4 Jan, 2008
Stop fighting!
Charges of genocide as Kenya's killing continues
The head of the African Union, Ghana's President John Kufuor, is planning a mediation mission to Kenya, to try to stem the post-election explosion of violence. Western powers, including former colonial ruler Britain, have called for restraint and dialogue, with hundreds killed in country-wide bloodletting.
Kenya's simmering tribal tensions erupted after President Mwai Kibaki claimed victory in last week's elections. Many of the victims have been Kibaki supporters in the west of the country. The government accuses the opposition of genocide.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga blames the president: "What is happening is genocide on a grand scale. We are seeing the security forces of Mr Kibaki shooting innocent civilians who are just expressing their democratic right of protest against the rigging of elections."
The government rejects that. President Kibaki's party spokesman George Nyamwea said the opposition should restrain its people and accept the result: "The elections are over. Our constitution says that once the electoral commission has declared the results, those are the results we accept. If we have any disputes, the normal way of resolving them is through petitioning the High Court."
Up to 100,000 people have been forced to flee by roaming gangs of vigilantes. The border posts with Uganda are besieged. The Red Cross has sent patrols to help recover bodies, while many terrified survivors head for the Ugandan border in the hope of escaping the killing.
photo & story courtesy euronews.net, 1/3/08
James 4:1-3 (NIV)
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about the reason for quarrels and fights?
Perhaps James could have been a news reporter about the horrible story coming out of Kenya, but he is writing today's scripture to followers of Christ. He makes it real simple. Quarrels between believers are always harmful and come from the evil desires within us.
There are lots of evil desires being expressed in Kenya that are resulting in senseless violence and killing, even of women and children. We would never do anything like that....or would we?
We often let our self-centered passions go wild. When we focus on worldly values like possessions, money, status, power and popularity, we develop an attitude that anything but Christ-like.
Then we drag these attitudes into our friendships, families and churches. When we don't get our way, we quarrel and fight. Even if we don't plan a physical fight or think about killing others, we often throw hurtful comments and display actions that are evil and displeasing to God.
So what do we do? James says we need to pray with the right motives. Rather than selfishly reaching for what we want, we must reach out to each other with Godly attitudes and actions. This will happen when we surrender our way to God's way and trust Him to give us what we really need.
Abiding in Christ means we focus on Him, resulting in a passion for Jesus and compassion for others.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Talk to God right now. Confess any part you have had in a quarrel or conflict with another person. Ask God to give you the humility and courage you need to go to that person and ask for forgiveness. Ask God to help you surrender your passions to His desires for you. Thank Him for empowering you to do your part to get along with His family and encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Pray every day for God to help you focus on His plan for you rather than your plan for pleasures.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our stories to others?
- If you've been "fighting" with someone in your youth group, church, school, work place, or family - take the first step to make the relationship right again. Remember that it's better to do this face to face rather than online. This will speak volumes about how God's Story has changed your story!
- Pray for God to bring peace in Kenya and to use this to draw people to Himself.
- July 2008 [18]
- June 2008 [13]
- May 2008 [20]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [19]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [19]
- November 2007 [17]
- October 2007 [20]
- September 2007 [19]
- August 2007 [18]
- July 2007 [13]
- June 2007 [11]
- May 2007 [14]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [12]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [5]
- November 2006 [14]
- October 2006 [18]
- September 2006 [12]
- August 2006 [17]
- July 2006 [11]
- June 2006 [4]
