Call to Prayer, part 2

Warning: This post contains descriptions of violence. You might want to come back when the kids aren't around. It is posted under the "whatever is true" clause of the Apostle Paul's admonition in Philippians 4, in hopes of being a call to action.

It's not often that we get an e-mail on the church prayer list that is titled "Parental Warning - Disturbing Events Described." In fact, I'm not sure we've ever had one come across quite like that. But we did this week.

John Piper recently preached about abortion, and stated that sometimes we just need the raw facts.

Sometimes you need raw words when that's all you've got, and sometimes you need raw footage if it's available. Because you just can't comprehend it. You just can't believe they're going to do this.

I found that quote applicable in this case as well. This particular update was from some of our missionaries in Kenya. I've slightly edited and reproduced a part of it here to remind all of us that there are larger issues at stake than merely an election - life and death struggles, and ultimately the struggle between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light.

I just come from praying with a friend. I talked to the lady that helps her around her home. She is a single mother of four children. She lives in one of the slums. She went back home of Friday and found a gang of young men of a tribe that she does not belong with. They told her to pick up her children and run, not look back. They would not allow her to go into the house to take at least one item with her. They gave her the option to either leave with her children alive with nothing on her hands or go back into the house and risk sacrificing one or all of her family members. She took off and sort for shelter with her aunt. As she did this, she witnessed others having their hands chopped off – those were the “fortunate” ones. Others were hacked to death. A child, about the age of 6, was picked up by the rival tribe and throne into a pit latrine (sewer) and they covered the hole. The parents could do nothing but wail helplessly as they saw the last of their son and heard his last cries. She is now living with her aunt and her four children. We thank God that she is working and has something to feed her children with. She is shaken and upset. She cannot stay with her aunt for too long because her aunt does not have much room either. It is now taking her not less than 2 hours to get to work.

We are asking you as a church to pray for her. She is a beautiful woman with a heart that is bigger than life! My friend and I are looking to see how we can help her. We have spent quite some time praying for her and also working toward meeting her needs. I know she is just one story out of MANY but she just stands out right now – would you pray with us and also about how we can stand with her. It is tempting to want to be “god” to the needy right now but even us, we have to take the needs before the Lord and have Him show us where we can come alongside them.

Thank you and the Lord of peace continue to keep you in His perfect peace as you continually stay on Him.

No doubt there are many more stories like this that we never hear about.

If you think of it, pray for those who are in foreign missions, and for those they are trying to reach. Even for the perpetrators of the violence. The more man's wickedness is manifest, the greater the hope provided by the message of the cross. The Gospel is the only solution, even to problems of this magnitude. Especially to problems of this magnitude.