The City of God and the challenge for Lula

My colleague Hannelore Schmid is so much more than the administrative support staff person in the WCC worship office. She's a talented linguist and also knows how to combine Lutheran rigour with Quaker reflection and social commitment. This morning as we come to the end of a week when the ecumenical prayer cycle encourages us to pray for Brazil she prepared a reflective morning prayer based on Revelation 21.
In a short meditation she reflected on the 2002 film the City of God which charts the story of people growing up in one of Brazil's huge cities, ending with this quote from Heidi Cerneka who works with female prisoners in the city of Sao Paulo:
“Laws against torture, domestic violence and political impunity must be applied. As a model of citizenship, the police forces, both military and civil, must be held accountable and corruption and violence within the police forces must be eradicated. Clearly, more training, more ongoing support and continuing education are a means to this end. Only then, will they earn the trust of the general population. Finally, making the education and formation of today's children a first priority will open the possibility of a different future for them ... of a different future for all of society.”