In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

recent photo

Pipe Dreams

How do you truly live?


What is it that seperates those few from the rest?


Certain rare individuals live great lives. Their stories inspire us to truly live.
When they die, their legacy lives on. The life they lived was worthwhile. They took full advantage of the years they were given. How did they do it? What made them great?



I do not want to live a life of mediocrity. I want this thing to mean something to somebody. I cannot just pass through my years only to look back with regret. I want to make a difference.



But alas, these are but the fading pleas of a whisp of vapor. My dreams will soon fade and I will look back to realize how disillusioned I was with this childish fantasy. Nobody really grows up to be a cowboy. Those childhood dreams are a false hope. Someday I will have to grow up and stop living in my dreamworld. Life is not an adventure, it just seems like that until you become an adult.

Apathy

My whole life has been a struggle against apathy. This spirit of listlessness has invaded my life on more than one occasion. It comes upon me in a gradual almost indiscernable manner. But before long this virus has run its course. The infection grows exponentially out of control, ravaging my time and stripping the joy out of everything. I am left literally feeling sick and empty. I am nauseated with myself and desperate for something that will sustain.

What a Waste!

So it is 3:09 AM and I cannot fall asleep. I have not posted in quite and while and a friend of mine just reminded me of this fact. After she pointed this out I realized how whacked out my life has been recently. All the little unimportant things clammoring for my attention have distracted me from the big thing in life. It struck me that these past few weeks have been largely a disappointment. There were moments of sunshine, but for the most part I have frittered away my time and energy. The result is that I feel physically, emotionally, spiritually exhausted and yet I've accomplished nothing. Do you ever feel like you are steadily progressing down a path you've promised you'ed never follow? Well, that is a little bit of where I am right now.

Dr. Jones

We just heard a lecture from Dr. Jones....no, it wasn't Sean Connery or Harrison Ford.

It was Dr. Peter Jones from Liverpool. He spoke on Neo-Paganism and it totally gripped me. He addressed the tidal wave of gnostic thought that is looming under the radar. Sadly, most Christians are either too fearful or ignorant to respond. I confess that while I understood the gist of Dr. Jones lecture I myself am unable to engage in this debate.

After the lecture I spoke with Dr. Jones about how we can engage the world. He said our job is two-fold. First it is to point out the idea of "Monism", that all is one and one is all. Once they understand this, we can share the truth that all is not one. Rather, all is two. Our job as believers is not to be nice and preach in a way that doesn't offend anyone. Quite the contrary, we are called to boldly proclaim the Truth. The gospel is message is offensive and we must not expect to be welcomed by the world. Our job is simply to be like Christ and proclaim the gospel no matter the cost.

Scots Soccer has Started

We had our first regular season game yesterday. We played at home against Taccoa Falls which is another christian college. I was really excited and kinda nervous all morning but when the game started the atmosphere was incredible. The whole stadium was packed and the fans were all doing crazy chants and singing along to the bagpipes and drumline who played Scotland the Brave. The Ghetto guys led most of the chants and cheers, but some of my friends from Maclellan painted A L E C W A L L E R across their chests. They came in whooping and hollering and kept cheering me on the whole game. I was really embarassed when I first saw them, but it was pretty funny too.


We were leading by a goal at the end of the first half; David Stair got the first one. Then two minutes into the second half Zach Terrell scored another goal to put us up 2-0. Then in a span of ten minutes Taccoa Falls scored two goals to tie it up. We didn't give up instead we kept attacking. Our third goal was actually kinda weird. Jeremy DeWaters made a great save and then booted the ball over the defense creating a one-on-one with me and their keeper. The last time we collided their keeper got hurt and almost had to be substituted, and I guess that is why he messed up this time. Anyway, it looked like he was going to get the ball but I kept running straight at him at full speed. He got there first but he wiffed the ball and it rolled past him towards my right. I had to lunge out to get my foot on the ball, but as a fell to the ground I saw the ball rolling into the side-netting. I just sat there on the ground and enjoyed the moment. The fans were going wild and my teammates were all running towards me. It was incredible.

After that goal we had many more opportunities to score and Zach got another goal just to seal the victory. Our next game will be at Reindhart this coming Tuesday.

Then Nathan Said...

So I'm back in Tally for one week before I head back up to Nooga. Being from a family of 9 I am most comfortable when I am surrounded by confusion. And I guess when there is tons of craziness it just feels like home. I love it when everyone is at home. Usually the older kids are trying to figure out what to do, who to hang out with or where to go. Meanwhile the little kids are trying to get anyone's attention by shadowing them around the house with their neverending questions about why the sky is blue, when will they get to do big kid stuff, and how come nobody is listening. In the midst of this blur is Mom who solves all the life-and-death dilemas. And right before she reaches her wit's end Dad shows up to save the day by giving the everyone just what the need, a little attention and affirmation.
Anyway, my first meal with the family since I got back was just like old times. We just sat down down for lunch and everyone was fighting over the last bite of pizza. Naturally Nathan's pleas were drowned out by Joshua and I who where having a dibs war (which I should have won by the way). Nathan's pleas quckily turned into his trademark whine. Of course we all jumped on his case and...I forget what happens next. I sat down to type up this really funny story, but now I've forgotten the punch line. If you remember what happened, or can this of a funny ending then just post it as a comment.

What's War Worth?

Whoa! I just got an e-mail telling me that another one of my friends is joining the military. Matt has a lot of courage to join the Marines right now. I've actually thought about joining the military, but I lean more towards the Navy. Ever since I watched Black Hawk Down I've had second thoughts about being in the infantry. Not only are you in more danger, but the realities of war are staring you down face-to-face. I guess that thrill is appealing to a young man. I remember when I used to play war growing up; I'd always imagine myself as the valiant hero fighting against the forces of evil. Always vastly outnumbered I would courageously attack the neverending stream of enemies until with my last ounce of strength I would achieve victory. But things change. Now when I imagine myself in war I see the terror of death. And that same terror that leaves my mouth cotton dry is reflected in the petrified eyes of my enemy. The truthg is, I've never been in a war. In fact, I've never ever really been in a fight. But I know what happens there and I know that what happens in war changes you. And perhaps the thought of how war will change me is more terrifying than the battle itself. Both my grandfathers served in the Navy; one in a fighter jet and another in a submarine. Each returned with haunting memories. Grandpa Waller was haunted by the memories of his best friends, his fellow fighter pilots. They flew out together but only he returned. Would he survive the next mission? Would ever be the same if he did? Grandpa Miller faced the same questions and more when his sub dove past the point of no return evading torpedos. The terror of being trapped in an iron grave miles below the surface and life is not something easy to forget. They both survived the wars. But they were forever changed. Their legacy leaves me with pentrating questions. Do I have the courage to fight for what I believe? Are justice, freedom and peace worth dying for? I desprately want to answer in resounding affirmation. But the other questions haunt me: How badly will war affect me? In the end, are the changes I fight for more important than the changes in me? Surely I would risk my life for what I believe in, but would I risk my sanity? These are the questions that every warrior must face, but the answers are what haunts them.

Where does the breeze blow?

So my summer is taking an unexpected turn. I had planned on staying in Tallahassee all summer. I was trying to start a soccer camp for kids called Killearn Kicks, but it fell through. Today I found that I will be leaving rather abruptly...tomorrow actually. While I am really excited about going up to Chattanooga and working with my cousin John all summer, I have not really had a chance to process everything.

Until today I thought that I would have some more time to spend with my family and friends. All the really sweet memories that I'd planned on making suddenly vanished! No more soccer in the backyard with Natedog, Hope, Joy and Josh. No more afternoon runs with my dad around the Maclay Gardens trails. No more hugs from my mom and grandma (arguably the best huggers in North America, if not the world). No movies or lunch with Grace. No more chillaxin' at Kenley's crib. No more tricks off the Wakulla Springs high dive with everyone. No more riding motorcycles with Bryan. Just like that, my summer plans changed completely.

And although I will terribly miss being home with everyone, it is not all sad. Bittersweet would be the word. I bitterly regret seeing all those would-be memories disappear. Yet I eagerly look forward to a really sweet time in Chatty with John. We are gonna have a really solid summer. I can't wait to be up in Chattanooga, it is going to be awesome. It is kinda funny how things work out. My plans can change just like to breeze, and like the breeze I really have no control of my circumstances. The only thing that I can do is enjoy where I am and make the most of it. I guess that is one thing I'll take away from this whole thing. Maybe next time I'll just enjoy the breeze as it brushes my checks and ruffles my hair instead of worrying myself as I try to determine where it will blow.

As I was just going through some boxes that I had not yet unpacked since getting home I found my notebook from last year. It brought back some great memories also bittersweet. This past year has been one with both the indescribable joys that make your insides ache from sheer excitement and the anguish that leave you hopeless with no words to explain or express the pain. And sometime during the last year I found a quote which grasped me so powerfully that I wrote it down. It is from canto II of Dante's Divine Comedy:

As flowerlets drooped and puckered on the night
turn up to the returning sun and spread
their petals wide on his new warmth and light --
just so my wilted spirits rose again
and such a heat of zeal surged through my veins
that I was born anew.

Memories from the Match: Arsenal v Barcelona

Thanks to my awesome cousins Elise and Shalom Cohen, I was able to watch the most important match in professional soccer, the UEFA Champions Leauge Final. I was especially excited this year because my childhood favorites, the Arsenal Gunners would be taking on Ronaldinho and Co. of Barcelona. The match was incredible as both teams rose to the occasion and put on a dazzling show of skill. The first half was truly crazy as Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann was ejected for an apparent foul on Eto'o. Yet amazingly the Gunners pulled ahead off of a free kick goal from Sol Campbell. In the end, fate frowned upon my Gunners as Barcelona came back from behind to win with two late goals. Although things didn't turn out as I'd hoped, the match did leave me with many indelible memories.


In the heat of the match there was an image that epitomized the game for me. This brief moment occured as Ronaldinho was attempting to weave his way through Arsenal's defence. After evading two tackles he was abruptly stopped by none other than Thierry Henry. The imposing Frenchman stood on the ball and looked down at Ronaldinho whose sliding effort had landed him on his knees staring upwards. The split second exchange between these incredible athletes conveyed an enourmous amount of mutual respect and admiration. Sadly, after searching through thousands of photos from the game I could not find a single image of this moment.

Summer Plans

It is 2:16 AM right now and I just put the following ideas down on paper...or on Microsoft Word to be exact. I do not know whether or not these thoughts appear lucid, but whatever the case here there are:

Since I’ll be living somewhat independently (in the Student Apartments) next semester it would be beneficial to prepare myself this summer. There are several things I need to learn. First, I need to learn how to maintain a normal lifestyle. This would include areas such as cooking, cleaning and upkeep. To be more specific, I need to teach myself to shop for food and other essentials, to keep my stuff in good condition, and to be prepared to maintain and repair my stuff. Another way I need to learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle is in the area of my daily routine. In order to become a functional adult I need be disciplined enough to follow a schedule, to establish good habits, and seek to improve myself. More specifically, I would like to wake up early, spend time with God, eat breakfast, do any chores and prepare for the days activities, eat lunch, accomplish the day’s tasks, eat dinner, spend time with the family, spend time reflecting on the day, and go to be early. While the details of the schedule will obviously change, I would like to maintain this same basic structure. Besides getting in the habit of following my schedule, I would like to establish some other habits this summer. I would like to start the habit of spending time in the Word each morning. I would like to spend time exercising during the day. I would like to spend some time each day building a relationship. Besides accomplishing these goals, I also have some more tangible goals for this summer. I need to work and raise at least five thousand dollars. I need to continue to create art (sculpt two full-size busts, draw and muse in my notebook weekly). I need to prepare for next soccer season (follow the strength and fitness programs, play soccer regularly). I would like to use the shed as a project: clean and fix it, then turn it into an art studio/personal space. Besides these tangible goals, I would also like to gain a clearer understanding of what my goals are for the next year, five years, and ten years. Then I would like to find a way to accomplish these goals. Hopefully by developing a deeper understanding of my purposes I will gain a clearer vision for my life. While all this may seem too obvious, these are things that I have yet to do. I would like to become more mature this summer rather than continue to digress. I realize that my plan is likely be changed, refined, or either altogether scrapped. And yet I have decided to approach it with firm resolve and determination.

Alec on Age

They're young...kids these days are young!

Yes, I did utter this idiotic statement during the long drive back to Covenant after a relaxing weekend with the Ghetto boys. We'd been stuck behind this car full of what appeared to be middle schoolers, the oldest of which was driving (he could not have been a day over 13). One of them decides to break the ice by giving her seatmate a lapdance while the rest of them looked back at us and waited for a response. Not to be outdone I decided to give them something to think about. As we passed them I shared my immense rear with them...yes it was unclothed and in all its glory. After we stopped laughing our faces off I continued to make a fool of myself by uttering the above statement. In retrospect my statement could just as easily have been used to describe my level of maturity. I may be getting old but I still pride myself in my ability to appear young.

PETA Propoganda

Today my buddy Elliot gave me some sweet stickers. This is the one that I liked. Although I do not support PETA, I found the sticker to be pretty funny.

My bright new sticker was proudly affixed to my left breast pocket and stayed there until a few minutes ago. An astonishing revlation caused me to yank the afrementioned sticker off of my body with an authoritative flourish! The revelation is as follows:

PETA KILLS ANIMALS!!! I learned of PETA's overwhelming hypocrisy from a website by the Center for Consumer Freedom. You can read about this incredibly ironic situation more at their website. They cite an official report from the State of Virgina which show that PETA kills 90% of the animals they recieve! Maybe it is just me, but I find this to be pretty sad. This institution which speaks so loudly their words of condemnation, commits the very act they supposedly are fighting against. I surely do not want my tax dollars going to such a hypocritical organization. What do you think?

Role of a Christian Artist

I just finished reading, Christianity and the Arts, from theOoze.com. The writer, Brian Thomas, in describing the current state of confusion within the arts uses the following quote from Gene Veith:

Just as the current intellectual establishment has lost its conceptual basis for truth, the artistic establishment has lost its conceptual basis for beauty. A Christian view of the arts can supply both.

Being an artist in our postmodern-minded generation can be tough. As Thomas points out in his article, our culture no longer has any concept of beauty. While I will admit that the term is rather ambiguous, I also hold that some art is inherently beautiful. Even a young child can recognize beauty when it is before them.


My professor, Kayb Carpenter, explained one of her first aesthetic experiences; seeing Winged Victory (Nike of Samothrace). She was exploring the Lourve in Paris and upon rounding a corner she was literally left breathless as the sight before her. The sculpture stands at the top of a long staircase and Kayb stood motionless for several minutes just in awe of the beautiful work of art.


If beauty can be so obvious even to a young child, why do some artist and critics try to make it so difficult?

Grandpa's Shoes

Grandpa's Shoes by Jessica Everett

100 Years???

So, I was just talking with Ryan Chico about life and love and happiness. He is a senior on the Ghetto and is about to embark on another leg of his journey. I've always been encouraged by his friendship and enlightened by his perspective. While I am sure he will miss the college life, Ryan is really looking forward to the future.
This got me thinking about life and how we only live for a short time. One day you blink and you find yourself sitting on the porch with your wife, watching the grandchildren play in the yard. As I write this, my heart cannot help but ache. I wonder what it is like to be there, looking back over your life and knowing that you only have a few more years to share with those you love. I ache to be back at my grandpa's house, riding on his tractor trails, exploring the woods with my cousins. We would play all afternoon and then have a huge family dinner with all the aunts and uncles, cousins and siblings. And there sitting at the table would be my grandpa just taking it all in, and loving every minute of it.
My grandpa has gone away to heaven, and I do miss him dearly. While I know he tresured his time with us, I know that he is even happier there. Sometimes it is hard for me to think of him because I miss him so bad. But he is still with me, deep inside my soul his memory lives. And what a beautiful memory that is. Of all that my grandpa left behind, the most important thing was his legacy. He will always be remembered as the loving, compassionate grandpa who would light up when we came for a visit. His family was the joy of his life and as one of his grandchildren I will never forget how much he absolutely treasured every moment we were there.
The fond memories carry me through the heartache and make me wonder what kind of grandpa I will be. But I still have a life to live. My childhood is over, and my youth is coming to a close, but I can only live today. So I live, with every breath. With every moment I live. The words of Five for Fighting's song 100 years ring in my ears as I finish writing this post.

The sun is getting high
We're moving on...
I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you’re on your way
Every day's a new day...
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

Morton's Muse on Message

I was reading an article about my professor and fellow artist, Jeffrey Morton. He is one of the wisest people I've been around. While he is hesitant to put his ideas out in the open, I am always intrigued when he does. It was in this article that I discovered another of the simple yet profound ideas that motivate him in his calling as an artist.

As an artist, I don't want to be dogmatic; I just want to point and say, "Hey, look at that."

Clearly, the message any work of art conveys is a vital element of that piece. But as a young artist, I have never given much thought to the message of my work. Professor Morton points out how important the tone of voice in the message.
Does my art speak with a dogmatic tone, or do I simply point things out and leave the thinking the viewer? My art speaks...what does it say?

Manly Men and Their Manly Games

So, I went camping at St. Andrews beach in Panama City for two days over Spring Break. (I didn't go by myself, because I've never been able to be alone for more than a few minutes) And now that you how wimpy I am, let me tell you about how my ruggedly masculine adventures. I went camping in the company of three manly men; Bryan Everett, Kenley Stringer, and David Kuder. Being the man menly we are, we made the 1.5 hour drive in just barely 4 hours by getting lost. Once at the campground we decided to rough it...we only ate fast food twice. The other two meals, polish sausage and cereal, we cooked from scratch over a roaring fire. Besides being reckless adventurers, we did other masculine things. Like working on our tans, flexing a lot while playing volleyball, and smiling at the ladies. However our masculinity reached its apex during a brief momment of testosterone induced stupidity.

Let me walk you through the glorious event. Picture yourself at the beach, the skimboards and football no longer seem interesting and the waves are pathetic. You are left with two things; the beach and two frisbees. Although that sounds like three things, it is not (I am counting both frisbees as one item). Playing catch with frisbees is the first option...however there is a much more appealing and entertaining option available if you mix a little imagination with the original ingredients...

Recipe for Disaster by Alec Waller
Ingredients:
frisbees
shins and ankles
beach sand
Instructions:
1. Mark off small playing area on beach sand
2. Place frisbees within playing area
3. Repeatedly drill one everyone else in the shins and ankles with aforementioned frisbees
4. In the meantime, attempt to protect your shins by any means necessary
5. Accumulate masculinity by playing through the pain
6. Achieve manliest man status by being the last one standing...literally

That is what we did. It was very manly and fun...I think. So, how did you spend your Spring Break?

Think?

In his Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, Karl Marx called religion the "opium of the people". However in our age of technology, there seems to be a new 'drug' of choice. TheOoze.com has an article by Johann Christoph Arnold titled Opium of the People? which points out the current abuse of technology:

Today the Internet is the drug that cures all ills. But we forget too quickly the old saying that "not everything that glitters is gold." The Internet has become our god, our idol, which we now worship instead of God. Yet we have never been lonelier or more isolated from other human beings.

While one of my professors refers to television as the opiate of the masses, I think that for our generation, the Internet is more deserving of that title. While this powerful tool has to capability to effect much good, it is terrifying to see how destructive it can be. Besides stealing our most precious commodity, time, there are numerous other negative consequences when the Internet is abused. As Arnold pointed out, our generation is filled with lonley souls starving to death in their dungeons of isolation. We are isolated not only from others, but also from ourselves.
You know exactly what I am talking about. After a long, busy day of school or work you just want to relax for a few minutes. You stretch out in front of your computer and just start to browse the Internet. You might chat with some buddies for a while or listen to your favorite iTunes, maybe you just look for an interesting web site. A few hours later you look at the clock, surprised to see how much time has passed. You sit there in disappointment, wishing you had done something worthwhile with your day.
Is that where it ends? Do you stop there, or do you allow you mind to wander a little farther? Has your mind been so dulled by this "opium" that you never think past that point of frustration? Or maybe like me, you silence that voice. All that now remains is the faint whisper, barely audible but still asking those piercing questions. "What are you doing with your life? How much time will you fritter away? What about your relationships? Why not spend some time with your friends, or maybe even your family? When is the last time you spent some time alone, you know, just you and God? You wonder why you haven't heard his voice, maybe you haven't really even listened."
"STOP!!! No, don't give me that crap!", your mind is made up. You'll never face those questions. You'll just continue to ignore them, those irritating questions that bug you whenever you stop and think...think, hmm that is an interesting idea. What if you think? Not too long or too hard at first, just a little thinking. Eventually you can think for longer and about harder questions. But for now, just work on stopping and thinking. You can do it anytime, anywhere. Some people call it daydreaming, others like the term "using your imagination". I like both, it really does seem like the same thing when you think about it...think about it....hmmm, now that's an idea!

Corruption of Sudanese Officials

REUTERS

...the expert panel said it found "widespread violations of international humanitarian law on the part of all parties to the Darfur conflict -- Sudanese government officials, rebel leaders and leaders of the Arab militias the government relies on as proxy fighters."

Sudan's Corrupt President Omar al-Bashir

"All parties, to varying degrees, have committed torture, outrages upon personal dignity and cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment against those who are not, or are no longer, participating in the conflict," the report said.

Sleepless in Sudan

http://sleeplessinsudan.blogspot.com/....an uncensored eyewitness account of Sudan.

Angry at Apathy

...I HATE APATHY...

Sarah Wiragu's Valentine

You won't believe it, but I already found out who Sarah Wirgau's valentine will be this year. You would never believe it, but pictures don't lie so....

Invisible Children

The atrocities continue in Sudan. Here is the eyewitness account. I warn you that this film will pierce you soul and you will never forget what you see. If you want to know what is happening in Sudan, then watch the Invisible Children.

Our Response to Sudan

After hearing of the recent events and being convicted of my duty to those suffering I have committed to two things. First, I will make sure that I am aware of the situation by examining the news from Sudan (sadly, news from the Sudan is not proportionate to the severity of the crisis). Second, I will use this information to take action.

I hope that we can discuss our duty in a constructive manner. If you would like to join me, here are several actions that we can take:

• SPEAK: Become a voice for the victims by speaking out at the grassroots level (i.e. bring up the situation in conversation, e-mail our Senators and the President and push for aid to be sent...you get the idea)
• PRAY: Beseech the Lord for His mercy, salvation, and peace to come to the victims in Sudan.
• REMEMBER: Look back at the genocides of history and remember the outrage you had towards the inaction of those who could have prevented the atrocities. We are responsible for those in the Sudan, our inaction will directly result in the continued destruction.
• GIVE: Find a agency and give our time, effort, and money.
• GO: If the Lord is calling you to be a light in the midst of this dark time, then be obedient and go.

My heart beats with fervor and I pray that others would join with me to take action. The Lord has an incredible plan for the situation in Sudan and we are have a duty to be involved. Faith is belief which ignites a heart to action. I urge you all to examine your faith along with me. Do we truly believe or are these simply words….

Sudan?!

I was thinking about how we enjoy a comfortable life at Covenant and wondering what it would be like to have to live or die for your faith…literally.

Well, I just heard about the situation in Sudan and how it is about to get a lot worse. The only organization besides the ineffective UN that physically stood up against the ethnic cleansing (African Union) will likely step aside once the new chairmanship goes to Sudan (the only candidate running for this position is from Sudan; which supports the human rights abuses).

If you doubt the gravity of this situation then please read to the follow except from the International Humanist and Ethical Union [emphasis mine]:

Recently, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk, declared: “Looking back at three years of killings and cleansing in Darfur, we must admit that our peace strategy so far has failed. All we did was picking up the pieces and muddling through, doing too little too late.” (13 Jan. UN website). And UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, commented a day before that Darfur represents “the most pressing political and humanitarian problem we have in Africa today.” (Reuters, 12 Jan.) And on the very day this 4th session began, he was again quoted by Reuters as saying: “In my opinion, Darfur is the most dangerous crisis point in Africa and in the world in general,” adding that the “deteriorating situation in [Darfur] threatens [African] regional stability.” (Reuters, 17 Jan.)

Clearly, the situation in Sudan threatens the world of which we are all global citizens. Yet how quick I am to ignore the atrocities committed unless the directly affect me. I continue to be convicted of the apathy I have towards those who are in the midst of such turmoil. Why doesn't such an outrage lead me to action? What is my duty in a situation like this? I urge you all to seriously consider these questions with me!

I am often unruffled by cold hard facts, but the following excerpt from USNews really grabbed my attention:

While the world has taken intermittent notice, the crisis is unrelenting. More than 180,000 people have been killed by Khartoum's proxy Arab militias, and more than 2 million civilians--mostly black, Muslim farmers--have been pushed from their villages and land into camps where they live at the opposing mercies of aid workers and gunmen. More than two years of diplomatic efforts--plus an African Union peacekeeping force of 7,000 for an area the size of France--was supposed to have provided an interim cease-fire, but that has been elusive.
The situation in Sudan is wrong. The United States government doesn't seem to be involved. The UN tries to skirt around the issue without really making an effort to help. In transcript of the recent AWE discussions by the Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, we hear the chairman [Ambassador Juan Martabit (Chile)] laughing while trying to silence Mr. Littman who was representative of the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, the Commission on Human Rights!

This leads to the obvious conclusion that EVERYONE IS IGNORING THE CRISIS IN THE SUDAN!!! How can this be happening?! Please do not ignore the plea of the millions whose lives have been destroyed and the countless others the will suffer if nothing is done. I beg of you to listen to their blood cry out from the earth. The outrage God felt when Cain murdered Abel is compounded exponentially. If we truly desire to be like Christ, should we not also have compassion on the helpless?! Should our hearts not also be broken as the Father watches countless souls perish? I speak on behalf of those who are dying and have died and those who will die if nothing is done…

I beseech you in the name of Jesus Christ for whom you stand, will you continue to ignore our voice, plugging your ears to shut out the screams of those who are being murdered right now!? If you have faith in your God, the one who saves, then why is your faith not visible? I hear you speak of the Lord's salvation, but I am not convinced of your 'faith' which is dead. If you truly believe, your faith will be evident in what you do!

I leave you with that, whether you choose to do nothing or do something, you must make a choice! What will you DO?!

Sudan

Sudan is on my hear right now.

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England's Football Style

Sudan: Send Salvation!

I was thinking about how I enjoy a comfortable life at Covenant and wondering what it would be like to have to live or die for my faith…literally.
Well, I just heard about the situation in Sudan and how it is about to get a lot worse. The only organization besides the ineffective UN that physically stood up against the ethnic cleansing (African Union) will likely step aside once the new chairmanship goes to Sudan (the only canidate running for this position is from Sudan; which supports the human rights abuses).
If you doubt the gravity of this situation then please read to the follow except from http://www.iheu.org/node/1903 [emphasis mine]:
Recently, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk, declared: "Looking back at three years of killings and cleansing in Darfur, we must admit that our peace strategy so far has failed. All we did was picking up the pieces and muddling through, doing too little too late." (13 Jan. UN website). And UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, commented a day before that Darfur represents "the most pressing political and humanitarian problem we have in Africa today." (Reuters, 12 Jan.) And on the very day this 4th session began, he was again quoted by Reuters as saying: "In my opinion, Darfur is the most dangerous crisis point in Africa and in the world in general," adding that the "deteriorating situation in [Darfur] threatens [African] regional stability." (Reuters, 17 Jan.)
Clearly, the situation in Sudan threatens the world of which we are all global citizens. Yet how quick I am to ignore the atrocities committed unless the directly affect me. I continue to be convicted of the apathy I have towards those who are in the midst of such turmoil. Why doesn't such an outrage lead me to action? What is my duty in a situation like this? I urge you all to seriously consider these questions with me!
I am often unruffled by cold hard facts, but the following excerpt from USNews [http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060213/13darfur.htm] really grabbed my attention:

While the world has taken intermittent notice, the crisis is unrelenting. More than 180,000 people have been killed by Khartoum's proxy Arab militias, and more than 2 million civilians--mostly black, Muslim farmers--have been pushed from their villages and land into camps where they live at the opposing mercies of aid workers and gunmen. More than two years of diplomatic efforts--plus an African Union peacekeeping force of 7,000 for an area the size of France--was supposed to have provided an interim cease-fire, but that has been elusive.
The situation in Sudan is wrong. The United States government doesn't seem to be involved. The UN tries to skirt around the issue without really making an effort to help. In transcript of the recent AWE discussions by the Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, we hear the chairman [Ambassador Juan Martabit (Chile)] laughing while trying to silence Mr. Littman who was representative of the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, the Commission on Human Rights!
This leads to the obvious conclusion that EVERYONE IS IGNORING THE CRISIS IN THE SUDAN!!! How can this be happening?! Please do not ignore the plea of the millions whose lives have been destoryed and the countless others the will suffer if nothing is done. I beg of you to listen to their blood cry out from the earth. The outrage God felt when Cain murdered Abel is compounded expontentially. If we truly desire to be like Christ, should we not also have compassion on the helpless?! Should our hearts not also be broken as the Father watches countless souls perish? I speak on behalf of those who are dying and have died and those who will die if nothing is done…

I beseech you in the name of Jesus Christ for whom you stand, will you continue to ignore our voice, plugging your ears to shut out the screams of those who are being murdered right now!? If you have faith in your God, the one who saves, then why is your faith not visible? I hear you speak of the Lord's salvation, but I am not convinced of your 'faith' which is dead. If you truly believe, your
faith will be evident in what you do!