09:10 PM in Current Affairs, Education, Food and Drink, Justice, Mission, St Silas' | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
My dear friend, Tom Harris MP, has posted today on asylum policy in general.
I heard a Conservative Party representative on Radio 4's PM programme saying that the Tories should aim to reduce immigration if they come to power. One can only imagine what they'll do with asylum seekers.
The strange thing to me is that most of the population of the UK is to some extent descended from economic migrants or those fleeing oppressive regimes. Celts, Picts, Romans, Jutes, Angles, Saxons, Vikings, Normans, Africans (throught the slave trade), Indians (during the colonial period), and all sorts of Europeans during the 19th Century, have all come to live on these islands. Some came to conquer, some were forced, but all have made their home here and contributed to this island's life. What's different today? I guess it can only be the fear that immigrants arriving here will simply leech from our social security system, married to xenophobia and a sense for politicians that going soft on immigration is a vote loser.
Why do Christians take such an interest in this? Is it because they are naive and believe every sob story? Sometimes we are (and naivete is not always a bad thing), but I hope we are driven by something like this:
For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:19 (NLT)
Now, I wonder who would like to win my vote in a few months time?
08:50 PM in Current Affairs, For Prayer | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
10:00 AM in Current Affairs, For Prayer | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBack (0)
If Mossad is responsible for the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, how did they acquire the details of the people whose passports were cloned? I got thinking about this today, when I remembered my visit to Israel in the summer of 2008. Going through immigration at Tel Aviv airport, I was made to wait in a room for almost an hour, during which time my passport was kept by the powers-that-be. It was a little bit concerning and no explanation was given when my passport was returned. Certainly there was plenty of time to get up to some mischief with it.
Hopefully, I won't be implicated in another plot at some point. Then again, mentioning this incident might make me a target for retaliation by spooks?;-)
07:36 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
Much joy tonight for Joyce at a little get together to celebrate her being granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK. It only took ten years. Praying for others I know (and those I don't) who are still in the midst of the immigration process.
Prayers for Kenny and RW following the freezing damage to the new rectory.
Joy that people are still being dug out of the ruins in Haiti. Praying that medicine and food will reach people quicker than it has done. Prayer too for all those in situ who are trying to bring aid.
11:15 PM in Church, Current Affairs, For Prayer | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
At Sunday morning's "Together", we were thinking about how we take care of the earth. I got to beat Nick Cox up (in my dreams!) as an example of how the effects of our sin can be obvious. In response to the question (about not seeing the damage we do), "Where does our rubbish go?", Hannah replied, "It's taken to a big hole in the ground, then covered in soil, and no flowers will grow there." We couldn't have planned a better answer or expect greater knowledge from one of our younger members. It was an awesome moment.
Vestry agreed with the suggestion that our collections should go to the Haitian Earthquake relief efforts. Over £1500 was given. It seems that we are joining with the whole nation in responding to the Haitians' plight. Many of us are also shocked by some Christians decidely odd explanation of this disaster. I wonder how those in Haiti, including very many Christians, who have lost loved ones and are suffering, receive such comments?
01:53 PM in Church, Current Affairs, For Prayer, St Silas' | Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBack (0)
An interesting week ahead, with three days in a monastery, a national prayer conference on Thursday organised by Evangelical Alliance, the electoral synod on Saturday morning and the institution of the new rector of Bearsden and Milngavie on Saturday afternoon. Yes, I know, I'm a mystery wrapped up in a conundrum, or somesuch.
03:39 PM in Anglican, Church, Current Affairs, For Prayer, Scottish Episcopal Church | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
Tuesday, 1st September 2009 Juba, Sudan
APPEAL regarding the recent atrocities in Jonglei and Western Equatoria States
On Saturday 29th August 2009 I received reports from Wernyol, Twic East County, Jonglei State, that there had been another attack on the peoples of the area in which over forty people – men, women and children – were killed. Amongst the dead were Ven. Joseph Mabior Garang, Archdeacon of Wernyol and Archbishop’s Commissary in the new Diocese of Twic East, who was shot at the altar of the church in Wernyol during a service of Morning Prayer. Tens of others have been wounded, some very seriously with gun-shot wounds and broken limbs. Only a few of these have been taken to Juba Military Hospital, whilst the rest are still in Bor Hospital.
I have leant from Episcopal Church sources on the ground that the attackers were well armed with new automatic weapons, dressed in army uniforms, and appeared well-organized and properly trained. Instead of attacking a cattle camp, this was an attack on a Payam headquarter town. Consequently in the view of the Church, this was not a tribal conflict as commonly reported, but a deliberately organized attack on civilians by those that are against the peace in Southern Sudan. These reports confirm the suspicions that I aired in my May 2009 appeal to the diplomatic and international community in Sudan.
Last week I received the news from Ezo, Ezo County, Western Equatoria State, that there had been another devastating attack by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) on Ezo town on 12th/13th August in which three people, including an Episcopal Church lay reader had been murdered.
The attack included the abduction of children from the Episcopal church building in Ezo, and several thousand more people have been displaced into Ezo town – people that the local churches are struggling to care for. Ezo Hospital was also attacked, medicine stolen and equipment destroyed.
I hear from Bishop John Zawo of the Episcopal Diocese of Ezo that the attack could have been avoided if better military security had been given to the town.
I am therefore appealing to the government and the international community at large to act swiftly in order to prevent such atrocities from occurring in future. Continuing violence such as this is not only a crime against the innocent people killed and injured, it is a crime against the peace of the Sudan and if left unchecked will do great damage to the smooth implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)
This is especially the case given the strained political situation whereby the two parties to the CPA – the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) – are still not coming to an agreement regarding the laws governing the elections and referendum. The time frame given for the elections and referendum is already too short for the democratic processes to be effectively organized, and by the provisional dates chosen for voting in the elections, much of the South will already be suffering from logistics problems caused by the onset of the wet season.
This is an indication to the citizens of the Sudan that the people on the ground are not being regarded or included in the politics of peace and that we are vulnerable to future violations of the CPA and an uncertain future for peace in the Sudan.
I refer the government and international community to my May 2009 appeal to the diplomatic community in Sudan, and now strongly reiterate my plea to urge your countries’ governments to do more to guarantee the implementation of the CPA at all levels. As shown from the Twic East example, there is now accurate evidence to suggest that such violence is deliberately perpetrated as I implied in the May appeal. So long as all violence such as that in Jonglei and that perpetrated by the LRA continues – violence which is preventable by better use of security personnel – there is no hope of conducting free and fair elections in these areas in 2010 and no hope of a fair referendum on Southern secession in 2011.
In the mean time I am appealing for humanitarian assistance to those 24,000 displaced and wounded people in Twic East County and those 15,000 displaced and wounded people Ezo County. I would like to especially appeal for help for the widow and children of Ven. Joseph Mabior Garang, who now require food and education.
Unless the guarantor governments of the CPA act now the peace is in grave danger. As the Church, we look for the upholding of the rights of every Sudanese to a peaceful future.
His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Daniel Deng Bul Yak
Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan
Funds for the 39,000 displaced persons and the bereaved family of Archdeacon Garang may be sent to Anglican Mainstream (for AID – Sudan) 21 High Street, Eynsham, OX29 4HE UK or donated through the paypal link on the Anglican Mainstream website. All funds will be sent directly through with no deductions.
Further information and pictures will appear on www.sudan.anglican.org
03:25 PM in Anglican, Church, Current Affairs, For Prayer | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Ten years ago, in South Africa, I met people who had learned to forgive those who had wronged them. I was somewhat stunned by their ability to offer mercy; the couple whose children had been gunned down for the meagre contents of their schoolbags and the family whose father had been tortured and crippled by the police. They came to mind in the last week as I considered Kenny MacAskill's decision to release Abdelbaset Ali Mohammed al-Megrahi.
Whether he is guilty or not, whether he has expressed remorse or not, he can still be shown compassion as he prepares for death. Such mercy is on offer to us all: "he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10). I don't think MacAskill was suggesting that the terminal cancer Megrahi is suffering is God's judgement. Rather that he will soon meet his maker, and the final judgement on him will be made. That is an inescapable judgement which will be more difficult to receive than any human justice. Maybe Megrahi, in his last days will be able to accept the peace of God, given to him through the blood of Jesus Christ?
I was very moved by the Justice Minister's statement. I'm only disappointed that Megahi's appeal will not now be heard. We might have learned more of the events that led up to that terrible night over Lockerbie.
11:57 AM in Current Affairs, Theology | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)
From Christian Solidarity Worldwide:
Christians in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri are expressing increasing dismay at what they perceive as a lack of international concern for the suffering of their communities. As funerals continue, local estimates of the death toll rise to over 1000.
During last week’s violence, Islamist Boko Haram militants attacked both government and Christian targets, killing individuals and taking many civilians captive for possible use as human shields against government forces besieging their compound in Maiduguri’s Railway District. Once in the camp, male captives were given a choice between conversion to Islam or death, while women and girls were kept on as hostages. Survivors of the siege informed CSW sources that the Boko Haram leader, Yusuf Mohammed, personally oversaw the forcible Islamisation of hostages, and the execution of anyone who refused to convert.
Yesterday, Maiduguri’s Good News Church held a memorial service for one of these hostages. Pastor George Orji was beheaded in the Boko Haram compound, and his body left in a mass grave there. He leaves behind a heavily pregnant wife, and two children aged two and four.
On 4 August around 3000 people took part in the funeral service for Rev Sabo Yakubu, the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) church pastor whose heart was removed from his body by Boko Haram militants. Three other Christians whose charred remains were found in the ruins of Jajere National Evangelical Mission were also buried on that day. One of the bodies is thought to be that of Pastor Elijah Samuel, who was hacked to death by militants.
Over 800 people are now officially estimated to have died in last week’s violence. This number is likely to rise as many missing civilians are now presumed dead and possibly buried in mass graves dug by the authorities in a bid to avert the spread of disease. Earlier CSW was informed that a University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) worker had estimated that around 1000 corpses were deposited in the hospital mortuary on Monday 27 July alone. The number of people displaced during the violence also remains unclear, but is thought to be in the thousands.
CSW sources also report that a total of 20 churches were destroyed during the violence. In February 2006 Maiduguri was the scene of the infamous "Cartoon Riots" during which 57 churches were destroyed and over 60 Christians were killed. Surviving victims of that violence have still not received compensation.
Archbishop of Jos, Benjamin Kwashi said: "It is unfortunate that the mayhem unleashed on the Church is systematically downplayed in the media. The first victim was the ecclesia, which was subjugated and sacrificed prior to any attack on the establishment, yet no report is pointing to Christians as the number one target before all others. We will continue to speak out."
There are growing concerns that the furore surrounding the death of the Boko Haram leader may be obscuring the suffering inflicted by the sect on northern civilians, and may eventually raise him to iconic status. Yusuf Mohamed was reportedly killed in questionable circumstances on July 30 while in police custody. Local sources report that pictures purportedly of his bullet-riddled corpse show one of his arms was practically amputated by gunshots.
Tina Lambert, CSW’s Advocacy Director said: “We are disturbed by indications that the Boko Haram leader may have been killed extra-judicially. A full investigation into this claim is needed but it is vital that this does not inadvertently obscure or detract from the appalling nature of the crimes committed by this sect against innocent civilians. There is an urgent need to assist and compensate the deeply traumatised victims, and for action to ensure a definitive end to the cycle of deadly religious violence in Northern and central Nigeria”.
For some important background information, see this Reuters analysis.
02:16 PM in Anglican, Church, Current Affairs, For Prayer | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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