Women, The Congo, Rape, War, Hell

-
My house went TV-free almost a month ago.

I don't miss it as much as I thought I would. My TV had become a news/weather/traffic announcement appliance. Now that I've gone TV free, I am seeking out and using other sources of news and information. Now that I've gone TV free, I realize my TV betrayed me.

Much of TV news didn't show me a real picture of what war looks like in the 21st century. I knew there were wars everywhere except Antarctica. (In North America, Mexican drug wars count). Why did I think the deadliest war was in Afghanistan?

It isn't. It's in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a place where rape is now an established and almost never prosecuted crime and weapon of war. According to the United Nations, over 460 women and girls were raped in the first quarter of 2009. Ages of known victims range from three to 75. Many of their injuries are so severe, the rapes so brutal, the victims require surgeries and have lost control of their bodily functions.

It is a time to know more. It is a time to pray for human awareness, mercy and divine intervention.


TV isn't all bad, though. This short video from 60 Minutes is proof. The discussion on the Congo begins after the short ad. Some of what's described here is not for the young or the faint of heart.




Watch CBS Videos Online

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Declaring Yourself "Blessed and Highly Favored"? Slow Down A Bit...

-
Image
--spreadshirt.com I used to speak regularly with someone who often declared herself to be "blessed and highly favored." When I telephoned her and would ask "how are you doing"? or "how is it going with you"?, the instant answer was always "I am blessed and highly favored!" Her answer came too quickly, almost as if no thought went into the response. I understand what many people teach about speaking only those words that reflect the reality you wish to experience. I think I have a least a little bit of understanding regarding why this type of thinking is so popular. I am not sure it's a good idea, or even biblical, but it is popular. I suppose we all like to think we are blessed of the Lord, but what does it mean to be highly favored? I reflect upon two persons from Scripture (Mary, Jesus' mother and the Apostle Paul)  I would consider to be "blessed and highly favored" of the Lord, but their lives were challenging,...
Read more

Higher Ground; Heaven's Tableland

-
Image
(image from wikiwand.com) A hymn I grew up with--one  I seldom hear anymore--was titled "Higher Ground." In the chorus of the hymn, we sang these words: "Lord, lift me up and let me stand, by faith, on heaven's tableland, A higher plane than I have found, Lord plant my feet on higher ground." What is a tableland? A tableland is a plateau, a mesa, or an elevated flat ground. Often sheep would graze on tableland. What is heaven's tableland?  Many commentators have said it is the afterlife, when we all live in the heavenly kingdom of God's goodness. Not so fast. Heaven's tableland is not for the future; it is for now. It is for us to live on now. We won't need faith in heaven. It is only in this world that we need faith. Note carefully what the hymn writer wrote: "Lord, lift me up and let me stand, by faith , on heaven's tableland." In this world, we need faith. We need heaven's tab...
Read more

The Spiritual Lessons of Locs, Or Dreads, Or Dreadlocks

-
Image
Here's a view of a couple of strands of hair. I am now growing my second set of locs. There are some deep spiritual applications in the process. I am not Rasta, so I am not growing true organic dreadlocks. I twist my hair, style it, condition it, etc. I understand there is a large debate in the locked community about how this hairstyle is labeled. Some insist this twisty style be called dreadlocks, others insist it is OK to use the abbreviated term locs, others use the term dreads, African locks, etc. There are a lot of myths surrounding this style. It's untrue you can't wash your hair if you have locs. It's untrue you must add all types of "stuff" (peanut butter, heavy gels and creams, etc.) to facilitate the locking of the hair. I have viewed youtube videos by those who claim to "make dreads" by using some pretty bizarre methods. Anyone with a camera and internet access can put their views out there. If you have kinky, African-type hair, y...
Read more