God, All-Compassionate, All-Merciful,
we weep again for Burkina Faso,
again and again and again –
for the months have passed
the sorrow is ongoing,
and the coup has happened.
We prayed for Christmas cancelled,
three years ago.
How long, O Holy One?
We prayed last summer
for death and mass graves, looting,
burning of homes, of markets,
women who died at the well,
and food insecurity
stealing the laughter from children,
the hope from adults.
How long, O Holy One.
We pray for these strong people,
for their gifts to all the world,
for the fragility of a country in turmoil.
God, this day we pray
in the midst of
the suspending of the constitution,
army control of the streets,
flight of President Kabore,
closing of the borders.
And we will not stop praying,
for your comfort, compassion, mercy,
for the wisdom of nations,
the resilience of simple people,
and a dawning of peace.
amen.
Gifts in Open Hands 
Amen. Maren, you’ve expressed so well the heartbreak in that nation. We’ll add Burkina Faso to our prayers.
Thank you so much.
The geography of Burkina Faso reminds me of the various homelands created by the SA Apartheid government in order to landlock the various places where black people were to live. This “gerrymandering” prevented access to international waters and trade, thus elevating the inequity of the people.
A truly deplorable use of illegitimate power.