping enjoying the local sites and the festive atmosphere. When, out of nowhere, a lorry hurtles towards them. Recklessly, dangerously,  some of those enjoying life won’t survive. 

A lone individual, for whatever reason, has decided to attack civilisation-humanity. However, this is not the first incident this month, or this year where people have been terrorised or where humanity is being attacked. This is happening on a daily basis in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and in our own backyard!

While it is very noble to have hashtags like #PrayForBerlin or to change your profile picture to an overlay of the German flag -it is not enough! It is not just Berlin that people should pray for. People need to pray for Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and the extremely disadvantaged in our own society here, people need to pray for humanity as a whole.

Yes, it is devastating what has happened in Germany. It is extremely sad that it’s happened before Christmas. However, we need to look at this in context with the wider world. As western civilisation gears up to celebrate Christmas and it’s message of “peace”, this message is just not limited to Europe or Western civilisation and neither is empathy. This message and empathy also covers the Middle East, the subcontinent, Asia, the Americas (north, central and south) and also Africa.

The human family is tearing itself apart! Horrible things are happening all over the world. Families are being destroyed through state-sponsored violence and domestic violence. The love of many has grown cold, people are becoming lovers of money and self over humanity. In Syria, a generation of children are growing up without their parents, while companies and individuals are making money out the war or making a name for themselves. In Afghanistan, young boys are preyed upon with purposes related to pedophilic exploitation to make money. In Australia our First Peoples are being treated as second-class citizens and are used as political pawns. We need to remember these groups. We need to pray for these groups as well as the people of Berlin.

Yes, it is disturbing​ that nine people in Berlin died because of a lone individual. Families, friendship groups and workplaces have been destroyed because of this action. People have lost loved ones, friends and co-workers. A life is a life and all lives are precious. 

Don’t just #PrayforBerlin – #PrayforHumanity.​