Advent Day 10 - Prophets

Sometimes word fail you. I am deeply disturbed by this man. So today on the 10th day of Advent I thank God for prophets pointing people to the right way. Rachel Held Evans blog this morning says it far better than me so I leave tonight's thought to her:

"Time for all of us to speak up. This isn't a joke anymore. To the cheers of thousands, Donald Trump has called for committing war crimes against women and children, for banning Muslims (including U.S. citizens) from entering the U.S., for shutting down mosques, and for tracking religious minorities with a database and possible ID badges. (In addition, he shared false information from a white supremacist Web site to spread lies about African Americans and crime, and has called for the deportation of millions of immigrants.) We've seen a Christian college president urge his students to take up arms and "end those Muslims before they get here." And across the country, Muslims report that their mosques are being vandalized, that they are receiving death threats by the hour, and that women in head coverings are being harassed when they go out in public. Needy families fleeing terrorism in their own countries, who have spent years being vetted to receive refugee status and a safe home, are arriving to the U.S. only to be turned away by state governors. The hysteria and xenophobia has gotten completely out of control, and it runs totally contrary to our country's commitment to religious freedom and especially to the teachings of Jesus. If a pastor, family member, friend, or acquaintance expresses support for violent rhetoric against minorities, speak up. Call it out. It's not okay. We can stop wondering if we would have protested the anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust. This is exactly how it begins. Now's the time to speak up and to act."

Meanwhile in Syria this is happening. Lord, have mercy...

Dear friends This email is challenging for me to write as I am still processing this news. On Saturday afternoon the office of one of our partners in Damascus was hit by two rockets.  We are immensely thankful that there were only two staff members there at the time and that no one was killed. One of them was injured in this attack, but we thank God that their injuries were not too serious.  As you can imagine, the whole team is very shaken. Their kitchen has been badly damaged and their office was also hit.   They have lost some of their computers and the glass from all their windows has been blown out.

They are asking for our prayers, and for us to remember the persecuted church in Syria at this time. This partner has an amazing and inspiring ministry to the displaced people inside Syria and they have a church in Damascus and also in the South.  They support 1,000 displaced families (around 5,000 - 6,000 people) every month with food parcels and other relief items.  They support families from all backgrounds regardless of faith, political views, gender, ethnicity, and all aid is given freely without expectation. Many of their staff have fled over the last few years as the conflict has intensified, but they still have a team of Christians, which includes 90 leaders, who are fully committed to serving the vulnerable and hurting people of Syria.  Many of these people are volunteers, and they recognise that the needs of the people are far greater than just the physical need for food, clothing and shelter.  More than anything, these people need love and hope. Already I work closely with this NGO's team in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and soon their team in Syria will be helping to distribute some of the aid we send. They urgently need our prayers for their safety and protection, as well as financial help to get back on their feet to continue the essential and desperately needed work they are doing serving our brothers and sisters who have lost everything. Please pray for their team, their safety and protection in this vital work they are doing, and if you or your church, business or community are in a position to help with finance to get them back on their feet please contact Samara on 07960 937 716 or reply to this email if you would like to give directly.  You can also donate online https://give.everydayhero.com/uk/rebuilding-hope-in-syria.  Donations for this appeal are separate from our usual appeals. Thanks so much for your care and support. Love Samara