COLUMN: Grey Matters – Level up your July

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all you are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1–2

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city you are in.” Jeremiah 29:7

As July opens before us, warm with light and long with days, let us intentionally step into it with hope – seeking to live it well.

July begins with celebration. Canada Day arrives like a song of gratitude – flags lifted, laughter shared, neighbors gathered. We find ourselves outdoors again with friends – around the barbecue, the fire and the lake (or the flicker of the TV if Canada is still in the World Cup). July invites us to be together.

The name ‘July’ is based on the name of Julius Caesar, a man whose legacy shaped nations and history. Yet this was a restless age, marked by struggle and the costly work of building empires – especially for those who stood in the way of the Roman experiment. His story reminds us that true peace and stability is hard to attain and keep.

And so let us pause.

Let’s remember what we have been given. Not just the first day of July, but every day in July. To live in a land working towards peace is a great gift – one worth giving thanks for. As we see in the Bible verses above, we are not called to grumble or complain about our leaders, but to pray for them and for all people.

With that spirit, here are a couple of prayers to carry into these summer days. The first was offered at the opening Canada Day celebration at Mennonite Heritage Village. The second, is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi many centuries ago. Imagine if such a longing took root in us all!

A Canada Day Prayer

May we love and respect the land we live in, and the people we live among.

May we desire for our neighbours, both near and far, freedom from suffering.

May we radiate God’s compassion, connection, and care.

Help us, O God, to seek the good of the village.

For today, more than ever, we all live in and need the same village.

Amen.

Peace Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Gary Dyck is a chaplain and spiritual care provider at a hospital and personal care home in the Southeast.