You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday. Psalm 91:5-6

The sound of gunfire awakens me. It is Autumn again, and my house is within a mile of marshland where public hunting is permitted. The shots are from hunters’ guns. That helps ease my mind, and I’ve usually been able to dismiss them and get on with my day.

However, more and more I find myself thinking about those who live where gunfire is a regular occurrence and not a sign of the Autumn Hunting Season –those living in countries gripped by war and cities plagued by violence. I wonder, “How do these people deal with a sound which carries a threat of physical harm or death?” I read Psalm 91 and realize that I need not fear the terror of the night; but what of those who also “abide in the shadow of the Almighty” while daily dreading “the arrow that flies…the pestilence that stalks…the destruction that wastes”? What of their prayers for deliverance or trusting that it will come?

And, opening my eyes to those morning gunshots, I ask God to help me develop a more conscious faith that leads me to concrete action. May I, on this day, begin a different kind of Autumn Hunting — for peace and justice for all.

Prayer:  Lord of true mercy and justice, arouse my conscience to genuine concern for those who daily live with violence, poverty, and injustice.  Move me to action, in concert with others, to bring genuine change in my community, my government, and the world. Amen.

Deaconess Eva Schindhelm – Mukwonago, WI