Is anyone among you suffering? Then you must pray. -James 5:13

Today in Philadelphia, there was a tragic house fire in which at least 12 people died, eight of whom were children. I call on all United Methodists to pray for the families and the Philadelphia community during this time of loss, grief and pain. 

There are days when I ask, “How much longer God? How much more pain, how much more isolation, how much longer for the pandemic, how many more fires?” And then I am reminded of the words in Esther 4:14: “You have been called for such a time as this.”

We have all been called for this time. We all have opportunities to be living prayers, living hope for hurting people and hurting communities. And just when you find that you are the one hurting, know we have one another to lean on, to share our pain with and to walk through the most challenging times and circumstances together.

Hope is not born out of luxury, or when everything is going well. It is born from the everyday lives of people in the midst of the greatest challenges, knowing that they are called and that God is beckoning them into hope, healing and wholeness. Today there are heartbroken families, a heartbroken community in Philadelphia. Let us pray and work together to be the hope that others need.

Keep hope alive!

John

*See: Fairmount house fire that killed 12 is one of the nation’s deadliest in decades

Bishop John Schol
The United Methodists of
Eastern Pennsylvania & Greater New Jersey
BishopJohnSchol@epaumc.org | 610-666-1442
BishopJohnSchol@gnjumc.org | 732-359-1010

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