sanctuarycg

The Simple Way Fire

I ask everyone to pray for Shane Claiborne and his community The Simple Way. Last night one of their facilities caught on fire. Shane lost all his belongings as did others. You can learn more here.

The Soul of War

As a Memorial Day remembrance, I encourage the listen to this interview with Iraq War veteran and chaplain, Major John Morris. Currently Major Morris serves as Chaplain for the Minnesota Army National Guard. In addition, here's an interview he did for Bethel University's Heart and Mind.

Virginia Tech Shootings...

I just heard about the Virginia Tech shootings. Hear the word of our Lord:

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.

Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them.

You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,

so people can no longer terrify them.

Psalm 10:17-18

Remember...

Nicholas D. Kristof is in Chad reporting on the atrocities in Darfur. I found this story this morning in the New York Times.

When the janjaweed militia attacked Fareeda, a village here in southeastern Chad near Darfur, an elderly man named Simih Yahya didn’t run because that would have meant leaving his frail wife behind. So the janjaweed grabbed Mr. Simih and, shouting insults against blacks, threw him to the ground and piled grass on his back.

Then they started a bonfire on top of him.

But his wife, Halima, normally fragile and submissive, furiously tried to tug the laughing militia members from her husband. She pleaded with them to spare his life. Finally, she threw herself on top of the fire, burning herself but eventually extinguishing it with her own body.

The janjaweed may have been shamed by her courage, for Mr. Simih recalls them then walking away and saying, “Oh, he will die anyway.” He told me the story as he was treated at a hospital where doctors peeled burned flesh from his back.

To lend your voice to the suffering in Darfur, Sudan go to savedarfur.org.