The Congo, a War Criminal, Rwanda, and Moving On

Within the past week, Bosco Ntaganda, a former head of the M23 militia fled to the US Embassy in Rwanda and asked to be handed over to the International Criminal Court where he is wanted for war-crimes charges.

To the average person in the West, this may not seem like a big deal.  But, there are many reasons the world should care about this issue.

I will not attempt to give an in depth report of the events leading up to this situation. You can find that very easily in a simple "google search."  I will simply point out reasons why those of us without direct ties to Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo should care, and what we should do about situations like this.

First of all, despite their rhetoric, M23 is not a "movement." They are a militia that attacked and killed both soldiers and civilians.  Movements seek reform. Militias kill and seek destruction.  When the top leaders of M23 could not get along with each other, M23 literally split into 2 factions and began battling each other.  This battle did not happen with words, it happened with weapons.  Civilians were caught in the crossfire.  The very people that M23 said they were "trying to liberate" were the ones that had to flee their homes just to survive.  I don't have the statistics, but I would wonder how many were killed by this in-fighting?  Had M23 really been about Governmental Reform in the DRC (which is drastically needed), why didn't they use political pressure? Why didn't they form their own political party? Why didn't they raise popular support? Instead, they acted as an invading army.  That, my friends, is called power taking.  I'm no predictor of the future, but had they succeeded, I envision more of the same oppression and bad leadership.  But, that is a rabbit trail that we need not travel.

Ntaganda was a former Rwandan Patriotic Front member (the same army and now political regime of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda).  Ntaganda was part of Kagame's forces that took over Rwanda after the Genocide of 1994.  (Read previous articles on this blog about the misinformation that passes as the official story of the 94 Genocide).  Ntaganda then went into the DRC and became involved in Militias.  In other words, he got power hungry. He wanted his share of DRC's minerals.  Although he was wanted for war-crimes, the DRC Government refused to hand him over.  Although he terrorized the people of the DRC, nothing was done by the DRC Government to stop him.  Talk about a Government that lives in an Ivory Tower!

President Joseph Kabila of the DRC is nothing short of a weak leader at best and a corrupt puppet at worst.  Though his nation could be one of the richest nations in the world because of its mineral wealth, the people live in abject poverty.  Kabila does nothing.

Ntaganda, when he was leading M23 was supported by the Rwandan Government.  The Rwandan Government vehemently denies this, but the Group of Experts report from the United Nations has given proof that only the Rwandan Government and Tony Blair will try to whitewash.  (Remember, Tony Blair was the first to jump on President George W. Bush's war in Iraq because of their non-existent weapons of mass destruction...To this day, Blair still defends that war as a "good thing.).

As of today, March 20, 2013, Ntaganda is still in the US Embassy in Rwanda awaiting transfer to the International Criminal Court.  He was no idiot in making this move. Had he stayed in the DRC, he faced the possibility of death since M23 had split and he was now a marked man.  By fleeing to Rwanda, Ntaganda was fleeing to a country that did not sign the treaty for the International Criminal Court.  The ICC has no jurisdiction in Rwanda.  By entering the US Embassy, he entered an embassy whose nation has not signed that same treaty, because, after all, neither Americans nor Rwandans commit war-crimes (yes, that was sarcasm).

If Ntaganda is turned over, it will only be a symbolic offering of justice to the people of the DRC, but it will be important.  The people of the DRC, especially in the Eastern DRC live in abject Hell.  Not only are they terrorized by attacking militias, foreign backed rebel groups, but they are also terrorized by their own military.  When the military came to "liberate" them from M23 recently, the DRC military went on to rape a large number of their own women.

So, what is the answer?  First of all, the answer needs to come from the Congolese people.  They need to say that enough is enough.  They need to speak in one voice and rather than seek power, they need to seek unity.  They have a God-Given right to live their lives - a right that has been broken since Colonial times.  These exploited people need to say that their days of being exploited are over, but in the process they need to say that they will not exploit others.  If they can make that move, they will win.


As a final and personal note, it will be interesting to see how this blog post is taken. Members of the Rwandan Government follow all of my writing.  They practice intimidation techniques.  As I have asked before - If you are right and I am wrong, give me evidence, and I will retract anything that I have said. I will apologize for the mistake I made. And, I will acknowledge that you are correct.  But, if the past repeats itself, watch for racist remarks, insults on my intelligence, and personal slander.

When a Tragedy Happens...Where is God?

When Tragedies Happen – Where was God? 

Whenever there are tragedies, people always ask, "Where was God?"  Believers ask either out of doubt or anger or fear; non-believers "ask" in order to "prove" that there is no God.  

This article will attempt to look at tragedies from a Christian view and attempt to answer the question, "Where was God when they occurred?"  Of course, our ways are not God's ways, so any human attempt to answer this question is essentially an exercise at making best guesses from the information we do know.  Could everything in here be wrong? - yes!  Can you disagree? - yes!  Am I right about anything? - I would hope so, and this was approached through prayer and is my best understanding of God as revealed in Scripture, but there is no guarantee that what I say is right.  Only God knows the full truth.  All I can promise is that I have tried to remain faithful in composing this article.

 Tragedies have always been part of human history. Ever since Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit, there has been tragedies happening.  Often, when something terrible happens, we tend to think that "this" or "that" tragedy is the worst ever.  In terms of number, we may be correct at times, but defining "worst," is difficult.  "Worst" implies that statistics, and when a tragedy happens, those who live on rarely care about statistics because they lost loved ones.  The tragedy is horrible to them.

As long as history has been recorded, there have been tragedies. People have always wondered, "Where was God?" When we actually think about it, the number of tragedies is staggering.  In ancient times, there was the volcanic eruption of Pompeii.  Imagine what the people there thought as they faced immanent and panful death.  From ancient to modern times, brutal massacres and wars have happened to large groups of people - The Holocaust, The Rwandan Genocide, The Inquisition, The Congo Wars, Colonialism, Slavery, World Wars, The near eradication of the Native Americans, and these are just a few.  There have been many natural disasters - the Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Tornados, Hurricanes, and such.  Senseless violence has also been happening since ancient times - murders, rapes, arson, gang violence, robberies, and the list goes on.  We are not new to tragedy.

When people ask, "Where was God?" They often have deeper questions in mind that they are afraid to voice.  It is natural to avoid saying certain things about God to others, but we have to realize that God knows our every thought. It is more important to know that God can handle our every thought - even if it is anger directed AT God. Often, "Where was God?" is a masked question meant to mean one or more of the following: "Why didn't God stop this from happening?" "Is God strong enough to stop evil?" "Why did God let this happen to me (or someone I care about)?" Or even, "Is there a God?" Again, God can handle these questions.  As you read the Psalms, you will see these questions asked.  You will see God "under attack" as often as God is praised.  Sometimes, we may need to adjust our thinking that being angry with God is not a sign of lack of faith, but it is a sign of complete faith.  We don't blindly follow - we are comfortable enough to question.  Yes, there are limits, but God will lead you.

Defining what a tragedy is (and what it isn't) is often hard.  When someone we love is very old and dies of natural causes, we will still cry and mourn, but most people will not describe that as a tragedy.  If, however, that same person were the caretaker of a disabled spouse or adult child, that same death may be a tragedy - at least to the person left behind or to the person or people who now have to fill the shoes.  Natural disasters are often considered tragedies, but even that has to be qualified.  If you lose a few shingles on your roof, and I lose my entire house, it is more of a tragedy to me than it is to you.  If you can sympathize with me, however, you can see that it is a tragedy for me.  As humans, we also tend to qualify tragedies by how close they happen to "home."  A murder can happen in our hometown, and that is most definitely a tragedy.  We can hear about the same thing in a foreign country, and hardly give it another thought, even if the murder happened on a greater scale.  So, as you process the word "tragedy," remember that words have different connotations.  Remember that what is a tragedy to you hardly affects someone across the world, and vice versa.  But, at the same time, maybe it should.  This is not to say we should spend all of our lives in grief mode, but rather that we should be more sensitive to the needs and pains of others even if we do not know them.

Luke 13:1-5 says:  At that very time there were some present who told him [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

Notice what Jesus does say and what he doesn't say.  The people who suffered various tragedies aren't suffering for any sin that they committed.  For some reason, these terrible incidents "just happened."  Instead, Jesus is using these incidents to teach people to turn towards God or they will perish in the same way.  That doesn't mean they will be murdered or have a tower fall on them, but rather that they will be judged and not be with God in the present or for eternity.  Many people look at tragedies and think that God caused them to happen as a punishment.  But here, Jesus refutes that claim. Tragedies happen...period.  Jesus, who could explain, doesn't.  But, we know that there is nothing we can do to prevent them.

All too often after a tragedy, we hear "Big Names" blaming the tragedy on one thing or another.  Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church will blame almost anything on gay people. Pat Robertson will come up with something surprising each time something happens, most often talking about how America has angered God and God is punishing us.  There will be others who say that tragedies are the sign of the End Times.  The sad part is that too many people believe this hogwash.  People want answers, but sometimes, God just doesn't provide answers.  Just because a preacher has media time, that does not make him or her correct.  Each time a tragedy happens and you hear things like this, go back to God's word and ask, "Is what I just heard in line with God's character?" "Does it match up with scripture?"

In Ezekiel 18:20, God speaks through Ezekiel saying, "The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own."  It is true that God once punished entire nations or communities for the sins of some, but at this point, God said that people would be punished for their own sins.  This makes a huge difference.  Why would a child in one part of the nation be punished for the sin of a person in another part of the nation?  And, as we read above, God doesn't punish sins through tragedies.  God judges our sins, and weighs them through Christ's Cross.

An equally disturbing answer to the question, "Where was God?" is to answer the person who was affected with, "Everything happens for a reason."  Does everything happen for a reason?  Or sometimes do things just happen?  When God gave humans free will, doesn't that involved the chance that things could just happen for no reason at all other than someone decided to act in a sinful manner (or if something good happens, it happened because someone acted in a godly manner)?  This is hard to understand, and I won't pretend to have all of the answers.  But I do know that if I were the victim of a tragedy, the last thing I would want to hear is that "it happened for a reason."  I cannot claim to know God's divine planning.  Maybe God did have a divine plan - I will not discount that some things happen for a reason. Maybe through what I call a tragedy, God had something better planned for me, but still, while I am grieving, I do not want to hear that there was a reason for my tragedy.  Here is an example:  Several years ago, I lost one of the best jobs I ever had due to budget cuts.  It hurt, and it hurt bad!  Not only did I lose my job, but my wife lost hers as well.  We had just had our son that same year.  There was no way to see this coming.  We ended up losing not only our jobs, but our entire savings account in trying to keep our house, and then we ended up losing our house.  We were forced to move to a different state to find jobs. Everything worked out fine, and within 2 years, I felt the call to ministry.  Life now is much better than I could have dreamed even when I was working at the job I loved.  Did God plan it that way?  I can't answer that. But during the process, and even now, I still don't want to hear that my pain had a reason.  I would rather hear that God was with me during the whole process.  I KNOW that is true.  

While God may or may not cause some things to happen, it is safe to say that God does intervene to prevent or at least lessen the damage of tragedies.  Why God does this in some cases and not in others is a mystery.  Almost everyone who has been driving for some time has almost been in a wreck "except for the grace of God."  I take that to mean that there is no human explanation for why the wreck didn't happen.  Somehow God intervened.  Some people who were once homeless have gone on to become success stories.  God had to give them the motivation, but yet God also had to make their story and applications look impressive to the powers that be.  And yet, this same God doesn't always intervene.  There are just as many cases of tragedies taking the lives of children and innocent adults.  I can't explain why God intervenes sometimes and not in others.  The times God does intervene is not always for the most faithful people, and it is not always for the most thankful or deserving people.  Sometimes, it is plain just not fair!  Again, one thing we can know for certain, whether or not God works in the way we want, we can know that God is with us whether we know it or not.  God never leaves our side.

Stanley Hauerwas, Christian Ethicist, says that the Church is the Alternative to the World.  By being The Church and living peacefully amidst the violence of the world, we expose the world for what it is.  We also expose Christ as the answer to all of life’s problems.  By being the Church, the world will be more violent before it becomes more peaceful.  We don’t act on the world’s terms, we make the world act on ours.  Jesus did the same - He didn't act on Rome's terms, he made them act on his!

We can't know the answer to every question we ask about God.  We want to know the answers! That is normal.  We can know that God is with us no matter what we go through.

But God, That's Not Fair! - Sermon

Luke 15:1-32

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³So he told them this parable:

⁴“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

⁸“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

¹¹Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. ¹⁴When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ ²⁰So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²²But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. ²⁵“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ ³¹Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

But God, That’s Not Fair

It's probably a good thing that Jesus was telling the Parable of the Lost Sheep to Pharisees and not to Shepherds. I'm sure a real shepherd wouldn't have just taken this parable at face value and for the intended purpose - that is that God seeks out the lost.  Think about it - I don't know much about sheep, but I do know that if you have 100 of them, and if 1 wanders off, and if you leave the 99 to find the 1, well, what you come back to isn't going to be 99 sheep.  

Maybe in a more modern context we can compare this to toddlers.  First of all, let me point out that if your job puts you alone with 100 toddlers, QUIT YOUR JOB! But, to be faithful to the Parable, let's run with this anyway.  If you have 100 toddlers, and 1 wanders off, and you leave the 99 to find the 1; when you find that 1 and get back, well, I'd hate to see what you find when you get back.

Yeah, that wasn't Jesus' point. His point again, was that God cares about the salvation of 1 person - God is that personal and yet that caring and loving of all of humanity at the same time.

Then we get to the Parable of the Lost Coin. I have to ask, how many of you have cleaned house over 1 lost coin?  Maybe this illustration is antiquated to our present time, but what if we use the TV Remote as an example.  Have you ever noticed that even though the TV still has buttons, no one will use them?  They will search high and low for the missing remote instead of using the buttons on the TV.  And just like in the Parable of the Coin, when you find that TV Remote, it is the same feeling of all Heaven Rejoicing when one sinner repents. What was lost now is found!

But let’s focus on the story of the Prodigal Son.  Most of you have probably heard this parable a million times. Quite possibly, most of you could probably preach your own sermon on tis parable and give me a "day off," but,  I want us to try to look at this from a different angle, or through "different eyes.  Let's see if we can make this old parable somewhat "fresh."

We have the youngest son feeling very sure of himself.  I once heard an expression a parent used when her child was acting like this - as if he were grown while he was still a child - that he was "smelling himself.  I'm still not sure if I fully understand what that means, but I'm pretty sure it applies to the youngest son Jesus' parable.  He was definitely "smelling himself."  He wanted his inheritance and he wanted it NOW!  Ironically, the father didn't give a fight or even argue.  He gave him what would be his and let him go.

The youngest son left home to make a big name for himself.  Maybe today, we'd say he wanted to be a "rock star."  The problem is that he didn't want to do anything to get there.  He just assumed he deserved it.  He wasted his money and soon he was without everything.  He was flat broke with nowhere to go.

So, the youngest son made one of the worst possible decisions that a nice Jewish boy could ever make -  He worked for a pig farmer.  We can assume these were not "pets." These pigs were to be eaten.  So, not only was he violating dietary laws, he was stuck in the lowest of the lowest position.  And to make matters worse, that job didn't even take care of his basic needs.  The pigs were eating better than he was.  He wanted to eat what they were eating.

I'm no farmer, but I've been around pigs on a farm and I've seen pig slop.  The word "slop" really does describe what pigs eat!  They eat what we won't.  They eat our leftovers with whatever else farmers throw in there. And the son wanted to eat that!  Yuck!!!  And then, the son had a profound realization - his father's servants were eating better than he was.  They had food to spare.  Probably, their leftover food was going on to be slop for the animals while he was wishing to eat the slop.  He just wanted to go home.

How do you go home after you insult your own father the way this son did?  He made his mind up that he would go home and be a servant.  He insulted his dad so badly that he could never be a son.  He could only hope that his dad would let him work for him.

Dad had other things in mind.  Can you imagine the surprise the father felt when he saw this son walking toward the house?  I would guess that if I were in his shoes, I would have a mixture of anger and relief.  I'd be glad my son were home, but it would take time to regain the trust.  There certainly wouldn't be a party in my house...But that's not how this father worked!  This father not only welcomed him home, but he threw the party of the century for him.

And that's when the oldest son - the one who was always faithful - the one who was always there - the one who was always doing what he was supposed to - that's when he essentially said - "THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

We can learn a few lessons from this.

LESSON # 1: FAIR IS NOT THE SAME AS EQUAL

*      If it were, Men and Women would have the same public restrooms

*   The father didn't treat the sons equally because the each had unique needs.  God doesn't treat each person equally because we each have unique needs.  Does that mean God isn't fair? I don't know, but that does mean that God doesn't treat us equally - and I'm glad that is the case!

Lesson #2: GOD GOES TO THE DEPTHS TO REACH US

*     Some of us have dramatic conversion stories while others are less dramatic - God has pulled some of us literally out of the ditches and others of us have always been with God.  Either way, God has reached down to all of us whether we know it or not.  God loves all of us whether we know it or not.

*      God reached from the highest imaginable place to down to humanity to let us know we are loved. Each of us is a special creation of God. Each of us is a hand made creation of God. No matter what the world tells us, God loves us.  The world made the son feel he needed more, but the father's love was all he needed.  The same is true of us. Are we willing to recognize that?

Lesson #3: IF GOD DOES THAT FOR US, SOMETIMES WE ARE GOD’S VEHICLES TO DO THAT FOR OTHERS

*     God went into some dark places to reach people, and sometimes, if we are "those people," God uses us to be the vehicle to reach others.  Our story may be the story which reaches others.  But let's not get too boastful.  It's not any one of us who reach someone else.  It is God's work through us that reach others.  Even if your story isn't dramatic, that doesn't mean it is not relevant.  People need to hear it.  God can and will use any story. We may not always see how the seeds grow, but we are told to plant them anyway.

*      The Church is called to be disciples, not just admirers and worshippers – Disciples learn and imitate.  We come to church on Sunday mornings to worship. We must worship. But it doesn't stop with worship.  We are then called to serve.  We all have different gifts and talents. We can use them for God's glory or we can use them for our glory, or we can complain about them.  It's our choice. Here's an example - God gave great relational skills, but no skills with helping when someone is hurt (such as bleeding or having a gaping wound).  If there is blood, hopefully there is a medical professional to take care of me while the bleeding person takes care of him or herself as I pass out.  I absolutely cannot do much in terms of medical healing.  But, God has given me relational healing gifts. I can see various view points from a neutral perspective and help others to do the same.  Others don't have this gift, but they have the gifts I don't.  God has given Christ's disciples different gifts for a reason - The world needs a healing presence, but there is not one method of healing.  There are many methods.  We are all vehicles of God's healing.

*      If we accept that we are sometimes God's vehicles, are we willing to go to the darkest places for the God who did that for us? – No conditions, No compensation, No expectations of success, No thank-you – except from God.

None of this is Fair! None of this is Equal! But if God were Fair, where would you be?  I know where I'd be, and it wouldn't be here.  I wouldn't have the blessings I have if God were fair.  And I can knowingly say that I never did horrible things, but I've done enough things that I shouldn't have done.  But compared to God's perfection, my imperfection is great.  I, for one, am glad that God is not fair!

Why Tony Blair is Right about Paul Kagame (and clueless on everything else)

For all references to Tony Blair's remarks, unless otherwise noted, please see THIS STORY (Tony Blair defends Rwanda's role in DR Congo) from the BBC.

For other references to Paul Kagame's war crimes directly look up the United Nations Group of Experts Report linking the M23 Militia in DR Congo to Rwandan Government Officials and the DRC Mapping Report.  These are linked in several previous blog posts and are readily available online.

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Tony Blair recently told the BBC that Western Nations should not withhold aid to Rwanda because of alleged acts of supporting militia groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo because "Kigali [the capital of Rwanda] should not be singled out for blame" and that the conflict in the Congo is complex.

Blair, in the above cited article, then goes on to tout Rwanda's President Paul Kagame as having remade the African nation through good use of the foreign aid.  Blair praised Kagame for dropping the malaria rate by approximately 60%, massive poverty reduction, virtual elimination of measles, and now,  President Kagame, to whom Blair is a personal advisor, is moving on to tackling rubella.

It seems almost inconceivable to withdraw aid from such a benevolent nation. So, maybe Tony Blair is right!  Maybe Western Nations should continue to aid his regime.  Of course, in Blair's and Kagame's world, the individual person, or for that matter, entire communities are not important.  Neighboring nations are not important.  Only the ends are important - The means of getting to those means are not important.

The fact that Kagame has sparked 2 Congo Wars which have "officially" killed 4-6 Million (and most likely more) is irrelevant to Blair or Kagame.  If Kagame says he was invading the DRC (once named Zaire) out of self-defense, then we might as well take him at his word. Remember - the suffering of the common people does not matter - the only thing that matters is the end result. Rwanda appears successful, so therefore it is.

The fact that Blair, while Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was right at the side of President George W. Bush of the United States to make a preemptive war against Iraq over non-existent "weapons of mass destruction" should give us a sign. At the end of his Presidency, President Bush refused to say that the Iraq war was a mistake. In fact he said that the people of Iraq were better off after being "liberated."  In a recent interview played on NPR, former Prime Minister Blair said basically the same thing.  The fact that countless innocent Iraqi civilians suffered for no stated reason is immaterial in this line of thinking.  The end result is all that matters.  In this case, Iraq was liberated from Saddam Hussein. Change the rhetoric, change the objective, change the "game."  Suddenly the "weapons of mass destruction" did not matter. Now the Iraqis are free.  I wonder how they would respond to their freedom and the process leading up to it?

In essence, since the DR Congo has multiple militias, according to Blair, one more is immaterial.  Look at Paul Kagame's success.  Ignore how this success was obtained.  Ignore that it is a crime to say that the Genocide of 1994 included more killed than just the Tutsis (this is called a Double Genocide Ideology and is punishable by imprisonment).

Ignore the fact that the ONLY political part that is viable in Rwanda is the RPF.  Ignore the fact that any opposition is jailed on trumped up charges or assassinated.  Ignore the fact that the Rwandan constitution allows for 2 Presidential terms and Kagame, now in his second term, will not say that he has served his tenure and will step down.  Ignore the fact that journalists in Rwanda.  Ignore the fact that sources have said that they never know when they are being listened to on their phones. Ignore the fact that Rwandans live in fear that saying the wrong thing may lead to imprisonment or disappearance or death.

Ignore the fact that Kagame has supported the M23 militia which has terrorized the Congolese people. Ignore the fact that Kagame has been the Puppet of the Western nations in Africa. Even to this day, Western nations will not name Rwanda or Kagame in the United Nations Security Council Meetings as an aggressor in the conflicts in the DRC. Ignore the fact that one reason that people in the DRC live in perpetual fear is Paul Kagame.

After all, Blair has pointed out - Kagame has helped lower the malaria rate in Rwanda by 60%...Mosquitos Beware!

Selling the Congo for 30 Pieces of Silver

All quotes and citations are from IIP Digital Article “State’s Carson Calls for Global Effort to Help DRC” accessed from http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/article/2013/02/20130212142470.html#axzz2LNMf7V99 on February 21, 2013

On February 12, 2013, FINALLY, it was reported that SOMEONE in the US Government said that the international community has a “’moral imperative…to break the cycle of death and suffering in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.’”

The person who made that statement was US Assistant Secretary of African Affairs Johnnie Carson.  “No other conflict or act of violence since World War II has come close to taking so many lives” as in the DRC, Carson said in Washington February 11.

I wish I could stop right there and give the people of the Congo some hope.  I wish this person with a resumé builder title Johnnie Carson was actually speaking about true peace for the human population that has suffered horrific losses and yet continued to go on because they had no choice.  I wish I could say to the Congolese that their suffering was not in vain and that the international community (meaning international governments) do care and that a meaningful peace process is on the way.

Unfortunately, people with resumé builder international positions often make grand statements while being victims of the Idolatry of Power.  They are so caught up in what title they can obtain next that they forget that they hold real power now.  Instead, the powers of this world overtake them to where they gain a type of “tunnel vision” that can only see one worldview – that is some artificially constructed worldview by which the realities of this world are only determined by the way things are now, not the way things can or should be, because such a view would be too time consuming and too risky.

Carson said that the Democratic Republic of the Congo should go through a stabilization program similar to the processes that ended the wars in Yugoslavia and Sudan.  I’m not a geography expert, but the last time I checked, Yugoslavia ceases to exist, and Sudan is now divided into two separate nations – and even that division is still contentious at best.  And if I’m not mistaken, the leader of Sudan is a wanted war criminal by the International Criminal Court.  Mr. Carson – In the future, please check your RECENT history before making such statements.

Carson did make one very true statement.  “The Congolese people are courageous and resilient.” In this statement, I find no error.  Of course, the Congolese have no choice but to be that way.  They have survived as a people through corrupt dictatorships, inadequate rule, low food security, bloody and devastating wars, foreign nations invading their territory through military or corporate means, militias attempting coups, and so forth.  And I should note that this is only in the past 10-20 years.  I haven’t even discussed times before that.

Finally, Carson ends with a very disturbing, but telling narrative of WHY the world should come together to help stabilize the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Is it because the people have suffered so long?  No!  Is it because they are human like the rest of us and have a God-Given Right to live? No!  Is it out of compassion for one’s neighbor? No!  Carson says the world should care because the Democratic Republic of the Congo could become a “leading exporter of natural resources, agricultural products, and scientific research that could attract substantial U.S. and other foreign investment.”  Yes, my friends, the world should care about the Congo because of money.

Judas again has sold Jesus for 30 silver coins.  Carson is not suggesting that anyone should care about the humanity or people of the Congo.  He is suggesting that people care about the Congo because there is something for the rest of us to gain.  And out of the world’s gain, hopefully the people there will find some peace. 

The Colonial period of history is over.  Except for the very real secret slave trade, the overt slave trade is over.  We have now entered the Neo-Colonial period and the Neo-Slave period.  Essentially, Carson is suggesting that the Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes a Neo-Colony to the corporations of the world and the people become Neo-Slaves.

Is this peace?  I think not!

Open Letter to President of Emory University

Dear Jim,

I suppose you are used to titles such as President Wagner, but after reading your essay and subsequent “clarification” concerning the “3/5 compromise,” I know of other un-Christian names which would also apply, so we will “compromise” by addressing you with your first name.

For those unfamiliar with the essay and clarification, both can be read at this link:  http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_MAGAZINE/issues/2013/winter/register/president.html

As a pastor, I am willing to extend you grace and forgiveness for your mistake in your original essay saying that the “3/5 compromise” (i.e. to determine the population of the United States, and thus Congressional Power, slaves would be counted as 3/5 of a human) was “working toward the highest aspiration they both [the North and the South] shared.”  I am willing to grant you grace, however, your second “explanation” essay is nothing short of damage control. 

Your explanation was awkward at best.  Your explanations leave us with too many unknowns while your original essay suggests that the “3/5 compromise” was part of a “messy debate” that held the nation together.

We live in a sad reality where people who live in ivory towers, such as yourself, Jim, rarely face the consequences of their actions. Yes, you may feel guilt for what happened.  People may protest.  You may receive letters and e mails that your staff will read that you will most likely never see, but Jim, I doubt that you will face any real consequences.

For a moment, Jim, put yourself in the shoes of an African-American student on your campus.  Think of how this student had to struggle just to get to be a student at your campus.  Our society is filled with barriers for people of color, the poor, and those who come from unprivileged backgrounds.  Think of how that same student is looked at differently by the very professors whom you employ.  He or she may perform at the same level, but because of the color of his or her skin, there is suspicion and a hidden and unspoken standard of which I think you wouldn’t dare deny.  Jim, we all know that some college aged people who are experiencing their first taste of freedom will take full advantage of that and engage in parties where alcohol and/or drugs may be present.  Maybe you did so yourself, Jim.  I cannot claim to be innocent from my college days.  Let’s pretend that a white student and a black student on the very same night engage in underage drinking.  In your heart of hearts, should both pass before a police vehicle, who do you think would be suspected of wrongdoing more than the other?

As a university president, and as a president of an institution as prestigious as Emory, you should have known that this was not a good idea.   I have to ask you, Jim, at what point did it cross your mind that this topic was THE topic of “compromise?” 

I commend you for apologizing, but again, I question whether that is enough.  What would have happened if an African-American University President made a similar comment about white privilege?  I think we can agree, Jim, that he or she would face tougher consequences than you will face. 

I’m not a person who seeks revenge, but I am one who looks out for my neighbor.  Jim, you insulted and injured my neighbor.  Your explanation did little, if anything, to heal the wounds.  In one essay, you brought to life an institution that has oppressed millions of people since the 1600’s and continues to do so today.  What was once slavery in the United States (or in the 1600’s – colonial fields for various nations) is still alive and well as racism.  Rather than heal, you reopened the wounds.  If I dare use slavery terms, you added more lashes on to the backs of our African-American brothers and sisters – people I call friends.  You hurt people who are not here by choice, whose ancestors were forced to work in inhumane conditions, whose families were sold as property, and people who do not even have the ability to know their own history, Jim.

I honestly do not know what you can do to make things better.  Maybe you can volunteer some time in a homeless shelter or ministry to see what it is like to truly be oppressed. Get to know these people.  See their humanity.  See the face of God as you look into their eyes.  But, Jim, if you do so only out of guilt, you’ve lost the meaning and the effort is lost.  I pray, Jim, that you are not lost and this was only a dumb mistake.  I pray that you will do something more meaningful than this weak apology and weaker explanation.

In Christ,

TH

An Evening With Walter Brueggemann - Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks

Several weeks ago, all of us in the Divinity School received a 2 line e mail saying that Dr. Walt Brueggemann would be in Greensboro on February 7 giving a lecture titled, "Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks" starting at 7 PM.  There were no more details than that.

Generally, when things like this happen at night, I tend not to attend them.  It's dark, I have work to get done, I have a family to spend time with, or I'm just too lazy to go out for some academic lecture.  But, for some reason, this 2 line e mail caught my attention and I decided instantly that I was going.

I sent the information to people in my church and let them know that they could ride with me if they wanted.  I realize that Walter Bruggemann is not a name that one throws around at the dinner table, but in the Theology and Biblical Studies World he is the equivalent of the what the Beatles were to Rock and Roll.  In fact, he has been deemed the "Rock Star" of Christian Scholarship, and especially of the Old Testament of Modern Times.

February 7 came along, and it was one of those evenings that was just not pleasant.  The temperature was not quite cold, but just south of comfortable.  It wasn't raining enough to call it rain, but it was wet enough to be irritating if you wear glasses.  People who have "weather issues" like arthritis or migraines and such definitely felt it that day.  In fact, I second guessed myself, and considered not going.  But go I did.

A lady from my church was going with me, and we were meeting another pastor friend of mine who knew her way around Greensboro so that we wouldn't be hopelessly lost.  Yes, I can get lost.  I can travel the same path 20 times, and there's something about my sense of direction that if one thing about that path changes, I will get lost.

We showed up to Greensboro College at Finch Memorial Chapel at 6:30, and we were the first people there...literally.  We actually turned the lights on.  The security guard in charge of the place followed us in to unlock the already unlocked building.

We found prime seating, and we sat, and we talked, and we waited.  A few minutes later, another pastor that I know came in with a friend.  We had a grand total of 5 people there.  I was somewhat shocked by the small turnout.  Then, the host of the event brought in the sign to put next to the podium stating that the lecture began at 7:30.  We were slightly peeved, but only slightly...and not for very long.

Soon after 7:00, the chapel literally filled up to a standing room only crowd.  When I use the word chapel, do not think "small."  This chapel was the size of a decent sized church that would hold about 4-500 people.  Though I'm bad at estimating, I'm sure we had at least that many people.

At 7:30, people were still coming in, and they brought out the folding chairs and delayed the lecture for a few minutes.

Finally Dr. Brueggemann was introduced.  Dr. Brueggemann retired from Columbia Theological Seminary in 2003.  He also taught at Eden Theological Seminary and Cambridge University.  Dr. Bruggemann earned his Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary in New York.  He has written over 58 books and hundreds of articles.  He is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.

Then the lecture began.  It was nothing like I expected it would be!  I was expecting either dry academic speak or interesting academics with no practical application. I was wrong!

Dr. Brueggemann began by saying that at the center of the Old Testament we find a strange group of characters called the Prophets.  They are un-credentialed, and they have no pedigrees.  They speak a strange language of metaphorical poems, and they rally around the destruction of Jerusalem.  These Prophets seem to walk into crises and out of crises.

Many people, he said, wrongly depict Prophets as predictors of Jesus - as fortune tellers, or as social justice advocates.  Both views are wrong.  They are poets - poets of their volatile situation.  If we were to compare them to current events, they would be the people who speak to the events of 9/11, or of the Fiscal Cliff, or of the Newtown Massacre, or they would piece all of this together and speak of the world as falling apart in some poetic manner relating to God.

The Prophets of the Bible performed 3 basic tasks that can and should be imitated by the Church.

According to Brueggemann, the first reality is that the Prophets confronted the Ideology of Ancient Jerusalem. Although God made an unconditional Promise to the line of David, God never proclaimed how this would "play out."  When things were going badly because of Israel's and Judah's choices, they continued to hold to this ideology.  

They continued to recite Psalm 46: ¹God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

³though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah

⁴There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

⁵God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

⁶The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

⁷The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.

⁹He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

¹⁰“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”

¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Brueggemann said this is similar to how America acted after 9/11.  For a little while, we realized things were not right, but very quickly we went back to our regular lives.  We were told to confront the terrorists by "shopping."  We believed God was on our side.  Wether or not that is the truth is not the point.  The point is that things were not right.  Our nation fell into the trap of losing its identity to National Identity over Christian Identity.  

The First Prophetic Task is to Subvert the Ideology that Ignores the Historical Reality - Bear witness to the actual Historical Reality.

Brueggemann cited texts from Jeremiah 8: "Is there a Balm in Gilead?" - This is poetry reaching into the heart of God.  He also cited Jeremiah 4:  "I looked...I looked..." - This is the undoing of Creation through the policies and practices of Jerusalem that were so damaging.

The church should bear witness to the undoing euphemism.  What is that euphemism today?  Brueggemann pointed out that the undoing of God's creation is in part US exceptionalism - That is to say that God has specially blessed America above and beyond all other nations, and that America has divine right to dominate other people at will.  There is the Marked Ideology that says that everything is a commodity.  People are commodities in this system - the very few should treat people as objects and have them work for as little as possible so that they can gain as much as possible.  Bruggemann said that this produces individualism (which finds very few if any Biblical support - that is my observation, not his, though I doubt he would disagree), racism, and it refuses to recognize the poor, the widow, the immigrant, the prisoner, and those who can't produce.  He called up on us to be Prophetic to artistically (through song, art, poetry, word, sermons, letters, etc.) bear witness to this reality and to declare that it is not the true narrative of our lives.

The second reality happened as the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians became more imminent.  As the destruction came closer, denial rose.  The Prophet Jeremiah symbolized this destruction and foreshadowed the oppression to the people by wearing a wooden yoke.  When the false prophet Hananiah took the yoke off of Jeremiah saying that this would not happen and all would be well in 2 years, Jeremiah came back the next day wearing an Iron Yoke symbolizing the Babylonian Oppression to come.  

The establishment in Jerusalem practiced such denial saying that they could go on with business as usual and there was nothing to worry about.  They were wrong.

The Second Prophetic Task is to Engage in Grief Work in the Face of Denial

It's a fact that those who benefitted in our society have lost a lot - the financial market caused many to lose a lot of money, our society is less civil and less safe, and Christianity is on the decline.  There is still denial saying that this is all temporary and that we will get all of this back.  

The Prophetic Task we are to undertake, according to Brueggemann, is to be truthful to others and let them know that we must let go of what we can no longer have.  He gave a real life story of a friend of his.  His friend is getting old and only wants his life back.  The pastor of their church talked to Dr. Brueggemann about how to handle such a conversation, and the only way to handle this is through ugly honesty, but with a loving heart.  This old man will not have his life back.  He is on his way out of this life.  There's no easy way to say that. But, he's not alone and will be surrounded by friends and family.

The Prophet Micah used weeping for a world that is gone as did Jeremiah in Chapter 9.

Brueggeman said that we should find artistic ways to get in touch with the feelings of loss that we won't admit even to ourselves.

The third reality is that Jerusalem was destroyed and the prophets were correct.  Isaiah accounts this in 40:27, 49:14, 50:2, and Ezekiel accounts for this in Chapter 37 before the bones begin to rise.  All of this shows that God did not save Jerusalem...yet.

We live in a Despairing Society.  The greed and anxiety and hopelessness of our time leads to violence.  People feel that God has nothing to give.  People deny that God exists.

The Third Prophetic Task is that In the Middle of Exile - We must Explode with Positive and Hopeful Messages From God

As Israel was in exile in Babylon, Isaiah wrote the words later used by Handel in Messiah, "Comfort Ye My People."

All of this is counter-intuitive.  It goes against our total being and understanding of life.  In our deepest despair, God delivers the greatest hope poetry through the Prophets.  When all possibility is shut down, new possibility comes alive - just like the Crucifixion of Jesus!

Poetry stirs us from despair just as the Liturgical work of the Church does.  It shows us a new possibility - one in which the world has not yet lived by.

Brueggemann then asked the question of what hope looks like and answered it with these three examples:  Martin Luther King Jr. who fought on despite everything being against his struggle - yes, there is much more to be done, but look how far he came.  He also said that we should slow down, dream, and keep Sabbath.  Finally, we are limited only by what we can dream.

He ended the lecture by giving us concrete examples of ways to live into this new vision:

* Lower our own standard of living so others can raise theirs.  Don't be dependent on cheap labor that treats others as a commodity.  

* Be ecumenical in the sense that we can be one in Christ despite theological differences - Do we really need to profess the belief "in one holy catholic and apostolic church," and then scream absolutes at each other and threaten schism?

* Always remember the end of Isaiah 19 - God speaks of "My People Egypt and Assyria" (at that time enemies of Israel).  In other words, God has Many Chosen People - All people are God's chosen people - God created all people, and we don't know how God is working in others.

Dr. Brueggemann concluded the lecture by reviewing his points through the giving of this illustration and relating it to Holy Week.

Prophets speak truth to the world's ideology (Crucifixion - Good Friday).

Prophets speak grief to the world's  denial (Holy Saturday).

Prophets speak hope to the world's despair (Easter Sunday).

Ash Wednesday 2013 Sermon- Ashes and Dust

Genesis 1:7, 21-23 

⁷then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.²¹So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²²And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.”

Genesis 3:17-19 

¹⁷And to the man he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; ¹⁸thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Sermon – Ashes and Dust

         What a quick transition God made!  In the first scripture from Genesis 2, we have God creating Man and then Woman from the dust of the earth.  Essentially, God is blessing the dust.  God is breathing life into the dust.  If you use your imagination, God isn’t just breathing into the dust, but God is putting mouth against mouth to the human formed dust.  The last time I checked, that was called “kissing.”  Of course, this is a holy kiss – a kiss we probably can’t imagine ourselves – a kiss that only God is capable of giving, but it was a kiss nonetheless. 

         In Scene Two in Genesis 3, the dust now becomes a curse.  It becomes a source of labor.  The very dust that humans were formed from will now be the very dust that they will toil over as they farm, build homes, build cities, and make lives…all of this because of sin.  The sin was eating of the fruit.  Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and God being God knew that Adam and Eve had much better sense than that – They had to face their consequences. 

         The wonder of Scripture is that it’s not just a story of Ancient events or even just words of wisdom.  It’s a living and breathing text that speaks to us in modern times!  We are dust.  That is a scientific fact.  We will return to dust. That, too, is a scientific fact. 

         Of course, the first part of what I just said – that we are made of dust, is something that we don’t mind thinking about.  In fact, when we imagine it, we are God’s special creation.  We are God’s sculpture with God’s life breathed into each of us.  The second part is the part that most of us wish I would not mention, or that I would mention just in passing.  If you want complete honesty, I would love to avoid this topic myself!

          Everyone in this room (and for that matter, everyone out of this room) has a 100% chance of dying.  The reality is that no one escapes this life alive.  Not one of us knows the day nor the hour nor how it will happen.  All we know is that it will undoubtedly happen.  We will die!  For some of us, it will be painless.  For others of us, it may be painful.  For some of us, it may be unexpected.  For others, it may be after a long life.  None of us are promised another day, or for that matter, none of us are promised another minute on this earth. 

         For a moment, let’s dwell in that tension between life and death.  Even those of us who know Christ as Savior, in the back of our minds, we’d probably be lying if we said we didn’t harbor at least a little fear of death.  But, what exactly do we fear? Do we fear that we don’t believe exactly the right thing? If that’s the test, then none of us have hope.  Do we fear that the day we die, we may harbor a little resentment against God or be in a state of sin? Then again, none of us have hope.  Being saved is not about getting every belief perfect, but it does involve serious belief and reflection.  It doesn’t involve never sinning, but it does involve doing your best to avoid sin.  God is gracious enough to know that we are human and to know that we have flaws, but we still are required to cooperate with God's Grace in our lives.  

         The good news is that what we call death is not the end.  Though our body turns back to the dust of the Earth, our soul will be reunited with our Creator.  And one day, when Christ returns to redeem the world – notice I didn’t say “end the world” – When Christ comes to redeem the world, our bodies, in some sort of “heavenly state” will be reunited eternally with our souls.  What this "heavenly body" will look like is a mystery.  I sure hope (for my sake) that it will be better than what I see in the mirror each morning, but whatever it looks like, it will be what God intended.  This dust will be made new again in the form that God first intended that humanity destroyed through sin.

         As we enter the Lenten season, this is a time to reflect on our sins to prepare for the new reality made possible through Christ’s resurrection on Easter.  Some people give something up.  I’ll confess that I’m not good at that because I’ve never seen the point. It does my spirit no good to give up chocolate or meat or bread or TV.  If that works for you, then by all means, do it – but remember WHY you do it.  It won’t make you more holy. God won’t love you more. If you fail, God won’t hate you. And remember what Jesus said about practicing piety and holiness and good works in the book of Matthew Chapter 6.  I’ll summarize – If you’re going to show off or make the rest of us miserable by your complaining – eat the darn chocolate because you’re missing the point and you’re sinning and you're plain being irritating.  Another practice – one I’m going to try this year is something that was thought up by a group called Rethink Church.  (At the bottom of this sermon is a list of what Rethink Church proposed).  On this handout lists each day of Lent.  It gives a theme for each day.  In some way, you can represent or live out that theme.  They recommend you do a photo challenge where you take a picture of that theme and be creative.  But, if you are a poet, why not write a poem?  Why not find a scripture? Why not draw a picture? Why not find a picture and glue it to a notebook?  Your choices are limitless. 

         However you decide to observe Lent, remember that the focus is God – not you. God is always the subject.  We are merely the actors.

         But for a moment, let’s go back to tonight’s them – Dust and Ashes.  Chemically they are very similar.  Ashes in Biblical times represented mourning and grief.  Tonight, we dwell in the land of grief, but again, we know that we don’t stay here.  We grieve our own mortality.  We grieve Christ’s Sufferings.  We grieve our Sins.  We represent all of that by receiving the mark of ashes. 

In a few moments, we will receive the ashes as a symbol of our mortality and repentance of our sins, but first, Let us pray together Psalm 51 as we confess our sins to God.  As an anecdote, it was 5 years ago, not to the date, but to this particular service, that through this Psalm, this prayer that I received a confirmation from God that I was indeed called to the ministry.  It was the assurance that I needed to know that it wasn't just a passing thought or a mere "good idea" to serve the church more deeply but rather a true calling to dedicate my life to God's Church.

Psalm 51

¹Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.

⁵Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

⁶You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

¹¹Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.

¹⁷The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,

¹⁹then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Rethink Church's Lenten Challenge