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Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. Sudan’s Referendum has brought an enormous challenge to every one of the Sudanese people. How can two new countries be built in rather less than six months? Really they can’t be, but there must be an exceedingly good try! South Sudan starts from almost nothing, although some efforts have been made while running the interim and autonomous Southern Government since the 2005 Naivasha Peace Agreement was signed. The Sudan – that is the previously existing Sudan – has been running since independence from Britain (and the Egyptians) back in 1956. Although it has some 50 years more practice at being a Country in its own right, sadly wars have dominated most of those years. Sudan has to learn quickly how to live at peace within and with neighbours, and how to live without a big part of itself. Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance”. Proverbs 11:14, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisors make victory sure”. Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”. Matthew 12:25, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand”. Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established”. Honour and love God. Live God’s way publicly and in private. Love all people, especially those in particular need. Provide justice. Offer mercy and forgiveness to friend and to enemy alike. Seek everyone’s good. Exemplify Jesus always. March 2011.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. Perhaps it was because Paul spent many weeks in Roman prisons, and many hours chained to Roman soldiers, that he wrote about the Christian life using terms of military warfare. The guards gave him picture understanding. He could grasp the Christian life in terms that he could see lived out before his own eyes day after day. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. Ephesians 6:10-12. Three simple rules were uppermost in Paul’s mind as he tried to pass on to free Christians the principles he had learned for Christian living: Know your enemy. Satan is described as a schemer with a dark authority, able to contest with any Christian – and especially successful against those who forget to protect themselves or who arm themselves without proper diligence. Understand your weaponry. Non-Christian people try to use worldly ways to fight for their cause. These ways are not open to the Christian because of the evil consequences. The apparently easier ways to win are actually only short cuts to a much longer, intractable struggle. Honour your God. Strength comes from being in the right. Strength comes from being on the same side as God. Strength comes from bringing heaven’s rule into your earthly disputes. Strength comes from living a holy life. A holy life will triumph, especially while those around you merely live as any other human being would. God’s mighty power is given to those with whom God can share it. April 2011.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. Have you ever been stuck for fuel for your vehicle, or, perhaps more dangerously, have you ever been running low on water to drink? I thank God that I have never been seriously short of either the mechanical “juice” or the human “running fuel”. I have lined up, with many others, for the rationed two gallons of diesel in Khartoum back some 15 years ago. I have also had to boil water from the taps in my home, for a few hours, just once or twice during the 23 years Brenda and I have lived in our present home in Redruth, Cornwall. The local authorities made a mistake in their cleaning processes and so the water from our home taps was deemed “dangerous” to drink without “boiling thoroughly for two minutes” beforehand. Towards the end of one of Jerusalem’s many feasts Jesus stood prominently in the crowd and shouted, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will come from within him”, John 7:37-38. “Living water” offers a resource that has a life of it’s own. It will not breakdown. A “stream” implies a continuous flow of this resource. It will never run out. A friend from my congregation in Khartoum sent me this picture. It shows some of the drilling equipment necessary for a proper search of his area. Serious searching must be done carefully and precisely. There is a cost to be paid. To experience in full the refreshing life offered to all by Jesus, don’t be satisfied with anything less. Meet Jesus frequently in his word. Listen carefully to what he says. Learn to practise what Jesus preaches. See his words come true. May 2011.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. We have a saying where I live in England that means something like this: “Every problem can be settled when the people involved will sit down together and talk, while drinking a cup of tea”. There are so many tea ladies across Sudan. Perhaps there is hope for a genuine and lasting peace in this great land? Every human being is equal to every other human being. We all need to drink in order to live. Clean water is the most basic need of everybody. One value of drinking tea is that the boiling of the water will kill most of the bugs in the water. We all need protection from water-borne diseases. We all need to drink in order to live. Sitting drinking tea shows us our humanity and it shows our unity in that humanity. When people who believe different things can sit together to take their refreshment it means a great deal. Drinking, and especially clean drinking, provides us all with human life. Starting from that baseline all the problems which divide us can be explained, discussed and resolved. Every human being takes his or her place as an equal person, all below Almighty Creator God. See Isaiah 40:18-31. Our human needs for food and drink were and are met by God in the mighty resources of creation and nature. See Genesis1: 26-31. We must share all God-given resources so that all our fellow human beings will benefit from them, as God intends. See 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost”, Luke 19:1-10. July 2011.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. Across Sudan people have been moving. In just about every village and town families wait to be reunited. Our Lord Jesus Christ told his followers they would “fast” during the time he was taken away from them, Luke 5:35. To “fast” means “ a voluntary abstinence, usually but not exclusively from food”. Jesus gave a new spiritual truth to fasting. Like new wine goes into new wineskins, new fasting was not so much a going without, but a seeking of new deeper experiences with God, Luke 5:36-39. At present, Jesus is in heaven, waiting a return to this world when his Father God Almighty says, "Go now". Christians take Communion bread and wine remembering his one sacrifice on the cross, while also looking forward to Christ’s return with all judgement and justice, Acts 1:1-11. Sudanese people know what it is to move and to wait for family members to catch up in the new settlement. It is hard to leave familiar places behind and it may be difficult to settle into a new area. You may have to wait a very long time! BUT, knowing Jesus helps a person enormously. You can never go anywhere that Jesus is not. He is with you always, everywhere. Set aside a time and a place to seek Jesus and you will find him. Tune your heart to him. It is not how long you fast, nor that other people see you are fasting. God who rewards you, sees you secretly. He is waiting for you to meet him today – Ramadan or not! August 2011.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. The Omdurman hills, some 7 miles north of the city, were the scene of a famous battle on September 2nd 1898. The Khalifa army was defeated by the superior organisation and fire power of British General Sir Herbert Kitchener. This was the beginning of the end of the Mahdist state. Some of the Omdurman hills 2003. The battle proved that overwhelming numbers were not a guarantee of success. The 8,000 British regulars plus 17,000 Sudanese and Egyptian troops (total 25,000) fought and defeated well over 53,000 Ansar fighters (also known as Dervishes). Higher numbers on their own do not mean victory. We can sometimes learn from our history! “How wonderful are the good things you keep for those who honour you! Everyone knows how good you are, how securely you protect those who trust you. You hide them in the safety of your presence from the plots of men; in a safe shelter you Wooden block print of the battle. 1898.hide them from the insults of their enemies”. Psalm 31:19-20 GNB In the people-movements of recent months, you may be feeling lonely, vulnerable, lost or afraid. Your Father God reminds you that he loves you and he knows his plans for your future. One plus God is a good majority! Thinking of numbers, remember what Jesus did with just five loaves of bread and two small fish. 5,000 men were fed! See Matthew 14:13-21. September 2011.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. A friend sent these photos from the Yei Teacher Training 10 years celebrations in October. Our Lord Jesus Christ was a travelling teacher. He taught and he showed his disciples how they should live as members of God’s heavenly kingdom while still on this earth. Our Lord Jesus Christ was a travelling teacher. He taught and he showed his disciples how they should live as members of God’s heavenly kingdom while still on this earth. Some Christians are called to use their gifts and their professional training by becoming Nursery, Primary, Secondary school, and even University teachers. When God calls them to do this they must be encouraged and supported by Christians who are around them. I have spent a lot of time in English schools, voluntarily teaching Religious Education and Geography, along with some Social Sciences. Having 35 young people to keep interested is a definite challenge, especially when they are teenagers! One never knows if one or two youngsters will grow up to be the next Presidents of Sudan or South Sudan. A few may become influential politicians called by God to help better the social conditions for everyone in their country. Some may be rightly content with a calling as mothers – influencing the next generation to sincerely follow Jesus. Others, selected by God and made ready for the career by the right training choices, may become doctors, nurses, nutritionists, researchers, factory workers, agriculturalists, farmers, market workers, mechanics, industrialists, bankers, lawyers, … the list is endless. And the great thing is, while you are in front of the class, you have absolutely no idea where God will take some of “your” youngsters! All Christians have a responsibility to train children in the way that is right for them, Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Notice that the focus of teaching is on the children and their needs, not on the teacher and his or hers. Christian pastors and ministers have the privilege of teaching their congregations the ways of Jesus Christ and how to live Christianly, Titus 2:1-8. Fathers especially, and parents generally, must suitably equip their children for the big wide world, where their young Christian faith will be severely tested in many and various ways, Ephesians 6:4. We must help them to stand firm. So all of us, parents, church leaders and trained Christian teachers, are responsible to God for how conscientiously we do the job God has given us to do. Let us teach and live to the honour and glory God! See 1 Peter 4:11. November 2011.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. Many of the clinics I visited in Sudan had sick babies in attendance. All those babies were (and are) special babies to someone. Their mother, father, grandparent, brother or sister, I'm sure loves them very much. The Christmas baby we celebrate was (and is) a special baby, to everyone! He was to be called JESUS because he would save his people from their sins, Matthew 1:21. This baby did not come from Sudan or South Sudan, Europe or the Americas. This baby was (and is) God come from God. He was not Arab or African, Dinka, Moro or Nuer. He was very different to everybody else. He was (and is) God incarnate. That is 100% God and 100% human, in one man. By faith Mary agreed to mother the Son of God, Luke 1:38. By faith Joseph accepted to appear to be the father of the Son of God, Matthew 1:24. By faith we can choose to accept Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour of the world, Luke 2:11. Have you personally done so? Will you do so now? He came to become your Saviour. December 2011.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. I was sitting in church just before Christmas quietly reading the suggested prayer in our Order of Service. I have adapted it below. Christians in Sudan and elsewhere use the symbol of the cross to remind themselves of our central belief. The pictures opposite, from the Presbyterians, the Anglicans, the Copts and the Evangelicals, around Khartoum… …all show the cross. “Almighty God, in 2012 (indeed every year ahead) grant your people to love what you command, to desire what you promise, so that, among the many and various changes of our family, country & world, our hearts will always be fixed where true joy is to be found, in and through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen”. January 2012.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. Someone gave me this picture several years ago. It shows two trucks, heavily laden with people and their goods, in a desert region of Sudan. The drivers are obviously entrepreneurs. They make as much money as they can on this trip. But, perhaps they are not wise? People often carry unnecessary burdens in their lives! Make no mistake. Some “burdens” are necessary. They are facts of life. We might better call these “responsibilities” not burdens. Examples are a wife or a husband, our children, our widowed parents. These dear people are responsibilities we carry, given to us by God. They are not – or should not be – burdens. We have chosen to accept these people with the circumstances life has brought to them. When we married them remember, it was “for better or for worse”. Providing housing, schooling, healthcare, and even marriage for our children, plus paying the daily food and water bills, is our rightful role. We have the privilege and responsibility of doing this for those we deeply love. Family is God’s idea. Family is not man’s invention, Genesis 2:15-­‐25; Matthew 19:1-­‐15. Wisdom in the family (and elsewhere, in all of life) begins by choosing to live life in the fear of God Psalm 111:10. The fear of God, which is giving to Him and His word proper reverence and respect, brings with it spiritual understanding and wisdom, far beyond the mere accumulation of years. Charcoal burns hot, giving itself away, to boil water. Water containing ground coffee beans simmers to produce a good drink in minutes. Notice there is some heat, plus pressure and pain which must be gone through before the pleasure of a thirst quenching drink. Marriage is for a lifetime. It is NOT unreasonable that working at the success of marriage is costly and takes much time. February 2012.

Cross thoughts: Cristian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. Jesus changes the Old Testament form of “limited retaliation” to the New Testament Christian standard of “total non-retaliation”, see Matthew 5:38-41. This is a tough challenge faced by Christians in areas where armies are mobilising and where tribal strife often boils over into fighting. The Old Testament civil law spoke of “an eye for an eye”, Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21; amid other equal responses. Punishment by the State should be made to fit the crime. The verses around show that restitution should be given. Notice that it is “restitution given” by the wrongdoer, ordered by the state, and it is not “revenge taken” by the person individually wronged. Mercy was also urged by the OT law. An item taken as pledge for a loan is to be returned in a matter of life or death for the borrower, Exodus 22:26-27. The link is clearly the explanation for Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:40 and 42. The key words in the New Testament are these: “You have heard that it was said ……but I (Jesus) tell you ….” Matthew 5:38-39. See also verses 21, 22, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34. Jesus came to fulfil the OT law, Matthew 5:17. To fulfil means to bring about the completion of something. It also means to satisfy the requirements of something. Our Lord Jesus fully met everything the OT law demanded, for everybody – not just for himself. In fact he owed the law nothing, but voluntarily took our debt. Now Christians should not retaliate when oppressed, vs39. Rather we should positively get the upper hand by reacting in a counter-cultural distinctly Christian way. “Turn the other cheek”, “go beyond what is demanded”, “love and pray for your enemies”, “be perfect Christians”, Matthew 5:38-6:1. Now, that is some challenge! Retribution is for the law courts to decide upon in sentencing a convicted offender. Retaliation is for non-believers. Reacting Christianly is the only way we followers of Jesus show clear witness for the change Jesus has brought to our lives. This alone is the way of Spirit-filled living under the cross of Christ. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly”. 1 Peter 2:21-23. God will justly judge when it really matters, which is not in this temporary and passing world. Let those who love this world fight for it. We don’t need to! Wait for the next. March 2012.

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. Since Mohammed Ali Pasha led (Turkish) Ottoman armies into Sudan around 1820, through Anglo-Egyptian invasions in 1896 and 1898, to Independence in 1956, followed by 50 years of Civil wars, then skirmishes around voting for the two Sudans in 2011, there seems to be unstoppable fighting in “recent” history of this part of Africa. And this is to say nothing of the inter-tribal conflicts which have raged and subsided, before raging again throughout. Is there any way to build peace in a war zone? The first thing to say is that it is not a geographical area that chooses to go to war! Wars are fought between human beings, often those who want control over the same (disputed) area. What did Jesus mean when he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”? Matthew 5:9. Every Christian is certainly urged to be a peacemaker by our Lord. No Christian or group of Christians should ever start a fight. God’s peacemaking, between himself and us, involved reconciliation through Jesus Christ on the cross. Colossians 1:19-20. Reconciliation is one of the tools for peacemaking. It is helpful to meet someone if you are to be reconciled. Listen to each other and seek to understand what the other person needs. Try to help the other get what he needs, as an expression of your love for him (something Jesus said we should have for our enemies, Matthew 5:44). It may be that his greatest need is forgiveness from us, something we must not withhold from him Luke 6:37. Peacemaking is a costly work. It cost God himself, as Jesus on the cross. We must be willing to count the cost (and then to pay it ourselves) Luke 14:27-35. It is also a work God supports. When we do it, we will be sons of our Father in heaven,Matthew 5:9. We have his resources! A peacemaker is not a passively peaceful person, but an active reconciler of people, James 3:17-18. His is a doing job, not a do-nothing job. It is tough work, not easy money! Peacemakers, not warmongers, have God’s approval! God works through his available people. Do all this along with prayer. Praying to God, humbly and with a holy heart, shows we realise all our work still needs him to work, for it to succeed. 1 Timothy 2:1-3. In Africa and our Sudan it must be better to spend money on bread, not bullets; on tractors, not tanks; and on water irrigation, not warplanes. As Christians, let’s lobby our leaders, all the way from local to national level, and get them following the priorities we want. Do all this along with prayer. Praying to God, humbly and with a holy heart, shows we realise all our work still needs him to work, for it to succeed. 1 Timothy 2:1-3. April 2012.