Gospel.com Blog

Events in Sudan this week have left Darfur relief agencies—including many Christian organizations—worried and uncertain about what the future holds for millions of displaced people in that war-torn region.

Last week, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s president, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Sudanese government responded by expelling numerous aid organizations from Darfur, a move that has many worried about what will now happen to the millions of people who depend on aid brought it via those organizations. A recent Mission Network News article reports on the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, which does work in Darfur and has not (yet) been expelled:

The Sudanese government is having a difficult time filling the gaps left when Sudan expelled 13 aid groups. This was done in response to the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue a warrant for President Omar al-Bashir, charging him with war crimes for the Darfur conflict. [...]

Even though CRWRC is still there, they can’t make up the difference the 13 groups were contributing. Little says many were involved in water and food projects. “If in fact they do have to leave, it will just enhance the suffering and increase the suffering of many, many, many people in Darfur.”

Franklin Graham and the Samaritan’s Purse ministry are heavily involved in relief work in Darfur, and have posted a short article about the crisis. An article in the Guardian discusses the expulsions’ impact, noting that “about 4.7 million people rely on food, medical or water aid in Darfur, including 2.7 million people displaced by fighting. The expelled organisations carry out at least 50 per cent of the work there.”

And in a bleak new development, several aid workers in Sudan have been kidnapped, leading to the withdrawal of the Doctors Without Borders organization from the country.

There’s no doubt it’s a messy and chaotic situation—the politics of the ongoing Darfur crisis are complex and defy easy understanding. (For a brief overview of the situation, see this Q&A about the Darfur conflict from the BBC and the War in Darfur Wikipedia entry.) But it’s a good time for Christians to focus their prayers on the millions of people who eke out tenuous existences in Darfur displacement camps and who will bear the brunt of this recent flurry of political events. If you know of an organization or ministry at work in Darfur, they can almost certainly use your prayers and support.

[Photo shows a Darfur refugee camp in Chad. Taken by Mark Knobil and used under a Creative Commons license.]

The anxiety of losing a job can be crippling. One feels as if the life they have cultivated over the years just collapsed, and even in good economic times job searches take time. One’s purpose in life seems fleeting as the days of unemployment start to count up.

It is often while waiting for interviews or during the days of trawling the classifieds that even the ardently optimistic succumb to hopelessness. The weight of it all just becomes overwhelming.

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here’s a brief excerpt from a helpful article by Christian Career Center titled Finding Hope in Troubled Times:

While there are key tactics that can help people find jobs more quickly, one of the most important strategies is cultivating a sense of hopefulness. Hope is critical to a successful job search. Without hope, we lose momentum and stop taking action to move forward. With hope, however, we are motivated to keep going. Hope enables us to believe that things will get better and that we will be able to overcome the present difficulties.

The source of hope for Christians, of course, is not a new President or new economic strategies, but, rather, God. And yet, while we may profess to believe in a God who knows us by name, cares about our lives, and has the power to see us through whatever difficulties we encounter, we may still find ourselves wrestling with despair and discouragement. How about you? If you could use more hope in your life and job search, try out these suggestions…

Head over to Christian Career Center to finish the article.

March 8 was International Women’s day, a day set aside for inspiring and celebrating women worldwide. International Aid drew attention to the fact that over 500,000 women will die due to childbirth complications this year. It’s a number that could be drastically reduced with proper health care like the kind they support in the Philippines.

Here’s the UNICEF video they linked to on a recent blog post.

We all want an unflappably positive demeanor. We want to be the kind of people that waltz through life smiling and disregarding circumstances, determined to focus on God. Often the Gospel is preached as if the Christian life is a panacea for sadness—cosmic kiss of death to depression.

Yet, despite wanting this and sometimes even believing it to be possible, we still find ourselves not trusting God in moments of despair. We still brood and feel sorry for ourselves and generally act very much in opposition to how we think “good Christians” are supposed to act.

Humanity has an intimate relationship with melancholy. Every book of the Bible is peppered with references to ill-treatment, dissatisfaction and hopelessness. There are very few psalms overflowing with unfettered jubilation.

It’s almost as if these feelings are part and parcel of the human experience or something.

Been Thinking About has been ruminating on Depression and the Christian life these past few days. They have some interesting things to say:

If I’ve learned anything over the years it’s that there is a delicate, complex relationship between body, soul, and spirit. We are so wonderfully, mysteriously, and fearfully made that a disruption in our physical health can cloud our minds, just as a failure of spirit can affect the chemistry of our body. [...]

There are times when a change of mind or perspective can do for us what the Psalmist so often experienced (i.e. Psalm 73). Sometimes it’s a good nights rest, a good walk, times with friends, and a few good laughs. On other occasions, an honest, heart-wrenching struggle with God—to the point of surrender—is desperately needed.

Jump over to read the rest; the comments are particularly good.

For more on this topic, Been Thinking also points to Christianity Today’s recent cover article about depression.

Over the last two weeks, we’ve pointed out several Lent-related devotionals and Bible reading plans. But are you looking for something even more in-depth? If so, the Quotations Bible Study might be what you’re looking for.

The Quotations Bible Study is a Lent Bible study that narrows in on specific Bible quotations each week. Each Wednesday a new Bible study is posted online, along with study questions to help you dig deeply into the Bible text. Answers to the questions are posted on Fridays. (The study is already into week 2, but the study’s once-a-week pace should make it easy to get caught up.)

One thing that makes this Lent Bible study particularly interesting is that it doesn’t focus just on the Gospel accounts. The weekly Bible studies will take you all across the Bible, from the familiar Easter story to obscure-but-relevant parts of Deuteronomy. It’s a nice reminder that the Easter story—God’s great act of salvation—is truly a story that spans the entirety of Scripture and human history. If that sounds intriguing, give Quotation Bible Study a try!

Over Christmas, we pointed out Back to the Bible’s excellent “Twelve Voices of Christmas,” a 12-part audio drama that tells the Christmas story from the point of view of its original participants.

If you thought that was interesting, you’ll like the Twelve Voices of Easter, which gives the same treatment to the Easter story: twelve characters from the original Easter story all sharing their perspective on the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Twelve Voices drama is particularly interesting in that it gives a voice to some of the lesser-known characters of the story—famous faces like Judas and Pilate are there of course, but also the less-familiar Caiaphas, Cleopas, and the anonymous centurion.

With about six weeks left until Easter, you could listen through the entire Easter story at a rate of two “voices” each week. Tune in and hear a fresh take on the Bible’s most celebrated event!

Ravi Zacharias’ Slice of Infinity daily devotional is always a worthwhile read—it’s a short daily devotional that nevertheless manages to dig a little deeper into its topics than most such devotionals.

But even if you aren’t already a reader, I recommend paying Slice of Infinity a visit each day during Lent. They’ve published some excellent reflections on Lent and Easter and why this is such a powerful part of the church year. Here’s a bit from today’s entry, on how Lent challenges us:

The time leading up to the promise of Easter and the hope of resurrection is something like the early signs of spring. Indications of new life spring forth all around us, each with the shocking call that we must prepare ourselves for what is coming, reflect on the place of hope via the road of suffering, and face the forces and temptations that come at us along the way. It is not always easy to prepare our hearts for the Cross of Christ, but the changing of seasons is upon us, and God beckons us forward. Henri Nouwen describes the tension eloquently: “The season of Lent, during which winter and spring struggle with each other for dominance, helps us in a special way to cry out for God’s mercy.” For forty contemplative days, the season of Lent calls us to the wakeful awareness that we are human, we are dust, and we are falling short, but that there is a story reaching beyond our lifetimes, our deaths, and our shortcomings, speaking new life where death stings and tears flow.

The latest reading is always available here, and you can browse back through the archives here. If you want to start with their Lent reflections, here’s the Ash Wednesday Slice that kicks it off.

What springs to mind when you think of Christmas? Chances are you think of Christmas trees, nicely-wrapped gifts, holiday parties… and Christmas music. In fact, one of the first signs that the holiday season is upon us each year is the sound of Christmas carols playing over the radio or over the speakers at stores.

Lent and Easter may not have the massive culture presence that Christmas does, but like Christmas, this is a season marked by memorable music. You might not hear it playing at the local mall, but the music of Easter includes some of the church’s most powerful and insightful songs. Easter has always been my personal favorite “musical season” in the church year; I’d like to build on Chris’ last post about music and worship by pointing out some Easter music resources:

• Songsandhymns.org has mp3s and sheet music for eight of the most famous Easter songs (see the Lent/Easter section on that page). Particularly noteworthy are Ah, Holy Jesus, How Hast Thou Offended and Christ the Lord is Risen Today. The latter song is a popular one at Easter Sunday services; it’s quite something to hear it sung by an enthusiastic congregation.
• HymnTime.com has a monster list of Easter songs (but beware the auto-playing MIDI music).
• Two years ago, the Vatican released mp3s of several beautiful Lent arrangements by the Musical Chorus of the Sistine Chapel and the Institute of Sacred Music. Despite theological differences between Protestant and Catholic churches, the music can be appreciated by any Christian.
• A reflection about the famous hymn Christ the Lord is Risen Today at Christianity Today. There’s a bit more historical information at the hymn’s Wikipedia entry.
• An interesting essay about ancient Easter songs, many of which inspired the modern Easter hymns we know and love today.