“the kingdom of God suffers violence”
The crow I shot was crazy.
For some reason, he chose to peck against the establishment and to attack the norm. He really thought he should be on the inside and, of course, that was preposterous. But, he was not unlike the prophet who sees things others cannot and is thought to be “mad” because of his vision.
Right now in the Middle East there are millions crying out to “get in” to the blessings of freedom and democratic rule. It began with an uprising in Tunisia, which is still feeling tremors and has spread to Egypt, and possibly Jordan. Although none of us desire to see violence spread, sadly it is an inevitable part of change in many situations. How will things end? We do not know. There are many twists and turns on the road to permanent benevolent change. But, maybe the beginnings can tell us much about its intended destination.
After a New Years Mass, a suicide bomber attacked a Coptic Church in Alexandria Egypt, killing twenty-one persons. In the aftermath, there were reported clashes between angry Christians and the Egyptian police over the killings. An Associated Press article from January 1, 2011, gives insight on why these subsequent clashes occurred….
The bombing, about a half hour after the stroke of the New Year, stoked tensions that have grown in recent years between Egypt's Christians and the Muslim majority. It was dramatically different from past attacks on Christians. Christians have increasingly blamed the government for not taking violence against them, or anti-Christian sentiment among Muslim hard-liners, seriously.
In the wake of the New Year's bombing, they unleashed their rage at authorities. "Now it's between Christians and the government, not between Muslims and Christians," shrieked one Christian woman as several hundred young men clashed with helmeted riot police in the street outside the targeted church hours after the blast. Blood splattered the facade of the church, a painting of Jesus inside, and a mosque across the street. The blast mangled at least six cars on the street, setting some ablaze.
Health Ministry spokesman, Abdel-Rahman Shahine, said the death toll stood at 21, with 97 wounded, almost all were Christians. Egypt's top Muslim leaders also expressed their condolences and solidarity with Christians, and the biggest fundamentalist opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, condemned the bombing.
But, many Christians in Alexandria were seething. Soon after the explosion, youths clashed with police, chanting, "With our blood and soul, we redeem the cross," witnesses said.
In the aftermath of this horrendous act, a new voice was heard in Egypt. A January 7, 2001 AP Article quotes: "I know it might not be safe, yet it's either we live together, or we die together, we are all Egyptians.” Such are the words one expects of great leaders on the battlefield, of politicians preparing a nation for war, of civic leaders rallying people for an inspiring cause. But, these are the words of Cherine Mohamed, a 50-year-old Egyptian housewife. These words became a slogan of sorts for many brave Egyptian Muslims who chose yesterday to risk their lives in the wake of the New Year's violence and attend Christmas Masses with their Coptic Christian brethren, serving as human shields against further potential acts of extremist violence on the Christian holy day.>> Full Story
This human shield was the response of a mostly young and restless population of Egyptians who have watched as sectarian violence has been allowed to go on unchecked in their nation.
Will their dream of a more democratic and religiously tolerant Egypt come true? I do not know. Their bravery of those following Mohamed El Baradei cannot be doubted. They have taken the world by surprise, by mounting a successful protest against a tyrant. Mubarak may be deaf, but the message is loud and clear: He has to go. For sure, they will be severely challenged by the Muslim Brotherhood who will attempt to use this popular uprising in order to assume power and bring Islamic law into full force. We pray this will not be the case and that somehow the prophets of progress will break through the walls of oppression for a new day in Egypt.
While we are dreaming, why not go all the way and dream along with the prophet Isaiah? He dreamed of a united Egypt, Israel, and Syria. Not only were they together, but they were together in the Lord!
Isaiah 19:22-24 (English Standard Version)
“ And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria,(and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 24In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth.”
Join me in prayer for those courageous (and yes, crazy) enough to dream God’s dreams and see God’s vision!
Pastor Rick
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