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My life alongside God's word. Suffering and response section. by Israel Angelo Adeldong Suffering is defined by the Oxford Student’s Dictionary of Current English as, “Pain of body or mind, feelings of pain, unhappiness.” C.S. Lewis understands pain as, “God’s megaphone”. “It is God’s way of arousing us from spiritual lethargy. Problems are not punishment; they are wake up calls from Loving God the Father. God is not mad at you, He is mad about you and He will do whatever it takes to bring you into fellowship with Him.” This means God has a purpose behind every problem. He uses circumstances to develop our character. In fact, He depends more on circumstances to make us like Jesus, than He depends on our reading the Bible. The reason is obvious: you face circumstances twenty-four hours a day. Life is a series of problems. Every time you solve one another is waiting to take its place. Whether big or small, God uses them for our benefit and all are significant in God’s growth process for you as an individual. God uses problems and pain to draw you closer to Himself. Regardless of the cause, none of your problems could happen without God’s permission. God filters everything that happens to a child of God. He intends to use it for good even when Satan and others mean it for bad. Because God in His sovereignty is in control, accidents are just indications within God’s good plan for you. Because everyday of your life was written on God’s calendar before you were born, everything that happens to you has spiritual significance, Romans 8:28; Job 2:6-10. Since God intends to make you like Jesus Christ, He will take you through the same testing experiences Jesus went through. These include loneliness, temptation, stress, criticism, rejection and many other problems. But be of good courage, Jesus has overcome the world, John 16:33. Focus your look onto Christ and you will be at rest. It was Corrie ten Boom who suffered in a Nazi death camp, who later said about the power of focus: “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you will be at rest. Your focus will determine your feelings”. When you face suffering, whether physical, emotional, hypochondria, (that is the mental depression due to unnecessary anxiety about one’s health), whether persecution from without or humiliation from within, remember, remember and remember God’s answer to the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness”, 2 Corinthians 12:9. The fiery furnace of suffering is God’s intention, using outside forces to rid us of impurities and to perfect His strength within us, just as beautiful and valuable diamonds from their common, carbon-black, dirty beginning are put through years of intense heat and high pressure until they become pure and strong. In like manner, God uses testing in our lives to rid us of impurity and to teach us that our strength is in Him alone and not in our self-sufficiency. Suffering is the fire that God uses to purify and strengthen us. So we must accept it when we experience pain of any kind. Draw near to God and depend on Him completely, for His grace and power are sufficient. They are perfect. He will give us strength to endure everything He allows. John Piper in his 'Sweet and Bitter Providence', stated, “Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then into heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road … God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ.” Piper was trying to caution his readers that life is a combination of bliss, joy, happiness and blessings, plus pain, suffering, cursing and death. In spite of all these circumstances God is responsible for all that happens in human life. He meets our needs for a healthy and enjoyable life, yet He also allows bitter experience to affect and interrupt human life so that we may seek Him, ask for help from Him, and stand firm in His love. I am reminded of what President Abraham Lincoln said, “Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” To stand firm when you are faced with pain and suffering, you need to turn to God for power and help to endure the pain, remembering that God’s grace is sufficient for you and He can give you power and strength to endure all pain and suffering. He has been through this before Jesus Christ in His incarnation, (that is in His human body and flesh), experienced pain and agony. He knew the pain of hunger and thirst, the excruciating death on the cross, mockery, rejection from His own people, the Jews, and from the world. He experienced physical, emotional and psychological pain. Yet, God the Father sent angels to minister to Jesus and to strengthen Him. He was able to endure pain and suffering on our behalf, paying the penalty of our sin to save us from all sin. He took God’s wrath, the punishment from God, to give us a perfect life when we believe and trust ourselves to Him. It is awesome, amazing, wonderful and encouraging to surely know that Jesus did not only suffer for our sins and iniquities. He also suffered for our physical pains and anguish, for our weaknesses and shortcomings, for our fears and frustrations, for our disappointments and discouragements, for our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, for injustices and the iniquities we experience, and for the emotional distress that besets us. I once read, “There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, and no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Saviour did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, He has perfect empathy that can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succour, heal and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is very easy and His burden is light”, Matthew 11:28-30. Have you been sick? Lost a loved one? Been imprisoned? Unfairly treated? Are you crushed by your labour and heavy-laden? Then let me invite you to come to Jesus Who will give you rest and lighten your burdens. Please be of good and full cheer, because in all of our trials, pains, suffering and grief, God promises to bring something good out of even our darkest moments, James 1:2-4. In our suffering, whether physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual, we should cheerfully and with patience submit all our burdens and afflictions to the will, plan and purpose of the Lord our God. He is able to withstand all challenges and difficulties as we faithfully and confidently accept to follow His will and plan for our life. And He will increase our capacity, impact, influence, and empower us to act as His agents of comfort, love, change and help for all those around us we minister to, who suffer as they undergo their different circumstances. Share the strength God gives you One way this takes place is when we share the comfort God offers us with those who are now going through trials. The apostle Paul, who experienced pain and suffering in his flesh, wrote that we are comforted by a Saviour Who knows our suffering, and we honour Him when we pass His comfort on to others, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. As fellow human beings, we should never leave someone alone to suffer pain and suffering because of sickness, distress, loneliness, loss of a beloved one, or rejection. If we know someone who is going through trial, we should immediately offer help. God will provide for us to guide that person to a relationship with Himself. He is present in all situations and He is the surest comfort for all human kind. It is my prayer that God will help us to step forward when others around us are suffering trials similar to those we have been through, and enable us to be a comfort, as God has been to us in the past. Throughout Christian history again and again we see the body of Christ, which means all Christians, supporting and encouraging one another. People have learned that they can use the trials they have been through to reach out to others going through similarly difficult times. In my personal life I have experienced many difficult circumstances, including the loss of my first son with a stomach ulcer, chronic anemia, kidney failure, Lymphoma Non-Hodgkin cancer and Leukemia, the loss of my father, loneliness and separation from my family, persecution from outside and within the church, rejection, and financial difficulties, but through it all my God was and is still faithful to me. He gave (and gives) me grace and the ability to bear and overcome pain and suffering because I trusted (and trust) in His Word and His promises when He said, “… Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour …”, Isaiah 43:1-5. “Heal me now” or “Your will be done”? Based on these verses, we should work increasingly hard, seeking to understand, to know, to accept and to live according to God’s will and plan for our own lives. We should also continue praying for the strength, ability and guidance to learn more, to change our own attitudes, our characters, our way of our life, accepting and submitting to whatever circumstances befall us. Rather than praying relentlessly for God to change our circumstances we should pray that His will be done in these circumstances and in our lives, according to His purposes. Believe that Jesus is able to cleanse, heal, comfort, protect, strengthen, guide, provide, sustain and intervene in every one of our circumstances. This will give us an absolute release, bring forgiveness, and offer freedom, satisfaction and eternal rest. Our Lord Jesus once comforted His troubled, perplexed and fearful disciples, saying: “Do not let not your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me”, John 14:1. This verse affirms that Jesus will willingly bear our burdens and will ease the unique challenges placed in each of our lives. He will help us overcome our afflictions as we completely rely upon Him, as we rely on the merits, mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah. I am reminded of the hymn “Be Still My Soul” in which the author wrote, “Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on When we shall be forever with the Lord. When disappointment, grief and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past All safe and blessed, we shall meet at last. This song expresses a great reality and assurance of the Scripture that David wrote in Psalm 46:1-10, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging … the Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress … Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Based on this hymn and this Psalm, we can stand firm and be still in our darkest situations. Even at the point of our death, we can be at ease, for Jesus Christ has defeated and conquered pain, suffering, and death on our behalf. So we must be still and allow Him to calm our troubled hearts. Injury, illness or sin-inflicted? Physical pain and suffering are caused by severe injury. We may sustain prolonged injury through sickness, accidents, natural disasters and catastrophes such as earthquakes, severe storms, tsunamis, tornados, floods, wild fires or wild animals. Injuries caused by these means can result in residual pain and suffering which may continue for life. Or the pain may come to an end after a long process of healing which is usually slower than we expect or desire. In most cases physical injuries compel us to seek God’s help for healing of the pain and suffering we endure. Similarly, spiritual pain and suffering is caused by our own agency, which is our freedom to choose, sometimes leading to wrong or unwise choices, resulting in sin. Sin is the spiritual sickness that affects all mankind since the Fall. It brought the curse of spiritual sickness and spiritual death that is eternal separation from God. Spiritual pain and suffering cause lifetime consequences, which we have to bear as long as we refuse to confess them and repent before God. Often our spiritual suffering and pain can be caused by our personal choices or even by the actions and advice of hurtful friends. They cause burdens and wounds that we endure for a lifetime. Spiritual healing is only possible through turning to Jesus Christ, Who is our greatest Physician, Healer and Redeemer. His blood is the only antidote, the curing medicine, for our spiritual sickness. When we turn to Jesus, our healing is sure although full restoration is not always experienced in this life. The promise of our restoration is always true, based on the comfort and encouragement of the apostle John who wrote, “He (God) will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”, Revelation 21:4. Let us remind ourselves by thinking of the hard seasons, situations and destitutions that the Israelites went through when God allowed and led them through hardship and depression for forty wilderness years, Deuteronomy 8:2. They endured homelessness, uncertainty, destitution and various other dangers as a result of their disobedience and lack of faith. But God’s love and mercy continued to follow them, providing for their needs, disciplining them whenever they sinned against Him and protecting them from their enemies, from wild animals and from natural catastrophes, until coming through these hardships they humbled themselves before God and one another, Deuteronomy 8:1-18. They learned spiritual lessons that God would provide for their physical needs when they were hungry giving them manna from heaven and water from the rock. God taught them that He could bless them in spite of difficult times, Deuteronomy 8:1. Most of all the Israelites learned that their adversity was not a sign of abandonment by the loving, gracious, merciful, compassionate and forgiving God! So, in our physical or spiritual times of pain and suffering, we should know that our awesome God has all comfort and healing for our pains, our suffering, our burdens and our struggles. We should bring all our physical and spiritual anxieties, our fears, all our hurts and our cares to Him with complete trusting confidence, knowing that when we come broken into Christ’s presence we soon will be fully restored into the state of perfection and wholeness, because God can work for all things for our good. Whenever we encounter desperate times, we should look for the spiritual lessons embedded in our difficulties, hardships, calamities and catastrophes. We should always rely on the only One who can cause all things to work together for our good and for His glory, Romans 8:28, bearing in mind that the clearest view of everything that happens to us is the heavenly view, coming from our loving and kind Father God. He allows circumstances to afflict us for His blessed and divine purposes. So let us continually give thanks, praise, glory and honour to God in our daily lives as we maintain faith, assurance, trust, obedience and service to Him. Let us learn to see what He wants to show us during our adversity. Friend or foe? The emotional pain and grief that come from loneliness and being abandoned are the most hurtful to the suffering individual. This is clear from Job’s cry after all his friends and even his wife forsook him, accusing him of sin in his life. In Job’s grief, suffering and distress he cried, “Oh, that I had someone to hear me!”, Job 31:35. He desperately needed a listening ear to hear and understand him after his friends had sat with him for seven days of silence. They did not listen when Job started talking. Instead they continued talking, talking and talking without listening, totally failing to comfort him, Job 16:2-3. They saw that his suffering and calamity were great, Job 2:13, but the help Job sought from them was not forthcoming. Therefore he continued to lament his health condition in loneliness, in distress, in agony, in grief, and perhaps hardest of all, in disappointment. Writing about the importance of learning to listen and respond effectively to those in difficult situations, Joyce Huggett in her book 'Listening to others', relates some of her own experiences in listening to suffering people. She mentions that they often thank her for all she’s done for them. She states that: “On many occasions, I have not ‘done’ anything. I have ‘just listened’. I quickly came to the conclusion that ‘just listening’ was indeed an effective way of helping others.” In most cases of suffering people prefer listening ears to being given a piece of advice. The good listener affirms to the suffering person that, “What matters to you matters to me”. “I want to hear it.” This gives relief and comfort and passes on a full sense of love and care from the listening person. Often times listening to a needy, stressed and suffering person is hard work. It is often difficult to do. To be good at it takes some time of learning and adapting. Sadly, many people today do not have enough time to listen, hear and understand, to comfort or give help to the suffering individuals of our communities and neighbourhoods. Others don’t even care to extend a helping hand to the needy, disabled, elderly or orphaned people, who are absolutely devastated by distress, grief, loneliness, sickness, bereavement, catastrophe, tornado, tsunami, drought, or man-made calamities such as civil wars, tribal conflicts, racial discrimination, genocide, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing. All these calamities cause physical, psychological and emotional suffering. Trauma, hopelessness, disappointment, despair, grief and even spiritual suffering may follow. As Christians we are being loved, comforted, cared for, assisted, forgiven and saved by God the Father. He commands us to love one another just as He has loved us, John 15:12, John 13:34-35, James 2:14-17, 1 John 2:8-11, 1 John 3:10-11, 13-24, Hebrews 10:23-24. So, we should love and help one another, be 'brother-keepers' and be 'sister-keepers', especially during times of emergencies, accidents, deaths, natural disasters and other desperate needs. By so doing we make the love of Jesus Christ manifested, demonstrated, experienced and tangibly proved, seen in both action and reality. Let me spur all of us to help the suffering individuals even if we have no material things to offer them. We can still offer our love, comfort, encouragement, listening, guidance, advice, counsel and prayer for the person in need of our help. Good works do count We should always be mindful in our work of love, kindness, mercy, and respect of humankind that God in His faithfulness and justice never disappoints us. The Bible recounts numerous incidents where Jesus and His followers extended acts of love, mercy, compassion and healing to others. These included physical healings and exorcisms of evil spirits and demons. Most importantly lives were saved, people who had been lost, afflicted, oppressed, destitute, possessed, outcast, despised, ridiculed, mocked, slandered and marginalised, were won to follow Christ. The Bible assuredly records many acts of love, mercy, kindness and compassion done to people, including some done to Jesus Christ Himself. He affirms that those good works will be remembered throughout the generations of human history. Even the giving of a cup of cool water offered in Jesus’ name will be remembered and rewarded by our loving, merciful, gracious, compassionate, caring, providing, sustaining, kind, generous Father, John 12:1-8; Luke 4:31-41, 5:12-15, 7:1-17, 7:36-50, 8:1-3, 8:26-39, 8:40-56, 9:10-17, 9:37-45, 10:25-42, 13:10-17, 14:1-6, 18:35-43; Mark 1:40-45, 2:1-12, 3:1-6, 5:1-43, 7:24-37, 8:1-9, 8:22-26, 9:14-29, 10:46-52, 14:3-9; Acts 2:42-47, 3:1-10, 4:36-37, 5:12-16, 20:7-12; Hebrews 6:10, 11:31. In the light of all these references we should not assume that our expressions of devotion and serving the desperate destitute through small acts of love and compassion are insignificant. No, they are not. Rather, in God’s eyes, these works hold much historical meaning, because our love and devotion to Christ Jesus creates memorials to God for future generations to see and remember. Jesus Christ commended a woman because she performed a profoundly amazing act of love for Jesus. It was not because she wanted to impress the disciples or those who were around, in order to attain or gain public attention and celebrity status, or even to gain praise from Jesus. She simply sought to demonstrate her absolute love to Jesus in a practical and tangible way. Her act of love and respect for Jesus emanates from a humble, faithful, loyal and believing heart. She acted not with speculation or miraculous intention, nor did she preach a charismatic sermon, yet Jesus was clearly moved by her self-less loyalty. He acknowledged and approved her act of love as worthy of remembrance throughout the remainder of human history, Mark 14:9. The New Testament also deems worthy of importance the account of Rahab the harlot. She is remembered because of her loyalty to God’s messengers sent by Joshua to spy the Promised Land, Joshua 2:1-21, Hebrews 11:31. Beloved brethren and sisters, please be assured that our God is not a partial God. No! He can use our faithfulness and loyalty even though it is small and seemingly insignificant. God can make spiritual changes, emotional differences, and begin a spiritual legacy to bless others for generations to come. Just as God chose to bless all nations of the world through Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3, as we perform our acts of love, kindness, compassion and comfort, God will use us. Let us do it single-mindedly and whole-heartedly with anticipation that one day we will receive God’s reward of great blessings as we meet those to whom we have been a helpful blessing during their times of need, affliction, injury, pain, agony, discouragement, disappointment, distress, grief and depression. It is crucial for us to express daily our love to others around us, as part of our loyal devotion to Jesus Christ, until He returns. We know that God finds absolute pleasure in our acts of love, kindness, and the service of others. How to respond The following statement may help you pray to God, when you are in critical situation: “Dear Lord, sometimes life seems to be full of perilous and winding roads. Thank you for giving me assurance that You have my course plotted and You are watching over my every step, Psalm 121:1-8. I trust You and must give You thanks, praise and glory, because You are in everything and in all situations, good and bad, sweet and bitter. All things and all situations work for my good because You love me and want me to live in obedience to You. When I disobey You, You discipline me by allowing troubles to afflict me so that I may take heed and confess my sins, repenting to receive pardon, forgiveness and healing from You. God, bless and heal me, (or a loved member of my family, or a friend), from any pain, suffering, or grief experienced right now. You are my Healer and Redeemer from any kind of pain, whether it is physical, social, psychological, emotional, economic, political or spiritual. Lord, teach me to still my soul before You. Help me to bear patiently the trials I face, and to leave everything to You for direction and provision. I know that You will always remain faithful, just and trustworthy, therefore I trust Your ability to do all things in Jesus’ name! Amen.” Beloved brethren and sisters, Jesus gives rest to the weary. Hear His invitation to all who are troubled and worried. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”, Matthew 11:28-30. If you now take a step of faith and turn to God in confession and repentance from any known sin in your life, and you invite Jesus to come into your life, He will assuredly come into your life and cleanse away all flaws, making you a new creation and setting you free. Take haste and come to Him NOW! Revelation 3:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 1:9. Discussion questions 1. Nobody is suggesting suffering is fun, but are there any benefits (advantages) for the Christian who suffers? List as many as you can. 2. How can anyone “consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds”? James 1:2. Be as practical as you can be. 3. Pastor Israel has permanent kidney dialysis. I (the editor) had my voice box removed due to aggressive cancer in 2006. Pastor Matta suffers regular aerial bombing right now where he lives in the Nuba mountains. Many readers have been displaced by famine or fighting. How would you encourage any one of us in our suffering, if you were to have the opportunity to speak face to face?

My life (put) alongside God's word. Suffering and response section. For me, the title of this article refers to deriving the most benefit from the low points in my life. There are very few things in which I would claim to be an expert, but because I’ve had so many low points, learning from failure is certainly one of them! I am 65 years old. God has used me to pastor four different churches, three in England and one in Africa. He also used me to launch an evangelism and Bible training school in Cornwall, England, where I now live. These activities were not the successes that anyone would be interested in writing a book about. However, the enlightening thing is that as the years pass by, my wife and I can see how God has graciously used for His glory what some might consider being failures. A definition of success Here I define “success” as presented by Jesus in His parable of a West Asian sower to illustrate a religious truth. Note His words in Matthew 13:23: “The one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” The parable speaks of four types of soil and three levels of receiving seed even into the good soil. Only a portion of the total seed sown was as fruitful as could be expected. And this is assuming we only plant good seed, which “is the Word of God”, Mark 4:14; Luke 8:11. Perhaps we set our expectations too high, thereby setting ourselves up for failure of our own making. Christian workers are among the worst people I know for inflicting failure upon themselves. We must remember that God produces worthwhile fruit through His servants. Paul wrote: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow”, 1 Corinthians 3:6. Those discouraged at the apparent lack of results in their ministry, should read John 6:60-71. Jesus Himself saw some of His followers turn back. But He did not change His message to make it easier to follow. He sadly let them go away and looked elsewhere to find those whom God had chosen. This is another lesson we must learn to prevent despondency from overcoming us. We must keep on doing the work God has given us, even if we seem to be losing. The rich young ruler of Matthew 19:16-30 is believed by some to be Barnabas of Acts 4:36-37. If this ancient tradition is true, then it is a great example of letting someone go until God Himself matures His Word in their hearts. When this happens people will begin to follow Jesus. It may be years after the seed is sown. We must remember we are merely part of God’s production line, not the whole of it, 1 Corinthians 3:5-9. My past In the last few years I’ve been treated by my doctor for depression. The treatment included counselling. During that time I read “Spiritual Depression” by Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones. God used a combination of three things – medication, secular counselling and challenging teaching from God’s Word – to help me through my depression. I did not always agree with “the Doctor” (as Lloyd Jones was called) when I studied under his London ministry for three years. But during this illness I have seen that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”, Romans 8:28. In 2003, while serving the Lord in Khartoum, Sudan, my good health disappeared. Regular blackouts forced my wife, Brenda, and me to return to England. Then after a brief period of restored health, cancer was discovered in my voice box. Since my voice box was surgically removed in 2006, I now only speak quietly using an artificial voice prosthesis – not good for a preacher/teacher of nearly 40years! Cancer reoccurred in my throat in 2009 requiring another operation and seven weeks of radiotherapy. This left me clear of cancer, but in a lot of pain. God used medication to mellow this and now I am in pain control but using very strong drugs. I believe God led us to Sudan. I preached in the church, taught in theological colleges, and encouraged language translators, church planters, and various Christians in business. But after four years we were back home in England with our long-range plans in tatters. Was I a failure? What could I tell our prayer-partners, our congregation? And who would fill the gaps in the college course schedules? Our goals in Sudan had not been achieved. In the world’s eyes our four years in Africa ended in a seven-letter word that would make anyone feel very low – “failure!” After four years away we were again in our home in England. Our family members were delighted to have us nearby, especially as grandchildren were being born. But in my own eyes I was a failure. Had I gotten God’s guidance wrong in the first place? Had I gone to Africa simply following my own desire? Had I subconsciously wanted the “glory” of being an overseas missionary? The third verse of Gary Driskell’s song “Jesus Never Fails” came to my mind. “Sometimes this world brings trouble I find so hard to bear. I know I could not make it without Jesus being there. It’s so encouraging to know, however deep we’re in despair… Jesus never fails. Jesus never fails! Jesus never fails! You might as well get thee behind me, Satan, You cannot prevail, because Jesus never fails!” Some Bible failures I don’t know about you, but I have no difficulty believing that Jesus never fails. It is my side of the partnership that I worry about! Sometimes it even makes me feel worse reflecting on Scriptures that speak of God’s victory. God doesn’t fail – I do! Jesus never fails – I do! But here is the amazing, life-rebuilding, constructive gospel truth! As I present my failures to Jesus, He turns them into items He can use to extend and build His eternal kingdom. Examples of this are in His Word. Think of Moses by the burning bush, Exodus 3:1-4:17. A one-time murderer made wiser while tending sheep in the desert was commissioned by God to shepherd God’s people through a wilderness. Think of David listening to the prophet Nathan, 2 Samuel 11-12. An adulterer and a murderer, one who “despised the Lord”, 12:10, was chosen to lead God’s people into one of their most peaceful eras, and also to write many Psalms revealing everyday life following God. Think of Jonah in the belly of a great fish, Jonah 1-2. Realising that his disobedience got him into a big-fish mess, Jonah repented and God gave him a second chance. He preached to Nineveh about their godlessness and they repented, staying God’s judgment. Think of Peter after a beach breakfast with Jesus and the disciples, John 21:1-25. Jesus reinstated him after his disastrous three denials on the eve of the Crucifixion. Jesus tested Peter’s love with three questions, 21:15-18. He knew Peter had failed and would fail again, but He had world-changing plans, which included this fisher of men. Think of John Mark who was taken by Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, Acts 13:1-5. But he returned home after a brief time. Was he homesick? Didn’t he get along with his older colleagues? Leaving the team was a strong enough failure for Paul not to take Mark on his next trip, Acts 15:36-41. While Barnabas gave his nephew a second chance, Paul took much longer to find Mark’s talents useful again, Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11. What can we learn from these biblical failures who were transformed into useful servants? To benefit most from the low points in our lives, we must realise that our lives are not our own. Like a piece of wood in the hands of the Master Craftsman, we are being cut, shaped and smoothed into the very piece of life’s mosaic that God is completing by His skill. The low points are where the most painful shaping is done. But the heavenly rewards are well worth waiting for, Isaiah 64:8; Matthew 6:19-21. My present In my life after “failure” God has opened doors for me to write, teach and encourage others through writing, small group study and one-on-one encounters, all at a whisper. I have been writing articles for Grace & Truth, a Christian magazine in USA, for the past nine years. I write a bimonthly encouragement letter to 80 Christian leaders in both Sudan and South Sudan. The most recent was entitled “Love Your Enemies,” Jesus’ real challenge to the war-torn Sudanese. I have published and distributed two booklets of biblical encouragement based on examples from Sudanese culture: “Hungry To Know God Better” and “God’s Chosen Saviour – Jesus.” God has also provided for Arabic and Dinka translations of these and an earlier book on practical Christian discipleship. When you are reading this you will have in your hands (or on your computer/phone) the fourth book God has enabled me to write or edit and publish for Sudanese and South Sudanese believers. God’s better plan is outworking! He knows what He is doing and it is always the right thing. Your challenge Being at a low point in your life is not being a failure. But if you don’t learn the lesson God is teaching you in that low point, you push yourself in the failure direction. So take stock of your life now. Learn from your past experiences. And plan for your future in God’s will, whatever the personal challenge. From prison Paul wrote these challenging words: “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me ... I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus, Philippians 3:14. Will you press on toward whatever Jesus Christ has for you? If you will, you won’t ever be a failure.

My life (put) alongside God's word. Suffering and response section. Engineers use their skills and their knowledge to do many clever and useful things. I remember seeing pictures of Sudan’s Merowe dam, about 220 miles north of Khartoum, on the river Nile. It is close to the 4th cataract where the river divides into small branches with islands in between. It is made of concrete-faced rock-fill dams on each riverbank. The dam is 5.6 miles in length and up to 220 feet high. It is collecting a 3 cubic mile reservoir, taking about 20% of the Nile’s flow, and it will eventually hold back an upstream lake of 108 miles. It powers 10x125MV turbines supplying Atbara, Khartoum, Omdurman, Port Sudan, Dabba and Dongola with electricity. It is amazing to think that water can be engineered in such a way. It helps to produce electric power for so many people, businesses and projects. Of course the Nile with its Blue and White tributaries, are also used for irrigation to produce fruitful farmland. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people make their living from the water by offering boat transport to people or freight cargo. Engineers and entrepreneurs make such good use of this God-given resource every day. They make the miraculous seem almost mundane. The same God who created the waters of the Nile also made you and me. He is the Master engineer and the Supreme designer, Genesis 2:6, Genesis 2:10-14. He wastes nothing, making proper use of all His immense resources. Since He designed us to fulfil the plans He had in mind for our lives, we can trust Him to use everything He involves us in. He works it together for our good, and makes us more like God the Son, Jesus Christ, into the bargain, Romans 8:28-30. “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong”, 1 Corinthians 1:27. He also said: “My power is made perfect in weakness”, 2 Corinthians 12:9. One of God’s greatest servants, Paul, learned how to “delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties” because he realised, “When I am weak, then I am strong” in my Lord Jesus Christ”, 2 Corinthians 12:10. Seeing what great things human engineers can do, makes me want to stop and think for a moment – how much more can our great God and Father do? Whatever needs to be done He is more than able and to willingly do it. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength”, 1 Corinthians 1:25. Our great God, who sends water to fully flow and flood the Nile, knows precisely how to engineer fragile Christian human beings like you and me into powerful facilities channelling gospel light, life and energy to people throughout His dark, thirsty and needy world. We may never get an entry in Wickipedia, but with our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life we have something much more important and longer lasting. See Revelation 21:22-22:7.

My life (put) alongside God's word. Suffering and response section. In one sentence this article is about "Accepting trouble from the hand of God". Different English Bible translations use different words to translate the word “evil” that Job speaks about to his wife as coming to them from God’s hand: “Misfortune, what is of a bad nature” (Amp.). “bad” (CEB, CJB, NLT, NRSV), “bad days” (MSG), “trouble” (CEV, NIV), “problems” (ERV), “unpleasant” (TLB), “adversity” (NASB, NKJV). These are all the same word translated “evil” by the NIV in Job 1:1 and 1:8, in which the saint is praised by God for turning away from all “evil” in his life. My English dictionary defines “evil” as “bad, causing harm or injury, offensive or unpleasant”. (With sincere apologies to those of you who do not have a Bible in your own mother tongue as yet. Pray for all the translators, triallists and testers). Can bad things come from God? Why do so many of us Christians have difficulty believing that evil events, bad experiences and adverse times come to us as gifts from our God? One reason is that we are often taught personal happiness is the highest goal in life. Therefore, when we don’t get what we want we have big questions. Even in Christian circles some lead us to believe that God wants to bless us in this present life with an abundance of physical and material blessings. Such worldly dreams (and that is all they are) can be shattered as quickly as a soap bubble is burst. God has deeper and higher plans for us. Since December 2013 South Sudan has been through awful “troubles”. Fighting, wars, revenge attacks and stray armaments have killed many people, injured a lot more and destroyed livelihoods, families, including some whole towns or villages. Where is God in all of this? This question – which must be asked and answered – is sharpened because many people had such high hopes of a new beginning ever since South Sudan was born as a nation on 9th July 2011. I question myself, was/is God now taking away what He had/has given,? Job 1:21. Job in his context “He was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” Job 1:1. God was proud of Job. He boasted about him to Satan 1:8. With God’s permission Satan was allowed to strike Job’s agriculture using another tribe 1:12-15. Further crop, livestock and staff losses, caused by natural disaster 1:16, inter-ethnic conflict 1:17, and the loss of property with the death of immediate family members 1:18-19, immediately followed this. I know some in South Sudan who have experienced things like this in 2014. What was, what is, God doing? By carefully reading Job we learn that chapters 1 and 2 describe the Lord God inviting Satan to “consider (God’s) servant Job” 1:8, 2:3. To consider means, “to think carefully about, to respect or have an opinion of, to keep in mind”. God was using Job, and the awful events in Job’s life, as visual aids for Satan to understand that it was possible for humans who feared God to keep on trusting God even through the most intense suffering. Lessons for the higher powers This idea of God using events on earth to teach lessons to spiritual powers such as angels is also found in the New Testament. “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”, Ephesians 3:10-11. Paul links his own sufferings with this purpose and he says sufferings are part of glory for the Christian and his God, verse 13. In exactly the opposite way to some Christians today, Paul invites young ministers to “join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, Who has saved us and called us to live a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace”, 2 Timothy 1:8- 9. God’s power is to help Christians endure suffering, not to avoid it. In this Paul is a personal example to the younger Timothy. I am aware that this doctrine challenges some attractive “Christian” beliefs today. This challenge is necessary because a lot of Christian belief is wrong, influenced by modern society rather than Holy Scripture. We use “bad” for “good” Yet there are some parts of today’s society that use suffering and pain for good purposes. Nurses inject small amounts of disease into human arms to bring immunity to persons from the full-blown illness. Surgeons amputate limbs to prevent rottenness spreading throughout an entire body. Parents firmly smack their children (in a godly way) to teach right from wrong as part of discipline. In industry, iron and steel are put through blazing hot furnaces to strengthen them and drive out impurities. Coal put under tons and tons of pressure becomes diamonds. True followers of Jesus Christ seek to live pure Christian lives even when it is costly, 1 John 3:1-10. In sport, athletes push hard in training, going almost beyond their ability so they can run faster, jump longer or throw further, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. The Greek word “training”, verse 25, is our English word “gymnasium”. The heavy sweat, aching muscles and racing heartbeat are sufferings that are a small price hardly remembered as the gold medal is hung around the victor’s neck. Biblical examples of God using bad for His good purposes: 1. Joseph being sold into slavery before saving God’s chosen family, Genesis 37:26-36, 50:20-21. 2. Israelite babies killed but Moses is educated to lead God’s people, Exodus 1:8-16, 22, 2:1-10, 7:1ff. 3. David rescued from Saul’s attempted murder, and later from his own sinfulness 1 Samuel 19 and 20, 2 Samuel 11 and 12, Psalm 51. He then ruled after God’s own heart Acts 13:22. 4. Jeremiah, God’s mouthpiece, was threatened 11:18- 23, 26, put in stocks 20:1-3, opposed by one of his own chapter 28, had his writings burned chapter 36, was imprisoned chapter 37, thrown into a cistern chapter 38, captured and displaced chapter 43. Yet “the Lord (had) said, “I have put my words in your mouth””, Jeremiah 1:9-10. 5. Saul/Paul heavily persecuted the church imprisoning and killing many Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-2, yet he inadvertently spread the Christian witness whiltrying to extinguish it, Acts 11:19-21, Galatians 1:13-17. 6. Later Paul wrote about his missionary teams, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead”, 2 Corinthians 1:8-9. 7. To the Lystra, Iconium and Antioch churches Paul warned, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God”, Acts 14:22. 8. Of the Thessalonian churches Paul wrote, “Among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God’s judgement is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering”, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5. I am reminded of the Christian Justin Martyr, AD100-165, who said to his persecutors in his first apology, “You can kill us, but you cannot hurt us”. I trust that already you understand that evil things, troubles, bad happenings, do come to us from the hand of our loving, good and all-powerful God. When they do, turn your focus on to the Lord Jesus Christ. Look towards the future certainties In His mountainside sermon He said, “those who mourn will be comforted” and “those persecuted because of righteousness will have great reward in heaven”, Matthew 5:4, 5:10-12. A world free from suffering and evil is coming, but it will not be this side of our Lord’s second coming (whatever eschatological view you hold). There is no complete freedom from bad things until heaven comes to earth. Therefore, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (needed for daily life) will be given to you as well”, Matthew 6:33. If you are alive enough to read this you are living proof our Lord Jesus keeps this promise! Is it fair that people get away with doing such terrible things to us and to our friends? No, but ultimately they will not get away with it because God will be their judge. Consider the two comings of our Lord Jesus. At the first coming Jesus came to bear justice The penalty for the world’s sin was placed upon Him. Our sin separated God from God within the Holy Trinity. God’s holy wrath against sin, our Saviour accepted in full on to Himself, Matthew 27:46, 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18. At the second coming Jesus will bring justice No one will get away with anything. The all-seeing all-knowing God promises to keep His promises! He will remember everything everybody has done. There will be no unfinished business in eternity, John 5:19-30, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Romans 2:1-16, 2 Timothy 4:1 and 8, Revelation 20:11-15. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself suffered while living on this earth, Hebrews 5:7-10, Philippians 2:8, Luke 22:39-44. His followers need expect nothing different. What should we do now? Listen carefully to this Scripture. And then do it! “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him something to drink. In doing this you will heap burning coals on his head”. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”, Romans 12:17-21. Remember God makes His own sun to shine and the rain to fall on those we might call good and bad people, Matthew 5:45. Our everyday life as Christian believers should show the same indiscriminate blessing of others. You say to me, “Boy, that is very hard to do”. I point you to Paul’s reply to the Philippians. No one said Christian living would be easy. Comfortable and easy come from 21st century philosophy and consumer media advertising. “Buy into this and your life will not be difficult”. I challenge you to be different. “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead” Philippians 3:10-11. When we accept that God is in sovereign control of everything that happens to us and that He is combining everything together to develop His perfect plan for our lives and everyone else’s it becomes easier (note – I have not written “easy”, but “easier”) to accept suffering in life. Having personally lived with cancer and it’s after effects now for almost eight years, since 2006, I have a small understanding of this issue. Some days I can see God’s hand easily. Other days I am not consciously aware of it aall. But I know in my heart He is always there. See Romans 8:28-30, 8:35-39. Discussion questions 1. How does Job help us see bad things come from God, and that God is in ultimate control even when it does not appear that He is? 2. Which of the biblical examples of God using bad for good impresses you the most? Why? Can you think of any others not listed here? 3. How do Romans 8:28-30, 8:35-39 help you in your troubles? Why? Why not?

My life (put) alongside God's word. Islam section. by Elisama Daniel The challenge of Islam as a force to be reckoned with in world evangelism and missions needs to be discussed. Here, we briefly look at the similarities that exist between Christianity and Islam, then give a broad outline of the differences. The issue of tolerance and intolerance of non-Muslims by Muslims, in situations where Muslims are both the majority and minority, is outlined. Islam is a hard religion to penetrate with the Gospel and those who choose to follow Christ from among them pay a high price. Nevertheless, the opportunities to reach them are tremendous. It is a task to be confronted by prayer and action. Different strategies and methods are prayerfully suggested to all those burdened for the lost peoples of the world, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Islam is the second biggest religion in the world with 19.6% of the population and it has one of the fastest annual growth rates at about 2.9%. This compares with Christianity (all denominations) which represents 32.8% of the total world population and has an annual growth rate of 2.3%. Most Muslims live in the territory stretching from west Africa to central and southeast Asia, but their numbers are also increasing in the West. The significantly high growth rates in Islam are largely attributed to high birth rates, but also come through conversions. Therefore, if Christians believe the Bible to be true saying that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life", John 3:16, and "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved", Acts 4:12, then we might need to humbly pray and reach out with God's love to all His people, including all of the Muslims. In recent years several changes have taken place, with the result that Islam is now very much a force to be reckoned with. The Muslims feel that for centuries they have been exploited and ignored by many countries, especially the so-called Christian countries of the West. Now that oil has given them wealth and power, they are keen to make up for the lost time. What is Islam? The Muslim faith's sacred book is the Qur’an, always referred to as the final book of guidance from Allah, sent down to Mohammed through the angel Gabriel (Jibril) in a period of 23 years. It contains 114 chapters (surras) and over 6000 verses (ayyat). The Sunnah, another important collection of Islam, is the example of the prophet Mohammed which is contained in the books of the Tradition (El Hadith). They are collections of his sayings and actions, and the actions approved by him. The six main beliefs (iman) of Muslims are: Belief in one God Allah (tawhid), who is unique, all powerful and merciful to Muslims. Belief in prophets (anbiya), and prophethood or messengership (risalah), 126,000 including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and ending with Mohammed (pbuh), the last and greatest of all. Belief in the 5 Holy Books, Scrolls of Abraham (Suhuf), Law of Moses (Tawrat), Psalms of David (Zabur), The Gospel of Jesus (Injil) and the Qur’an of Mohammed, plus the Sunnah (Hadith), Ijma and Qias. Belief in Angels (Malak) and evil spirits (Jin). Belief in the Day of Judgement (Akhirah), good and bad deeds balanced by the "book of destiny" predestined by Allah, with the saved going to paradise (Jenna) and those who disobey the will of Allah thrown to hell (Jehannam). Belief in decrees and the Predestination of Allah, everything good or evil is preordained by Allah, thus man is resigned to fate (Qisma), and calls for God's will (Insha'Allah). Islam has five basic duties These are often called the five pillars of Islam, which when when performed regularly and faithfully transform the life of a Muslim. They are: Confession (Shahadah) which states that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his apostle "la illah ila Allah, Mohammed rasul Allah". This spoken with conviction, consciously and voluntarily, is claimed to make a person a Muslim. Compulsory prayer (Salah) is offered five times, between dawn and sunrise (fajr), between midday and afternoon (dhuhr), between mid-afternoon and sunset (asur), just after sunset (mughrib), and between nightfall and dawn (isha). Welfare contribution (Zakat), a compulsory payment from a Muslim's savings for helping the poor and needy, the disabled, the oppressed, the debtors and for other welfare purposes as prescribed by the Qur’an and Sunnah. Fasting (Sawm), is an annual obligatory fast during the month of Rammadan (the ninth month in the Islamic calendar). Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the house of Allah (Ka'ba) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This an annual event is obligatory at least once in a lifetime. Holy war (Jihad) is also considered as a sixth pillar or duty of every Muslim, among many sects. It has three levels, beginning with the individual's inner striving or struggle against sin, with the third or final level involving physical struggle or war in the defence or cause of Allah (Sebil il'Allah). Islam claims to be the true religion for humankind and affirms that Mohammed is the "seal of the prophets", the last and the greatest of God's prophets who supersedes all prophets before him, including Jesus. Therefore, every individual Muslim believes they have a divine mission and obligation to evangelise and subdue the world into submission (Islam). A comparison between Christianity and Islam A Muslim in Tehran or in Toronto says to his Christian friend, "Really, there is no great difference between my religion and yours. We both believe in one God, we believe that Jesus was sent by God and was a great prophet, we believe in doing good deeds, and we both hope to be forgiven by God, and to go to paradise when we die. Why should we let our religions divide us? We should stand together in opposition to the people in the world who do not believe in God!" Whilst it is indeed true that Christians have many beliefs in common with Muslims, the above statement seems to be a thing of the past. At least where Muslims are a minority the real Islamic call or mission (Da'wa Islamiya) is disguised or camouflaged. In the theology of both Christians and Muslims, although similarities exist, there are also irreconcilable differences. Some of the similarities include the belief in the Creator, all Powerful and Merciful God, Who is Monotheic (but Triune for Christians, a great dividing point with Muslims), similar history, prophets, Scriptures (Muslims claim the original Scriptures which contain prophecy of Mohammed's coming have deliberately been corrupted, although they cannot prove it), moral teachings and volition. Many differences also exist, but only a few are discussed here because of space. They include the following: God According to Islam is distant, transcendent, merciful to those who do his will, and a master to be obeyed. For the Christian, God is personal, Yahweh, Abba, Who relates to His people through the sacrificial death of Christ. He is just and righteous, but also gracious and loves His enemies. Trinity The Muslim concept of the Trinity is that Christians worship three gods - Jesus, Mary and the Father. So they insist God is one (Tawhid), and is only one dimensional. The Christian of course believes in the one and only God known in the plural Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Genesis1:1,26; Genesis 3:22; Genesis11:7; Deuteronomy 6: 4; John 8:58, and this is explained by God's love. Jesus In the Qur’an Jesus is mentioned more than Mohammed, although not always correctly from the perspective of Christian belief. Muslims see Jesus as one in the line of the prophets sent by God. "..We do not discriminate between any of them and to God we surrender..", surra Al An'am 84-85. In Surra Mariam 17, Jesus is referred to as the spirit of God and later in verse 34 of the same surra, Jesus said about Himself that "..peace is upon me the day of my birth, and the day of my death, and the day of my being raised up alive", which clearly agrees with the Bible in that Jesus was born, died and rose again, in the order of this verse. Jesus is born of a virgin as a sign to the people and a Word from God, surra Mariam 21. In surra Al Imran 48 God tells of Jesus as the one who He will bring to an end or to death (mutawafiqa) and raise unto Himself and purified from those who disbelieved; and He will set those who believe in Him (Christians) above them that reject until the day of resurrection. However, the interpretation of these verses about Jesus has been twisted or explained away by many Islamic scholars, who also vary among themselves. There has always been an insistence and emphasis among Muslims on those verses that say Jesus was not crucified, He is only a messenger. Those that tell of His miracles, uniqueness and other important features are played down. To the Christian Jesus is absolutely central. He is God incarnate to reconcile the world to Himself, Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1,John 10:30, John 14:6; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 1:8. Salvation The Muslim idea of salvation is of working your way into paradise (Jennah). Assurance of salvation and forgiveness is not for the Muslim to know, but only for God (Allah y'alim), surra Maida 118-120. Unlike the assured forgiveness of sins for the Christians, John 3:16; Colossians1:14; 1 John 1:9; and definite eternal life in Christ Jesus, John 5:24, John 6:47; 1 John 5:11-13, the Muslim lives in uncertainty about the world to come. Tolerance and intolerance in Islam Islam, which means submission, is also associated with peace (salaam). Many Muslims you meet or hear on the media will refer to Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance. Kateregga and Shenk mention that Islam means submission and peace, and that Muslims are urged to live peacefully with one another. However, the verses quoted from the Qur’an, surra Al Hujurat 9-10, "...Lo! Allah loveth the equitable. The believers are naught else than brothers..", are in the context of Muslim brothers fighting each other. Both should eventually return to the affairs of Allah (the requirements of Islam), but this provides no protection for the non-Muslim. The saying is that when Muslims are a minority in a non-Islamic environment, then peace and tolerance will prevail, but when they constitute a simple majority, the situation changes. It is also important to note that the level of tolerance and intolerance varies from nation to nation, even among Islamic states. Again the expressions within the same state can vary. For example, a European or a western Christian missionary may be more respected as a past colonial master and foreigner than an indigenous Christian from a Christian background, and even less respect given to a Christian convert from an Islamic background. Although some of this intolerance can be justified as being initially started by Christians in the past, which is undeniably true, however this work is only looking at the issue as a matter of the 20th and 21st centuries, without comparing or contrasting different historical times. To understand some of these arguments a few illustrations are hereby given with no attempt made to go into specific experiences. Dress In general terms a Muslim is free to dress their own Islamic way anywhere they go, although some institutions and working places may not allow it. Leaders from Islamic nations do not have to change their dress when visiting other nations. But if western leaders or ordinary people, especially women, visit an Islamic state, then they will have to wear special dress and may be made to cover their heads. Worship In the west, Muslims constantly complain of a lack of freedom to worship, with restrictions on building their worship centres and institutions. This claim is refutable, especially in the UK where I have observed tremendous freedom for everybody. This freedom does not happen in most Islamic countries, where the building of any churches is legally made difficult or impossible. Foreign citizens may somehow be allowed to worship in their own premises and have baptisms in swimming pools, although it may officially be illegal. Where the law is Islamic (sharia Islamiya), a non-Muslim is not allowed to become head the country nor hold certain positions in Government, and non-Muslims must obligatorily pay duties (jizya) in such states. Marriage According to Islamic teachings, marriage is another means of conversion. A Muslim man or a woman marrying or getting married to a non-Muslim is permitted only on the condition of submission to Islam by the non-Muslim partner and not vice versa. Many liberal Muslims try to deny this and perhaps can get away with it in a non-Islamic country. But they may not escape in a Muslim country. Conversions In Christianity, the freedom of the individual to choose or reject Christ is respected. The punishment for abandoning one’s faith is left with God. Whereas in Islam, those who turn away from the faith are considered to have caused betrayal, usually referred to as apostasy (irtidad), and they may face the death penalty. Therefore, in an Islamic state, there is freedom to become a Muslim, but not to leave Islam. Many proof testimonies exist of those who have gone, and others are still going through, hardship, imprisonment and even facing the death penalty because they have turned away from Islam. Speech Christians get offended when their faith is insulted or even when Jesus is insulted or criticised, but the punishment belongs to God in His own time. In Islam however, when the religion is insulted (saab-a-din), there is punishment by stoning or other forms. Criticising or insulting the prophet (nabz-a-rasul) is punishable by death. Relationship - confrontation or coexistence? The Muslim is opposed to secularism, as reported by Chapman quoting Nasr, (C. Chapman, 'Islam and the West: Conflict, Co-existence or Conversion?'), who explains that between the Islamic world and the secularist West there can be no deep harmony or accord, for there are no common transcendent principles between them. Islam is said to emphasise man's humble state before the grandeur and majesty of the Divine, seeing man at once as a servant of God (abd'Allah) and also his vice-regent (khalafa'Allah) on earth. If Islam surrendered to western patterns of thinking and acting, as do many Muslim modernists, there would have been no confrontation between the two worlds. However, Nasr in Chapman also recognises that much of the dialogue carried out between Christians and Muslims today is coloured by the presence of the third silent partner, the anti-religious secularism. Akbar Ahmed in Chapman portrays the Islamic world as weak and frail and as being constantly under threat from the powerful West. Nasr joins Ahmed in dismissing the language about the 'threat of Islam', pointing out that if anyone has reason to feel threatened, it is the Muslim world. This thought somehow reflects the view of Islam in the West and western Muslims, who so far are a minority. Zaki Badawi also in Chapman, however, describes the history of the Islamic faith as that of state (dawla) or nation (umma) and a community (dhumma) of believers living by Divine law. The Muslims, jurists and theologians, have always expounded Islam as both a government and a faith. This reflects the historical fact that Muslims from the start lived under their own law. Muslim theologians naturally produced a theology with this view: it is a theology of the majority. Being a Muslim minority was not seriously considered or contemplated. Although it is a question nobody would want to discuss, the saying goes that wherever Muslims have a square metre of land in a non-Islamic state, they claim it for Allah and subsequently the whole nation, and any attempt to dispossess Islam of such land creates conflict. Many people find it hard to admit that the Muslim's agenda is global and not only a self defence reaction to attack. The Muslim is under obligation from Allah to purify and submit (aslam) the whole world (a'alam ajma) to the will of Allah. Temporary peace and coexistence is always the tactic when Muslims are a minority and weak, but conflict replaces that as soon as a simple majority is realised, which is usually achieved through conversions, mass marriages, no contraception and other ways, methodology that has existed right from the historical birth of the religion. But if Muslim nations could practice the mutual respect, tolerance and coexistence which is exercised by most non-Muslim countries in the western world, Latin America, Africa and Asia, then conflict could be minimised. It should not however, become an issue of diplomacy, media theory or research. It should be a practical day to day experience for the common man. Having the attitude that the state belongs to all people and that faith relates man and God makes a genuine difference. Opportunities for reaching Muslims In every difficulty, there is a tremendous opportunity for God. It is true that there are still very many people everywhere who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. It becomes even harder for Muslims because they are not allowed to have a chance to choose and those seeking to help them meet Jesus are often persecuted and denied access. But since “the earth is the Lord's and everything in it”, Psalm 24:1, and since He “wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”, we therefore have a Gospel which is true and universal. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”, 1Timothy 2:4-5. As Christians we have a living message for a dying world, and Muslims need this message as much as all those who are without the hope that is in Christ. Briefly discussed here are some of the ways and opportunities which could help in reaching Muslims. However, the most effective ways and methods of doing this I humbly admit are not necessarily found in this work. They will come from our Great Teacher, the Holy Spirit Who indwells every believer. Integrity In witnessing to Muslims, you may come across different types of people, some of whom are pious and sincere in the Qur’anic teachings. Therefore effective and fruitful witness for Christ depends on how we live. Careless Christians have negatively affected the image of Christianity as viewed by the Muslim world. These things have included the way we dress (especially women), eating and drinking (especially alcoholic drinks), and how to relate to the opposite sex. It would be wise if contact with our Muslim friends is on a same sex basis. Knowledge and respect The knowledge of some basic teachings and culture of the Muslim groups we are relating or seeking to reach is important. When we know and respect some things about them, although we may not agree with them, we help break barriers. Wisdom and dependence on the Holy Spirit is very vital. We must not be too careful so as not to offend or cutting the edge of our message so as not to upset or create walls. In both instances, God may be left out, which is never right. In one of my encounters with Muslims, I and a Christian brother had spoken to about 35 Muslims about Christ, in a bus we were travelling on. Being satisfied that no one could ask any more, we expected the next thing would be seeing some of them coming secretly to receive Jesus. Then one man asked if I believed in Mohammed! Saying ‘no’ would have been something else, and saying ‘yes’ would have been a lie and a sin, which is just as bad. As I prayed the Lord spoke to them from Ephesians 1:13-14, which the Holy Spirit brought into my mind, that Jesus Christ promised me an inheritance, a deposit guaranteeing this which I have. If I believed in Mohammed, what promise does he offer me which I do not have now? On that occasion God used this response to reveal the uniqueness of Christ, without offending Mohammed or compromising the Gospel. Scripture First of all affirm the infallibility of God's Word and use it rather than merely talking from your head, even if it may be memorised Scripture verses. Avoid topics that cause endless arguments, like Trinity and Jesus the Son of God, but do be prepared to prove these from Scripture when the need arises. It is worth noting that Muslims usually attack Christianity but offer nothing convincingly better. It is now in the West that they have learned the Christian language of Islam offering peace, joy and so on, but this may not necessarily have a Qur’anic proof. Therefore, as you prove from Scripture your claims, ask the Muslim to do likewise from the Qur’an. Islam is a public religion and gives no clear answers for deep personal issues, like 'are you sure your sins are forgiven?', 'what happens to you if you die now?', 'if you believe in good works, do you think you are qualified for heaven - are you better than Adam who committed only one sin, yet was thrown out from paradise?' In summary, your different methods of witnessing to Muslims will depend on which you are comfortable with. Maxwell and Smith suggested the following at a UCCF day conference, All Souls church, London, 1998, where I was present: Proclamation, by proclaiming Christ through preaching and speaking, for meetings or addressing large groups. Confrontation, through openly challenging issues of belief (apologetics). Institutional mode, showing Christ's love and speaking in the workplace and in different institutions. Friendship evangelism, by the relational approach or personal evangelism with true friendship, involving listening and learning as well as speaking. Dialogue, being a good listener but not surrendering your position, having clear purposes and goals. This needs preparation. Debate is appropriate in university. Have well-prepared speakers, but also use the debate as a trigger for small, or better one to one, discussions (many Muslims discuss freely in private). Sharing the Gospel of Christ among Muslims involves the ministry of prayer, speaking and sharing the Word, and being clothed with love of Christ. Christians should be aware of the questions usually asked by Muslims about Christianity. Below are seven of such questions: 1. 'Your Bible is corrupted'. There is no proof of when, how and who did it. The Qur’an speaks highly of the Scriptures, surras Al Maida 43, 46; Al Ana'am 34, and importantly, God cannot allow His Word to be corrupted. 2. 'What about the predictions of Mohammed in the Bible?' John14:16 is always mistaken to mean Mohammed, instead of the Holy Spirit Who Jesus was talking about. 3. 'Christians worship three gods, and God has no son'. 4. 'Why atonement? - after all God forgives if I confess, in addition my good deeds and the doing of my duties will hopefully please Allah’. 5. 'Jesus was never crucified', referring to surra Al Nissa 156-157, where the Jews said they slew Jesus, and Mohammed claimed that Jesus was not slain! 6. 'The Qu’ran agrees with science and contains scientific statements which prove that it was inspired by God'. 7. 'The West, which is associated with Christianity, is a depraved society, whereas Islam is pure'. It is certainly helpful to know what Muslims think about us, which necessarily may not be completely true, but is useful as we reach out to them with the love of Christ, 1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 3:15. Conclusion The world is increasingly becoming a global village whereby students' riots in Indonesia can be felt anywhere in the world, regardless of whether we want to be involved or not. With the Islamic challenge, it is no longer only for those countries where Muslims constitute the majority, because Muslim populations are growing rapidly in the non-Muslim world. It is worth remembering that the strongholds of Islam today were once the centres of the Christian Church. The question we should ask is, what happened to the early Christian Churches in Carthage, Alexandria, Nubia, Ethiopia, Ephesus, and many other cities or countries we can name? I consider the major challenge for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this generation as Islam, not only because of its large following and rapid growth, but also because of the difficulties involved in reaching Muslims and their subsequent conversions. Therefore we need to pray, share and live the Gospel in whatever capacity we may be called. It is true that 1200 years ago, the Church in Carthage was destroyed, but isn’t it also true that Jesus said He would build His Church and the gates of Hades will never overcome it? While acknowledging the hardness of the situation on the ground, I am equally convicted with the message the apostle Paul had for the church in Corinth, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ", 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. This is possible by God’s grace, for it is actually Him Who is doing it. Discussion questions 1. Share ideas for “revealing the uniqueness of Christ without offending Mohammed and compromising the Gospel”. 2. Consider the Muslim(s) you are talking with, and 1.Peter 3:15. 3. Which of Maxwell and Smith’s six methods of witnessing see bullet points above is best suited to your situation? Why?

My life (put) alongside God's word. Islam section. by Bismark M. Avokaya This article is briefly looking at the challenge of Islam in Sudan and South Sudan from a Christian perspective. It is not our intention to handle everything related to this topic because of the limited scope of this work. We are briefly highlighting a few things to generate the interest for further discussion by other individuals who may take the issues further in full depth and breadth. Brief Background It is well known that for many years Sudan had been in war with itself for several reasons: racial, ethnic, socio-economical, political and religious, which strained relationships to some extent, not only between North and South Sudanese as people of one country, but also between Muslims and non-Muslims as people of faith groups. The social divisions in the country were entrenched beyond imagination. For instance, a simple misunderstanding between two people, a Northerner and a Southerner (or a Muslim and non-Muslim for this matter), could result not only in the two people resorting to a physical fight within seconds, but even cause others from the two sides to join in the fight just on the basis of ethnic and racial loyalties, without first establishing the cause of the misunderstanding between the two. But the most devastating war was the one fought between the then Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M), which ended in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005. However, at the signing of that peace agreement, the late Dr. John Garang echoed his concern to his counterpart during a speech in Nairobi that: “… either we implement this agreement or we take an alternative painful route –dividing Sudan into two. If Sudan will not rise to the challenges of this agreement, then rest assured it will split at the end of the six-year interim period”. Certainly, as the then Sudan failed to “rise to the challenges”, the country split into two following the referendum which achieved 98.83% votes for separation. South Sudan finally got its independence on July 9th 2011. What is Islam? Let us consider a few descriptions of Islam before we come to define what Islam is: “Islam is more than just another religion next to Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism or Judaism. Islam claims to be a way of life. It is a system which governs and controls the lives of more than 1.2 billion men and women around the globe”. (www.answering-islam.org). “Islam, in its clear and direct way of expressing truth, has a tremendous amount of appeal for any seeker knowledge. It is the solution for all the problems of life. It is a guide toward better and complete life, glorifying in all its phases God, the Almighty Creator and the Merciful Nourisher”. “Islam is the first and the final religion of mankind”. “Islam is the most rational religion. It gives a clear code of life”. “Islam is the shortest and broadest road that leads to God”. Rosemary Sookhdeo states in her Breaking through the Barriers: Leading Muslims to Christ, that: “We must recognise that Islam is totally different from any other religion as it is more than just a religion – it is a religion, a culture, a legal system (sharia) and a political system, all rolled into one. In fact, as it is a totalitarian system it could be classified as an ideology”. Given these descriptions of Islam, it is definitely more than a religion. It is a way of life that strives to encompass every part of human life. Therefore Sookhdeo is correct in saying it is “an ideology”. Yet is it comprehensive in a way that makes the human life contented as it seemingly states? The question that poses itself in the light of this is, “does a Sudanese or South Sudanese Christian who engages with a Muslim, have a meaningful response to these claims, not only by the way of arguments, but also through a convincing life testimony? ” If not, what could be some of the implications? The challenges of Islam to the Muslims Before we consider looking at the challenges of Islam to Christians, it may be worth looking at whether the adherents of Islam have some challenges to their own faith or not? If they do, what are some of those challenges? Certainly, it would be appropriate to get this from the Muslim perspective as an insider. This writer’s intention is to gain an insider’s emic view, as suggested by Malinowski, for the purpose of objectivity. (Argonauts of the Western Pacific). Hence let us look at these concerns of a Muslim believer: “Islam, like any religion, is facing challenges to evolve and adjust to modernity and in particular to the economic and cultural power of a dominant West. What issues are confronting Muslims in a modern globalised world? Being a Muslim in the twenty-first century, we have to deal with current challenges and try to find our way. We rely on the past, we rely on great scholars, but we also have new challenges and it is up to us to try to find the way towards faithfulness. The great problem for Muslims today is a psychological crisis based on a lack of knowledge and lack of deep understanding of the spiritual dimension of our religion”. (www.antiessays.com/free-essays/Challenges-of-Islam-546196.htmil/ ) The writer continues to express concern in this way: “The way we translate the concept of Islam is wrong, the notion of Islam is wrong and all the terminology and also the way we are understanding the interconnections and the priorities. And I really think that if there is a challenge for us in the twenty-first century here and everywhere to be able to come back to the understanding of our terminology, the priorities and higher objectives of our religion: why are we here, what is the answer of our religion, as to the great questions? The first main crisis, the first main ‘how to be a Muslim in the twenty-first century’ is to look at this as it is. That what we really need to think about is, how do we transmit the spiritual message of our religion? How, in our societies, do we spread this peace and confidence and trust? Because at the starting point of everything is confidence. Confidence is not just being scared by other people. First, of course, for a spiritual mind, for a spiritual message, confidence is to trust Him, al-tawakkul ala’ allah. It is this confidence. It is the tawakkul. So we have to ask ourselves, how do we do that? It’s not only through national discourses. These kinds of lectures are really important but at the end of the day it is a daily process at the local level. To deal with the communities, to deal with the people, to listen to their…”. This Muslim writer has raised a number of questions that seem to be of greatest concern to him. The question of “modernity” in the context of the ever increasing economic and cultural influence of the western world; globalisation in the light of huge reliance on “the past”, on the wisdom of “great scholars”. Yet some of the current challenges may not have been there in the past and therefore, and perhaps, the wisdom of the scholars may be lacking. In this regard, how do you remain as faithful a Muslim as you ought to be? The author of this chapter in our book would like to add that, currently (in general terms) Islam seems to be ‘married’ to terrorism. If you are a Muslim who does not take part in terrorism, how do you deal with the perspective of this ‘marriage’? However, having said this, it is imperative to note that the Islamic worldview differs from location to location, as Muhammadou Mensah asserts in his discussion of the need to understand the Islamic worldview. (Holistic Ministry among the Poor, in Muslims and Christians on the Emmaus Road). Caleb Chul-Soo Kim, writing in Islam among the Swahili in Eastern Africa, also warns of the danger of falling into the reductionism trap of scholars by attempting to generalise about Islam, while ignoring the “particularity of local Islamic phenomena in specific cultural contexts”. Yet the face of Islam in general is basically similar in all localities, especially where the orthodox aspect of the religion is concerned. Muslims worldwide confess the Islamic creed, or Shahada, that acknowledges the oneness of God and the apostleship of Mohammed. From this credal statement stem “all of Islam’s concepts, attitudes, moral values and guidelines for human behaviour and relationships”. (Suzanne Haneef 'What Everyone should Know about Islam and Muslims'). Focusing on Sudan, the main argument in this article is based on the view that the lack of any genuine relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims can largely be explained by some of the negative ways in which some Muslims in the Sudanese government have related to non-Muslims over the years, especially within the context of Muslim/Christian relations. In the light of this, this writer wishes to state categorically that some government policies, ideology and attitudes led them to treat non-Muslims as inferior, to say the least. As a result, they consistently exploited, enslaved and oppressed non- Muslims beyond imagination, including African Muslims from Darfur, Nuba and Blue Nile. This promoted injustice in all its forms, denying non-Muslims and the marginalised people the right of equal opportunities for better education, healthcare, access to jobs and even the right to enjoy the benefits of the natural resources of their country. Certainly, in addition to the political, social and practical challenges of living together as Christians and Muslims, there are also theological challenges. For example the tenets regarding the deity of Jesus, sin, forgiveness and salvation are totally different between the two religions. (Rosemary Sookhdeo). What is going on in Sudan? In 2002 I heard that Sudan is 70% Muslim, but in 2013 we often heard the Government saying that out of the population of 31 million 97.7% are Muslims. After the Country split into two they said Sudan is now 100% Muslim. Yet we know that there are Christians in Sudan, not to mention other religious groups. Hence this claim is debatable. But we do know that “Christians and Muslims comprise over half the world’s population… If we can’t have peace between Christians and Muslims, then it will be virtually impossible to have peace in the world”. (Rick Love 'Peace Catalysts: Resolving Conflict in our Families, Organisations and Communities'). But what is going on in Sudan now? The conflict in Darfur, in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile is not settled. Many people have been killed and others are hiding in caves in the mountains, as they are often being bombed by Khartoum and denied access to humanitarian aid. As a result, some people are refugees from Sudan in South Sudan, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya and other places. As I write recent news headlines from Khartoum have been about Mariam Yahya Ibraham, the alleged Muslim who was married to a Christian. On May 21st 2014 the Archbishop of the Northern Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan/South Sudan (ECSSS), the Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo, informed the Bishops that, although Mariam was born to a Muslim father and an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian mother, he left them when Mariam was six years so she was raised by her mother. Later on she married a Sudanese American. According to her testimony she is a Christian and not a Muslim. Yet she was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery because she accepted to be married to a Christian, and then death because of apostasy, accused of converting from Islam to Christianity. But this contravened the Constitution of Sudan 2005, Article 38 on Freedom of Creed and Worship which stipulates that, every person shall have the right to the freedom of religious creed and worship, and to declare his/her religion or creed and manifest the same, by way of worship, education, practice or performance, subject to requirements of the law and public order. No person shall be coerced to adopt such faith to which he/she does not voluntarily consent. Moreover, Archbishop Kondo says, it contravened the spirit of dialogue, co-existence and love that the President of the Sudan declared, as well as her Human Rights. Consequently, the Archbishop elect correctly said that the verdict reached by the court on Mariam was a clear and direct persecution on Christians and on the Church in the Sudan. He condemned this court’s decision and requested the Ministry of Justice to review the case and release her immediately. Likewise they requested the authorities in Kalakla to free a young man who has a similar case in court there. It is to be noted that the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) issued a similar statement. Most cases of tension between Muslims and Christians come from the fact that these religions are missionary in nature. Each has a divine mandate to win converts. Unfortunately, while Christianity appears to be content with individual and personal decision over which faith to profess, with freedom to remain or to change faith; Islam seems to coerce Islam whether you like it or not, as evidenced in the case of Mariam in Khartoum. This writer proposes that there is high need to the missioners of both faiths to take their divine mandate of winning converts seriously, as it ought to be, but also to keep a reasonable balance respecting the freedom and right of individuals to accept or reject the faith being proposed to them, for the purposes of peace harmony. After all God does not force people. He has given people the free will to choose, right from the very beginning, Genesis 2:16-17. This case of Mariam has generated outrage globally, from the Archbishop of Canterbury to the British Prime Minister, the President of the United States of America, and many others. Presumably, it was in the same spirit that Pope Francis addressed Muslims in the Middle East on 26th May 2014. He said: “Dear brothers, may we respect and love one another as brothers and sisters… May we learn to understand the suffering of others! May no one abuse the name of God through violence!" His calling of Muslims “dear brothers” was intriguing, not only to the media, but also to many other people across the globe. The reality was that when the Pope called Muslims his “brothers” and appealed, “May we respect and love one another as brothers”, he was not asking the Muslims to do something that came only out of his Christian perspective. Pope Francis was essentially drawing from the Islamic tradition as well. Muslims have a strong social belief called “solidarity in Islam”, which translates into the concept of “brotherhood”, especially in their concept of “Ummah (nation/community)”. This entails “mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy” because we are one body. Moreover, it states that for Muslims “solidarity and collaborative action are not limited to interactions with fellow Muslims only. Islam stresses that the source of creation is one, and thus the whole community is a single family descending from a single mother and father (i.e. Adam and Eve). Therefore all human beings are brothers and sisters in humanity”. However, Pope Francis did not only appeal for “respect and love”, and for us to “learn to understand the suffering of others”, which suffering is huge in our world today. He also appealed, “May no one abuse the name of God through violence!” This is credible and seems to be the heart of the matter. Yet how can Muslims “understand” the pain that others are going through? Think of the conflict between Israel and Palestine that has been ongoing for years, the crises in Syria, Egypt, Darfur, Nuba Mountains and in Nigeria’s Boko Haram scenario. How could those concerned in these violent acts refrain from abusing “the name of God through violence”? Some are often the perpetrators of such “violence” in the name of God. David Virtue (www.virtueonline.org ) adds to our discussion, “Our religions tell us that human interactions should be shaped by compassion and humanity, not by death sentences. It is vital that all people should enjoy freedom of conscience and be able to follow their own religion… Christians and Muslims should be able to coexist alongside each other, we emphasise that force and compulsion are not characteristics of either faith”. This writer is delighted to acknowledge that at the time of submitting this article we heard that Mariam has been released from prison and is being taken care of with family by the American Government at the American Embassy in Khartoum. We do want to thank God for that. But what about those who are not lucky enough to have been married to a Sudanese–American citizen like Mariam? What is their fate in Khartoum? What is going on in South Sudan? This writer believes that Muslims in South Sudan are enjoying the freedom of religion which is their right as given by State Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan. Probably as a result of the previously negative experience of Southerners in Sudan under Khartoum over the years, the Government of the South would now like to prove to Khartoum that there is an alternative way as they had always said. This is why they always stood for a secular state in the South. Any traveller can see Muslims praying openly to Allah from Rumbek in Lakes State to celebrating eide al fitr freely in the capital, Juba. Pictures of these happenings are published in newspapers like the Sudan Tribune for all to see. And according to Waakhi Simon Wudu, these Muslims expressed their gratitude to President Salva Kiir for respecting their Islamic religion in South Sudan which they termed as “privilege granted by a Christian Government”. While it is debatable as to whether we have Christian Government in the South, yet according to the reports, Sheikh Abdun Moteer was reported to have said, “We are celebrating in jubilation and joy because when I was ruled by President Omar Al Bashir I was a sixth class citizen. But ever since I came back to South Sudan, I feel I am a first class citizen”. (www.gurtong.net/June 21st 2014). Certainly Muslims are enjoying the right of religion in South Sudan as it stands today. This is good for the healthy democratic society that we are striving to establish in the country. However, this writer would like to point out that, a few concerned South Sudanese are also questioning this freedom as well. For instance, someone expressed his concerns as follows: “… Whilst people of South Sudan have recently escaped all forms of abuse and humiliation under the Islamic united Sudan, the Islamic religion remains a grave threat to the social, political and economic stability of the Republic of South Sudan. The contemporary growing number of the so-called South Sudanese Muslim communities in the Republic of South Sudan is an insult to South Sudan national integrity, identity, the pride of South Sudanese citizens… a conduit Arabs can use to infiltrate into South Sudan either now or in the future. As our history proves, the growth of the Islamic religion will potentially cause a quantity of practical challenges for South Sudan economically, socially and politically. Although universal rights are guaranteed in the constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, including the right of worship, this concept of “universal” rights needs to be considered over the precedence of the ‘individual’ rights to freedom of religion. Hence, when religious freedom and expression infringes on the existence of others, as Islam disapproves the existence of others, SouthSudanese who are concerned about their national identity and stability should re-think allowing the Islamic religion, which has historically been a cause for our suffering, to be practised in their hard won country”. This present writer can see the points raised by the concerned South Sudanese who wrote the above article, and the opinions expressed are valid. Who can be so naive about this? For instance, over many years the Arabs in Khartoum and their associates had wanted to influence the rest of Africa in terms of Arabisation and Islamisation. But it seems the resistance in the South had prevented this to some extent. What is the guarantee that our own brothers, the South Sudanese Muslims, may not be “a conduit that Arabs can use” and not only “to infiltrate into South Sudan” but also for reaching the rest of Africa this time, if they allow themselves to be used? Nevertheless, based on our negative past experiences and a fear of the future, is it fair for the South Sudanese to deny the Muslims the right of religious freedom, which is their human right like any other citizen of South Sudan? And by denying, would South Sudan be doing justice to Muslims as citizens, and rightly applying the Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan? If not what are the implications in the light of the freedom and equality that are the core values that the country fought for in the first place? Having said this, let us ask are there certain things of common interest that we could work on together as South Sudanese regardless of our religious differences, things that can bring good to the community? For example, right now our country is in political crisis and this affects everybody. Can we work together as religious leaders to ensure sustainable peace, unity of purpose and security are attained in our country? Is it not a good example to see the religious leaders going as a team to Addis Ababa to present the voice of ‘the religious leaders’ under the auspices of the South Sudan Council of Churches and calling on all warring parties to give peace a chance? What other examples can we exhibit as people of one identity–the South Sudanese people, for our peaceful co-existence? For instance, are there some developmental activities we could engage in together for the good of our communities and nation? One time in 2012, on his return to the office from a journey, this present writer found waiting in his office a letter addressed to him. It was written by the Muslim Community in his town seeking some financial support for the construction of a mosque. Having read it, he then asked himself, “Being a Bishop, am I here to construct a mosque or church?” It is to be remembered that out of fifty-three congregations, only three churches in our area are concretely constructed; eight are semi-permanent, while the rest are grass-thatched, (except for six which had been burnt down by wild fire and tribal conflict). Hence many Christians worship under trees. Logically, if there was enough money for the construction of worship centres, should some be given to Muslims, or all be shared between Christians for the construction of church buildings? Of course, to the Christians, for building churches. No doubt about that. Subsequently, the bishop could not respond positively. However, a few months later, seven Episcopal Bishops were called to Yei to meet with seven of their counterparts from the Catholic church. It was a special meeting on peace and reconciliation in the country. This present writer happened to be one of those bishops. Following four days of fruitful meeting, he had a strong urge to consult with one Catholic bishop and taking him aside he asked for advice. As they stood aside, the Archbishop of the Catholic church joined them and this writer told his colleague his story. “Back in our diocese the Muslim community requested me to contribute towards their mosque construction. But I asked myself, is it my work as Bishop to construct a mosque or a church? Please, my brother Bishop, I need your advice!” Then his brother bishop replied, “I do not have any advice for you, but let me share my personal experiences. Firstly, one time a few Muslims in town approached me for financial support for construction of a mosque, but without a Bill of Quantity (BQ) and I suggested they should first go and get the BQ before they move around seeking support. And if they do that then they may return to me. They went and did that and on their return, I told them I will fix for you a window and I gave them something in the name of the window. Secondly, during the war I saw a lot of Muslim men in the town who were totally in rags and I felt very sorry for them. So I bought some materials for clothing and gave to them for making jallabia (the long white dress used by Muslims) to avoid appearing in rags when they led Salat (ritual prayers in Islam) in front of others”. However, he re-emphasised to me that he had no advice to give. That was just his own life experience, in a similar situation to the one I was asking about. On this note, the Archbishop interjected. “I guess he has given you the advice that you need!” We ended the interaction and departed. This writer returned to Mundri, but given the fact that he had too many things to do, what he learnt in Yei missed his attention. However, one morning he received a call from unknown number. When he responded the voice introduced himself as someone whom he knew as a County official. Let us call him Foster Lima (a cover name). So Mr Lima said he was very sorry, but he had tried several times to get this writer’s number, yet he failed until that morning. Furthermore, he said he is a Muslim and today was their eide-al-fitr (the annual festival at the end of Ramadan). They were to have prayer at 9:00am at the mosque in town, during which they would like this writer to address them, along with the County Commissioner! The caller said he was only sorry that they did not tell the writer earlier, but they would very much like me to come! Obviously this writer did not know what to say but managed, “I may get back to you later”. In this regard, the writer decided to share the invitation with his wife, who wisely said, “Do not go alone but take someone with you so that you are not misunderstood”. As a result, the writer called the Diocesan Secretary (DS) and asked him to be ready to go with him to the mosque. Also instantly, the writer remembered the Muslim request for support and he asked the DS to get a cash sum from the accountant as contribution to the Muslims. On this note the writer called Mr Lima and confirmed his coming. However, these arrangements delayed them a bit and by the time they reached the place the Muslims had just finished prayers. Some had already left but a few were still at the Mosque, even though they were heading home too! Among them was Mr Lima. Subsequently, the writer apologised and gave them the small support gift. To their surprise Mr Lima appreciated the support and told them that there was no problem in being late because they were to have the actual celebration in his house at 4:00pm. They welcomed the writer to his house would give time for him to speak. In the meantime, he allowed us to go home and arranged to meet again at his house later. This gave the writer an opportunity to invite three other people to join them and they met the Muslims at 4:00pm sharp. I addressed them using Abraham as our common point of intersection, Abraham being the father of the three historical faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). But I linked that with the story of Cornelius in Acts 10:1-8, putting more emphasis on Cornelius’ habitual character of devotion to God: God fearing, generosity and regular prayer. In this regard we drew a parallel with Muslim practice of alms giving to the needy and devotion to prayer, as evidenced by that particular day when all Muslims had closed their shops as a sign of devotion to the day of prayer. Moreover we contrasted that with how often, although we profess to be Christians, we may be doing business in the market while the Sunday service is going on in the church. As Christians can we learn something from our Muslim brothers and sisters? After this the writer prayed for the Muslims. Following this address, however, Mr Lima as the host, expressed appreciation for our coming and our encouraging words. Moreover, he told the writer that, “when the County Commissioner gave us space for the construction of the mosque and we began to clear the site, some of your Christians participated in clearing the site without pay. Also when we went to buy red bricks for the construction, some Christians gave us the bricks for free. In addition to that, some Christians who are masons supported them in building without pay. Furthermore, when a group of youth who were opposed organised to destroy the mosque, the leader of Youth League of the SPLM political party in company with another youth group confronted them, telling them not to destroy the mosque or else they could be locked up, because we have freedom of religion in the country. The opposing youth went away. In addition to that, the youth leader who stopped them mobilised more members of his youth to give full protection to the Muslims as the mosque was being constructed. The mosque has not been destroyed to date.” Mr Lima therefore asked the writer to take their (Muslims’) appreciation to the Christians once again for all that they have done for them. Now it is to be remembered that, not only the writer, but all the members on his delegation, were not even aware of all these narratives as it was their first time to hear about them. I took note of the Muslim message of appreciation and passed it to the Christians later on. Also it is worth mentioning that when it came toward Christmas we were surprised with a small gift for the Christmas celebration at the Cathedral, which came from the Muslim community! We informed the Christians accordingly. And when it was followed up, we found that it was Mr Lima who had asked his Muslim community in Mundri to do that. Although Mr Lima had already been transferred to another County he was able to influence his Mundri community to give a Christmas gift to the Christians. In addition to keeping in touch we have remained in good friendship to date. Don McCurry says, in his 'Healing the Broken Family of Abraham: New Life for Muslims', “Love is the proof that we are Jesus’ disciples. He called it a “new commandment”, John 13:34-35. We are to love our neighbours as ourselves – with no exceptions, Matthew 22:39. We are to love Muslims because our God does, John 3:16. Even in the event that some make themselves our enemies, there is no exemption. Jesus’ teaching is radical indeed. “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”, Luke 6:27-28.29. How could Christians in Sudan relate to Muslims? Christians need to know what their Constitution says about the right to faith of theindividual, then as citizens claim their rights based on a legal stance, as churches have done in the case against Mariam Ibrahim who is alleged to be a Muslim. Given the fact that Christians are considered a minority in Sudan, the Christians need to understand from the Muslim emic view, the rights of minorities under Islamic rule, and to claim them accordingly without fear. It is strategically imperative for Christian leaders to have in depth knowledge of the Qur’an, Hadith and Islamic tradition for effective and concomitant intervention in Muslim related peace building processes. To enhance knowledge on how to identify violence against Christians in situations of violent conflicts in their society, and point it out on legal stances. To equip Christians with skills on how to demonstrate the relevance of the human security paradigm as an integrated approach to conflict transformation and peace building with Muslims in their communities. To build Christians’ knowledge and skills in analysing their contexts, to envision sustainable peace and draw up plans for conflict transformation and a peace building framework, in relationship with Muslims. We do understand that the Islamic tradition is said to be peaceful and endorses values promoting diversity and peace. Therefore, is better for Christian leaders to engage Muslim leaders (not to exclude them) when implementing initiatives in peace building and conflict resolution among the Muslim and Christian communities. How could Muslims in South Sudan relate to Christians and non-Christians? Being a minority group in South Sudan, Muslims need to know what the Constitution says about the right of faith for the individual and as citizens claim their rights based on a legal stance. Given the fact that Muslims are a minority, they should not demand unnecessary special treatment from the government against the treatment accorded to other citizens, as though they are ‘last born in a family’. Doing this may create coveting and envy in other citizens, perhaps leading to tension. It is vital for Muslim leaders to have a workable knowledge of what Christianity says about peace building processes. To enhance Muslim knowledge on how to identify violence against Muslims in situations of violent conflicts in their society and to point that out on legal stances but being careful to avoid the use of violence. To equip Muslims with skills on how to demonstrate the relevance of human security with integral approaches to conflict transformation and peace building with Christians or non-Muslims in their communities. To build Muslim knowledge and skills to analyse their contexts, envision sustainable peace and draw up plans for conflict transformation and a peace-building framework in relationship with Christians or non-Muslims. In Christianity it is obvious that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. Therefore, it is better for Muslim leaders to engage Christian leaders when implementing initiatives for peace building and conflict resolution among the Muslim and Christian communities. Concluding recommendations In the light of the discussions above, the writer draws the following recommendations: If Christians and Muslims make half of the world population, then Christians and Muslims are likely to make two thirds (if not 90%) of the population in Sudan and South Sudan. So we must learn to live together. Relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims in Sudan are often contentious. It is better to avoid them getting out of hand. Have a fair knowledge of the socio-economical, historical, political and religious experiences of the people you are dealing with, in addition to the knowledge of the word of God. There are no racial, cultural or gender boundaries to the good news of salvation. Jesus is the Saviour of all and we need to present Him so to all. Try to turn simple and ordinary life experience into spiritual object lessons, unveiling theological truth for the expression of God’s love. Acknowledge all good qualities in Muslims, like love, kindness, trust, honesty and so on. This builds respect for what you want to offer him/her in Jesus. Instead of decrying the historically negative relationships that have been separating Muslims and Christians, it is surely better to cry out for the things that will unite the Sudanese and the South Sudanese across religious divides. Seek to be a community in which all Sudanese and South Sudanese Christians and Muslims, non-Christians and non-Muslims, male and female, are involved culturally and appropriately. To be cared for, supported and encouraged to be mindful of others and to have genuine relationship, but remembering this does not mean assimilation. If we are to have meaningful peace building relationships, then it seems appropriate for Christians to understand the underlying worldview of Muslims in relation to what they do, and its significance even in the context of conflict resolution. Give respect and value to all human beings. Seek good relationships with all the people you encounter, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, socio-economical, political or religious status or background. Every one is made in the “image of God”, Genesis 1:27, Colossians 3:9-10, James 3:9-10. Discussion questions 1. How much freedom should be given for individuals to practise Islam in South Sudan? Or to practise Christianity in Sudan? Why? See Sheikh Abdun Moteer comments above. 2. If Sudan denies individuals the human right to convert from Islam to Christianity, should South Sudan respond by not allowing Christians to convert to Islam? Why? Why not? 3. What would you do if you were asked to support the building of a mosque in your home area? Why? See Bishop Bismark’s dilemma above. 4. How can you try and relate to local Muslims in a way that will encourage non-violent resolution of any conflicts that may arise? See point 4 above. 5. Of the ten recommendations given in conclusion, which ones would you give top priority to, and why?

My life (put) alongside God's word. Section on National development Issues. by FOCUS (South Sudan). Please read thoughtfully these Scriptures: “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”, 2 Chronicles 7:14. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance”, Psalm 33:12. “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair”, Proverbs 1:1-3, 2:9. “By Me (wisdom) kings reign and rulers make laws that are just”, “I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing wealth on those who love Me and making their treasuries full”, Proverbs 8:15, 19-20. “The fear (reverent obedience) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”, Proverbs 9:10. “The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are His delight”, Proverbs 11:1. “He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished”, Proverbs 17:5. “It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice”, Proverbs 18:5. “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisors make victory sure”, Proverbs 11:14. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”, Proverbs 14:34. “Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness. Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth. A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will appease it. When a king’s face brightens, it means life; his favour is like a rain cloud in spring”, Proverbs 16:12-15. “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order. A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops”, Proverbs 28:2-3. “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan”, Proverbs 29:2. “By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down”, Proverbs 29:4. “If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure”, Proverbs 29:14. “Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time – for strength and not for drunkenness”, Ecclesiastes 10:17. “… Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil”, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. “Jesus said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’”, Matthew 22:21. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God”, Romans 13:1. “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil; live as servants (slaves) of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king”, 1 Peter 2:13-17. A proposed way forward for good governance of the country. A basis for restoration and nation building. “Where there is no vision the people perish: …”/ “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; …” Proverbs 29:18. (KJV/NIV). This proposal is the work of the Fellowship of Christian University Students (South Sudan), known as FOCUS (SS). FOCUS is made up of Christian students and graduates (called “Associates”, many of whom are now professional people) who subscribe to the vision, mission and core values of FOCUS. FOCUS’s calling is to raise and prepare godly leaders for the Church and the nation of South Sudan and beyond. In the context of the current situation in our nation we feel obliged and called to propose a way out of the severe troubles that have beset our land and this paper is a presentation of a proposed way forward for our nation. The vision of what we – and many others – would like our nation to be. We strongly desire South Sudan to be a nation: That is at peace and is developing its resources for the equal good of all people in all States. Where we are effectively and efficiently using and developing the many natural resources that are abundant in our nation, and with which we are building a comprehensive and efficient infrastructure and national economy. Where people who are qualified, experienced and committed in their jobs run the country at every level. Where we are South Sudanese first and members of our own particular tribes second; where each of us respects the people of all other tribes and we celebrate the different contributions each is able to offer to us all. Where regular education of high quality is available for every child from age 5yrs onwards through primary, secondary, tertiary (i.e. college and university) education and where effective and widespread vocational and business training is available to all. Where we can hold our heads up high in the world because we can do business with integrity and maturity and so other nations respect us and want to do business with us. Where our agricultural land is developed so that we can feed our own people without being dependent on aid from abroad. Where our health systems are developed to be widely accessible and of good quality, so that our citizens have both extended life expectancy and a better quality of life. Where our mothers can give birth safely and can rejoice in knowing there are secure futures for their children. Where our leaders are leaders of peace and for peace, and where the military way of solving problems is put aside and fades into distant memory in our history. How do we reach these goals in our nation? First we need to look at the challenges that are stopping us from being there now, and then see how we can move from where we are to where we want to be. So we look first at the challenges and then at the way forward: The main challenge The current situation of conflict that erupted on 15th December 2013 was not an isolated event; rather it was a consequence of shortcomings right from the onset of the interim period and the eventual independence of the Republic of South Sudan. It was common knowledge that the majority of the population was grumbling and discontented with how the country was moving and the lack of realisation of many of the anticipated peace dividends in terms of basic services. This was to be expected in a country where the expectations of the people were understandably very high but the needs were numerous and resources limited so the government was not able practicably to meet them all. Yet the people also feel that the will and resolve to serve the populace was not forthcoming. Instead they saw their leaders plundering the few resources for their own personal benefit and for that of their cronies. So the discontent spread. Another eminent factor was that the system appeared overwhelmed and found itself entangled in a vicious cycle – especially since all efforts and energy initially focused on ‘The Referendum’, 9-15th January 2011. There appeared to be no preparedness, plan or vision to see what the country would look like and where it should go after its independence. The way forward In order to move forward from where our nation is now we believe it needs a clear vision. The book of Proverbs tells us that “where there is no vision, the people perish…”, Proverbs 29:18 (KJV). There is a saying that if you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail! South Sudan therefore, needs a clear, shared and owned vision that will create a viable, developing, prospering and sustainable nation that upholds practices befitting the community of nations in this 21st century. With the myriad of complex socio-political, environmental and economic problems that confront us, the need for reinvigorated, visionary and integral leadership cannot be overemphasised. We would therefore like to see a leadership with a new paradigm shift of mindset from the old/current one where leadership is perceived (by leaders and followers) as “it is our turn to eat” to: “we are called to be the servants for the common good of all people”; for “leaders do not cause pain, but bear pain”. (Max DePree 'Leadership is an Art). We do firmly believe that ending the war in itself will not address the issues that have eventually surfaced, but we need a well meaning energetic and visionary leadership, committed to integrity, best practice and with systems and structures entirely dedicated to haul the nation out of the quagmire and set the country on the right path. South Sudan should and must never be the same again; it should not only reform itself, but undergo a metamorphic transformation – from a caterpillar to butterfly – a viable, stable, united, peaceful and developing nation for all South Sudanese; and not simply undergoing the shedding of old to a new shiny skin like the snake, which would be only temporal and unsustainable. Along with a vision that shows us clearly where we are going as a nation, we need a ‘Constitution’. The Constitution is like a royal covenant, based upon the fear of God and service to the people, and it ought to reflect the owned and shared aspirations of the people, enshrining the rights and obligations of the led and those leading – we can learn from the experiences of other nations’ success stories. This document does not give details of how the proposed reforms and structures should be instituted and executed, but is a guide on what we believe to be the real issues to be tackled. Detailed roadmaps need to be drafted by teams of experts in each area of speciality, for which they should be accorded reasonable time. We see the main issues as these: Dialogue, not armed conflict is needed. Our people are in dire need of peace and prosperity; war will never solve any problems, and dialogue is the only means to resolve differences in this 21st century civilised world. Good governance. The governance we are proposing is founded on the principle that ‘the citizenry and their leadership are in social contract’, where the leaders are there to serve the people – called to serve sacrificially and accountably, rather than lording it over the people and forging an elite of a privileged few. An Interim Government seems to be the most acceptable and suitable proposal for the majority of the grieving and suffering South Sudanese at this time. The International Community seems to agree. We ourselves believe it is the only feasible and sustainable way out of the current impasse. The current crisis has brought very hard and difficult times for the people of South Sudan who deserve better; and the people are shocked and devastated that in a period of less than three years after gaining independence, the country is immersed into such a vicious civil war and a cycle of revenge killings. 2a. Interim President and the composition of the Executive The period of the Interim Government should last for 2 years, (a maximum of 3 years only in exceptional circumstances, if felt necessary and demanded by the populace and all stakeholders). Its members should commit to serve in the interim period only, and never to aspire for a political career afterwards, i.e. not to contest in the elections post-interim period, and thereafter. It must be lean (small) and robust and its members must have the following qualifications: Politically neutral/impartial, fair minded and objective to serve across all the political divide; having no political agenda Men and women of proven honesty and integrity They should have the necessary technical skills, at all levels of government; qualified, capable and hardworking individuals Have a servant-hood attitude with the desire to serve the common good of the majority and the less privileged population; a willingness to serve sacrificially and pro-people orientated spirit. There should be an Interim National Assembly/Council (very lean/small parliament) comprising mature and experienced individuals of integrity who should abide with the same conditions as above. 2b. Mandate of the Interim Government Restore peace, security and confidence throughout the nation Set the foundation and apparatus for national unity and state building in all its aspects; including socially, economically and democratically Build good and cordial relations regionally and internationally Set the foundation for economic renaissance and sustainability Complete amicably all the post-independent issues with Sudan Entrench intolerance for corruption, nepotism and tribalism in all sectors of public and private life throughout the country Organise a graceful and honourable exit for the incumbent leadership and veterans, so that their liberation efforts and sacrifices are recognised and they are accorded the necessary conditions to step aside with dignity. 3. Proposed goals to be achieved during the interim period i. Drafting of a permanent Constitution a. The Constitutional Review Commission body should be reconstituted to work on and produce the permanent Constitution and shall carry out a referendum to pass the Constitution, within a clearly specified timeline. b. The permanent Constitution should derive its authority from the will of the people of South Sudan and it should be the supreme law of the country to which all powers and political authorities should submit. c. It should be ensured that the Constitutional Review Committee is inclusive in terms of gender, ethnicity and disability as well as regional and political party representations, including civil society. The Committee should not have more than one third of its members from any one single party. d. It shall have a binding force on all persons and on all institutions, organisations and government agencies throughout the country. e. The Constitution should provide for a federal system of governance with devolved powers to the states and a set term limit for the President. ii. Good governance and civil rights (privileges – rights and benefits) There should be the establishment of a participatory, transparent and accountable government that promotes effective, efficient and equitable service delivery and development, and upholds the rule of law. In order to do this the Interim Government must: a. Establish laws to govern a multi-party system in the country and the registration of political parties. b. Foster democratic values. c. Carry out the process of national healing and reconciliation. d. Ensure that political, social and economic priorities are based on broad consensus in the country and the voices of the poorest are heard in decision making over the allocation of development resources. e. Establish and ensure a culture of a free and independent media. f. Create a conducive environment for the functioning of civic societies in order to promote democratic principles and accountability. g. Conduct a credible census throughout the country. h. Oversee the setting up of free, fair and equal political party platforms and an Independent Electoral Commission. iii. Comprehensive reform in all security and organised forces (including an organised demobilisation and disarmament process) The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) must be de-politicised, reformed and re-named to disassociate it both directly and indirectly from any political party affiliation. It should be nonpartisan, national in character, patriotic, regular, professional, disciplined, productive and subordinate to the civilian authority. An International force in the form of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and other neutral and credible regional bodies should be strategically stationed in the trouble spots to maintain law and order until elections have taken place, a permanent Constitution passed, and a credibly elected government installed. The various national security organisations must be reorganised and reformed. An effective demobilisation, disarmament and rehabilitation process must be carried out. All military pacts with foreign countries should be reviewed. iv. Public service reform The effectiveness and efficiency of a country’s public sector is vital to the provision of services and the success of development activities of the country, thus: Recruitment and hiring must be based on qualifications and merit of skills and experience, and must be carried out by an independent body which itself is made up from a qualified cadre. Institutions that deal with public sector management must be developed and strengthened, with an emphasis on public finances and public employment. Civil service and administration components must be strengthened, and they should be provided with a better framework, with clear indicators set, and more attention given to the budget execution phase of financial management. An adaptable and efficient public service must be developed, which must be able to anticipate emerging challenges and ensure that potential strategies are informed by a better understanding of future contexts. A performance audit body with support from the International Community should be formed to review previous employments and determine whether the employment was based on professional merit and whether the qualifications set for the job were met. If any employee is found to have been employed on factors other than merit then he/she should be replaced with a suitably qualified person. v. Judicial reform A judicial review and reform should be carried out to ensure that the independence and efficiency of the Judiciary is enhanced and sustained. Attention must be given to its capacity, and both systemic and personnel issues that had abated the institution must be addressed. vi. Strategic economic development road map The primary purpose of the economic development road map is to accelerate progress in achieving sustainable development throughout the nation. It is also there to enhance peace building. It should align its objectives with the South Sudan’s Development Vision 2040 (to be reviewed also), and should become a framework to enhance partnership and mutual accountability. Its goals should be: Development and diversification of a sustainable and resilient national economy. To create an enabling environment for improved and sustainable agribusiness to ensure production, food security and nutrition. Also to improve market access so as to enhance livelihoods and the resilience of both rural and urban communities. To put public finances on a more sustainable footing across all levels of government through rigorous adherence to national laws and international standards. This will result in better resource allocation, increased budget discipline, higher non-oil revenues, prudent petroleum revenue management and an efficient foreign exchange market, as well as effective auditing and transparent public disclosure. To put in place policies and procedures that are fully functional for sustainable development and maintenance of infrastructure and to ensure and regulate effective social and economic activities. To increase partnership, co-ordination and mutual accountability with development partners. To ensure that development partners provide timely and comprehensive one-year data on aid-flows to the states, sectors and institutions of South Sudan, with reports of the results they achieve for citizens. A unit of government should be tasked to thoroughly monitor and follow up their activities. To establish an efficient tax / revenue system under an autonomous authority. 4. Natural resources and petroleum a. The Petroleum Act must be strengthened to include transparency and efficient utilisation of resources to provide vital services to the people. At the same time the non-oil sectors of the nation’s economy must be diversified. b. A Finance and Development Committee should be created from civil servants in the finance, economic, planning and infrastructure ministries to monitor and regulate the spending of money allocated for developing the country’s infrastructure and to oversee the transparent use of the country’s finances. The Committee will work together with the Oil and Petroleum Committees, including the watchdog agencies. 5. Infrastructure sector Infrastructure planning and investment are critical if South Sudan’s economic, social and developmental potentials are to be realised. Energy, water, roads and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) are the catalyst for the development of South Sudan and their development should be given a high and urgent priority. An improved infrastructure would facilitate increased national and regional trade; it would reduce the cost of doing business and enhance our competitiveness in the global economy. It would also become a catalyst to economic transformation and would bring diversification through industrialisation as well as added value and sustainable growth. The immediate priority for the country is the development of roads, energy and communication infrastructure to spur economic development and lift the country to a new level in the provision of basic services. The following should therefore be addressed: i. Ensure the enactment of infrastructure-related policies, bills, laws and regulatory frameworks. ii. Establish a proper independent procurement and disposal body with clear contract policies and regulations. This should be formed with the help of international partners and should be staffed with highly qualified and experienced personnel to specifically handle procurement contracts and processes for infrastructure development and other big projects. iii. Infrastructure contracts should be in compliance with national and international procurement regulations and guidelines, ensuring fair, competitive and transparent processes. iv. An implementation and regulatory institution should be established which should be staffed with competent personnel and made fully operational with an allocated budget. v. The establishment is needed of a coherent and comprehensive human resource development framework that meets the needs of all sectors and takes into account global value chains as part of broader development and investment strategies. vi. Since the financing of infrastructure projects is beyond the scope of the government, there should be private sector participation through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for the delivery of various infrastructure projects. vii. The independent watchdog bodies should be facilitated to review all previously awarded contracts with a view to the recovery of stolen assets. 6. Service sector Poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that affects populations through reduced access to health care, education and economic opportunities. There has been almost no development in the form of basic services over the past five decades since independence of Sudan and even after the more recent independence of South Sudan. This is clearly seen in the poor levels of various social services, with low literacy levels, high infant mortality rates and poor access to water and sanitation. Two decades of conflict and the recent conflict have resulted in many not having access to schools, hospitals or safe sources of drinking water. 6a. Health sector The infant mortality rate in South Sudan in 2006 was 102 per 1000 live births which is the ninth highest in the world. In the same year, the maternal mortality rate was 2054 per 100,000 live births, rated the highest in the world. Nutritional intake remains a challenge with 33% of the children under the age of five moderately or severely underweight and 34% suffering from moderate or severe stunting. Priority should be given to the following areas: Strengthening the health systems: improving hospitals and health care and training health and medical personnel. Improvement of maternal, newborn and child health. Ensure mothers and babies have regular access to health care. Measures should be increased against infectious diseases. 6b. Education sector Education, especially primary education, is the basis of human resource development and one of the most important elements for stable growth. South Sudan is a young nation, with over 4 million children below the age of 18 in 2008. In 2010 it was estimated that there were over 2 million children of primary school age but only 900,000 were actually attending school. The priorities needed are: i. Basic education: to follow a “school for all” model Development of the school management programme Construction of primary and secondary schools Training teachers The provision of school meals programme ii. Post primary education and higher education/research centres Encourage national schools/institutions that bring young people together from different parts of the country. Review the curriculum to include subjects that promote integrity, nation building and the appreciating of diversities. Establish a few quality vocational institutes to train youth and demobilised combatants who have missed out from the school age. Focus on the established tertiary institutions; fund and build their capacities in order to provide quality university education from within the country with the support of partners. 7. Land policy reform There should be a review of the Land Policy and Act developed in 2010 and submitted to the government for approval (The draft Land Policy indicated three regimes: (1) Community land, (2) Public land and (3) Private land with the government being the custodian but communities taking charge of their land (and once the government needs land for public use, it negotiates with the community). There should be developed a Community Land Act, a Land Valuation Act, and a Survey Act, each with its implementation regulations. To tie to the Land Policy, each State needs to develop an implementing or State Land Act. Thereafter each State will need to carry out a land inventory as well as land use planning. There should be an audit review on all allocated land by government, other bodies or individuals, to ensure that correct procedures have been followed and issues of land grabbing should be addressed. 8. Transparency and accountability 1. Strengthen and enhance watchdog institutions and develop legal frameworks to secure their statutory full independence. This should cover all aspects including staffing, operations and budgeting. Develop capable, accountable and responsive accountability institutions at national and sub-national levels. They should be fully resourced annually to independently deliver against their strategic action plans, and be given unrestricted space for citizen empowerment, beneficiary monitoring and social accountability. Ensure that there is accountability and transparency in all government business processes. The government has an obligation to report, explain and be answerable for the consequences of decisions or acts it has committed on behalf of the people. The citizens should be able to follow and understand the decision-making process. They should be able to clearly see how and why a decision was made, what information, advice and consultation were considered and which legislation requirements were followed. Engage in asset recovery amnesty initiatives among other things, non-conviction based with co-operating individuals. Set up a fund for a rapid recovery programme (health, education, agriculture and infrastructure) to be funded by recovered assets. 9. Truth, reconciliation and forgiveness The truth, reconciliation and forgiveness process is the cornerstone of all the initiatives because without reconciliation, South Sudan will never be a stable country. All communities in South Sudan must accept each other and have a spirit of belonging not only to their single communities, but to the whole of South Sudan. True reconciliation will create unity in diversity. For the reconciliation to be effective the truth must be known; therefore in the process of reconciliation there must be a Commission of Inquiry to make fact-findings of the root causes to our problems and the individual grievances of all communities addressed. The Commission of Inquiry shall be composed of the representatives of all States of South Sudan and shall include International representation as a neutral body. All South Sudanese people shall be committed to accept the results and outcomes of the Commission and people found by it to have committed atrocities shall be accountable for what they have done. 10. Consolidation of peace - conflict prevention Years of conflict, war and neglect have left South Sudan one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world, despite its vast rich resource base. Further conflict can be prevented through: Supporting peace education, especially to strengthen the capacity of leaders and youth in peace education and conflict resolution. Improvement of living conditions, as outlined in this document. FOCUS (SS) therefore commends this vision to all of the people and leaders of our beloved nation, believing that this way forward is right for peace, prosperity and the hope that we all long for, where every citizen will have a stake. There is a saying that ‘we have not inherited the land from our ancestors, but borrowed it from our descendants’. May God bless South Sudan. First published May 2014, by FOCUS (SS) in Juba. Discussion questions: 1. How can people be encouraged to be “South Sudanese first and members of our own particular tribes second”? See first section, point 4. What are the most difficult barriers to achieving this? How can they be overcome? 2. How can Christians encourage dialogue and discourage armed conflict between parties? See main issues, point 1. Suggest as many practical steps as you can. 3. Suggest ways of having “entrenched intolerance” for governmental evil, while also offering “a graceful and honourable exit” to possible perpetrators who have been in leadership. See 2b, 6th and 7th bullet points. 4. Why is “human resource development” so important? See 6a Education sector. Think about how people are created “in the image of God”, Genesis 1:27. What difference does this make to the value of each individual? 5. What space should be given to those who oppose your own vision for the country? Why? How? 6. I placed the Scriptures at the start of this article, pages 129-131, (the editor). Which ones would you say are the most relevant? Pick five and say, ‘Why’.

My life (put) alongside God's word. Section on National Development Issues. by Alex Bolek Abuk I was privileged in 2006 to visit Singapore to attend a training course. To provide some background about the nation, we were given a briefing about the island nation’s history. One of the striking things I will never forget from that briefing was the fact that such a well developed nation had not any natural resources when it got its independence from Malaysia in 1965, except for the land and the sea around it. As someone who came from part of a country that was about to become an independent state (South Sudan), I became very interested in that and I listened with care because I wanted to know the secret behind their development. Here is what our host said: “When we became independent from Malaysia in 1965, we only had the land and the water around us, no oil, no gold, no forests, nothing ... The only resource, and the most important one we had, was our human resource and with our human resource we built this nation”. How important is our human resource? Do we place any value on it? Human resource is the most important resource that brings all other resources to better exploitation and utilisation. Nations like Singapore have placed great importance and value on their human resources, above anything else. Today Singapore is one of the most developed nations in the East Asian region. Their secret lies in what they called the ‘Lee Principle of Development.’ The principle comprises three essential elements to development. Mr. Lee Kuan, the first Prime Minister of the island after its independence, applied the three alphabet letters of his name (L.E.E) as three principles for developing his nation. Here is how His Excellency Lee did it: L = Law and order (peace, tranquility) E = Education (good educational system) E = Economy (strong or stable economy). As a result of the application of this principle as we shall see in detail below, Singapore came up to a first world status. Here is what the Wikipedia website says about Singapore during Mr. Lee’s term in office: “During Lee Kuan Yew’s term as prime minister from 1959 to 1990, his administration curbed unemployment, raised the standard of living and implemented a large-scale public housing programme. The country’s economic infrastructure was developed, racial tension was eliminated and an independent national defence system was created. Singapore evolved from a developing nation to first world status towards the end of the 20th century”. Now let’s look at how those three indicators brought development to Singapore: L = Law and order Mr. Lee reasoned that for development to happen in Singapore, there must first be ‘law and order’ meaning that there must first be peace and tranquility in the whole nation as a first and foremost prerequisite. From the information I obtained at Wikipedia we see that Mr. Lee first eliminated ‘racial tension’. Singapore has many ethnicities – Chinese (majority), Indians, Malay and others. But it is peaceful everywhere. No ethnic or racial clashes are heard of or reported anywhere. In our South Sudan situation and context, this would mean the elimination of tribal fights, cattle rustling and any other sort of civil unrest. Before significant development happens in South Sudan (or Sudan) there must first be law and order. For when there are shootings and riots in the streets all these developmental activities come to a halt. Which investor would risk bringing in millions of his dollars to invest in a nation or city where there is turmoil and political instability? While writing this article I received the following text message (23rd September 2013), “Gunshots were reported this morning between Hai Cinema and Hai Malakal in Juba at around 06:45. Initial reports indicate that security forces engaged armed criminals near the All Saints Church, which led to several minutes of sustained gunfire. The situation is now reportedly back to normal”. This is happening right in the heart of Juba, our capital city, in the early morning hours when people are going to their works and businesses! The relationship between ‘Law and Order’ and ‘development’ is clearly seen during the era of King Asa of Judah reading 2 Chronicles 14:1-7. In this Bible text, ‘law and order’ (peace) clearly comes before ‘city, town (and nation) building.’ (See my other chapter here: The Importance of Peace in a Nation, chapter 19). The Bible says that Judah was at peace for ten years and that no one was at war with King Asa during those years, for the Lord gave him rest. Reading the ‘ten years of peace’ during Asa’s era was of special meaning to me. It reminded me of our ‘ten years’ of peace in Sudan after the Addis Ababa Agreement from 1972 to 1982 before the civil war broke out again in 1983. The first civil war stopped when some of us were kids ready for school. We were the first generation to go to school right after the 1972 Addis Ababa peace accord between the South Sudan Liberation Movement (Any Anya) led by H.E. General Joseph Lagu and the government of President Nimeri in Khartoum. The fact that I am able to write these lines is a fruit of those ten years of peace. Most of the educated people resources, who are the workforce in offices today, came from the education dose injected during those ten years of peace (correct me if I am wrong). How important peace is to a nation, especially when it is a true and permanent peace enjoyed with genuine freedoms! Because of that peaceful time King Asa was able to come up with an initiative to build the nation. He urged his people to seize the opportunity of the peace they had, so they built and prospered, 2 Chronicles 14:7. Development and prosperity are things that we all talk and dream of but do we first work out the determining factors? Do we lawfully strive for peace, law and order? Peace first then building and prosperity. It is also important to note that it is the Lord God who gives peaceful times and who removes all wars and turmoil. Although police and armed forces can enforce law and order, real peace can only come from God. Police can be everywhere but robberies and murder still go on, as we experience now in Juba. True peace and quiet come from God’s gracious hand. Nation building and national development cannot happen when there is shooting, bombing or riots of any kind in the streets, as already mentioned. A calm society is an ideal, conducive environment for development and growth to take place. This is why the apostle Paul in the Bible urges us to pray for political leaders so that we experience peace and live an honourable life, “I urge, then, first of all that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”, 1Timothy 2:1-2. We need to pray as a Church, not for short periods of peace like the ten years of Asa’s era or in the then united Sudan, but for a constant, long-lasting, durable peace. It is difficult for citizens to lead quiet, peaceful, godly and honest lives under circumstances of insecurity and violence. King Asa also removed the foreign altars and the high places in all the cities of Judah. Idolatry brings curse to a nation because people turn their backs on Almighty God to worship false gods. The removal of foreign gods with any form of idolatry and witchcraft in the land is a confession that as a nation we will worship one God, the true and the living God. As we acknowledge and give God His right place in our nation, we will always enjoy peace and prosperity. Nations that were founded on Christian values like the United States of America have prospered because of God’s blessing. Their founding fathers, like George Washington for instance, said: “It is impossible to rule this nation without God and the Bible”. Hearing this, God lifted that nation to the level it is in today. Let us give God His rightful place in our lives, in our families and in our nation and we will see how blessed we are! Another good example of a peaceful era was that of king Solomon. The Bible says, “During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba (as we used to say, ‘from Nimule to Wadi Halfa’ when Sudan was one country), lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig-tree”, 1 Kings 4:25. I would love to live in such an era and in such a nation where all the corners of the country are peaceful. I remember as a student at the University of Oradea in Western Romania, I always booked an evening train to the capital Bucharest on which we travelled for twelve all-night hours, peacefully, without any harassment or looting on the way. As somebody who has experienced the bitterness of two civil wars I really long to see peaceful times and most importantly a permanent and long lasting peace. I hate to hear gunshots. Now that we are an independent nation, it is high time to build. Enough tribal fights and clashes, enough cattle rustling. It is time to send our children to school, all of them, every boy and every girl. E 1 = Education (good education) The first E in Mr. Lee’s name stands for Education. That is Mr. Lee’s second element in his development principle. Education is a powerful factor in the development wheel. Education influences all the other factors, including law & order and a stable economy. Good education produces quality human resources and quality people bring development. No nation develops without giving good education to its children. Nations that have no proper education depend on bringing in capable expatriates who have a better education. I am not ruling out the fact that expatriates are still needed, even in nations with a high education level. Experts and consultants in some fields are hired everywhere around the globe. But when expatriates are needed, they should come to meet a real need and not to fix simple things that nationals with an average education could and should have taken care of. A nation’s development is not measured by how many skyscrapers it has built. A nations’ standard of development is measured by what is known as Human Development Index, (HDI), in which we see education as one of the core components. HDI is a composite statistic used to rank countries by the level of "human development" and it classifies nations into developed (high development), developing (middle development), and underdeveloped (low development) countries. Three important statistics collected at the national level are taken into consideration: life expectancy, education and per-capita Gross National Income (GNI) as an indicator of the standard of living. Here we see education as a major component of Human Development Index. Lee established a good educational system in Singapore that in turn brought development to the whole nation. Human resource development is the most important investment a country can ever make. All too often governments fix their eyes on ‘natural resources’ such as minerals, agriculture, water, etc., while forgetting their most important source of economic wealth, which is human resource. E 2 = Economy (strong and stable) Mr. Lee finally reasoned that a strong and stable economy would contribute to development. Good or strong economy, although it is a goal by itself, is very much a product of peace, order and a good educational system. Law and order plus a good educational system produce a strong and stable economy. (Our economists will know better than I do which other factors also contribute to this). We cannot expect any nation on earth to have a strong economy without having peace and a good educational system. Good and stable economy in turn leads to a peaceful society and hence good educational system. These three development factors directly and inversely affect each other. If we remove one of those indicators from the equation, the situation becomes chaotic! Without law and order, there is turmoil, a lack of education and no strong economy. If education is removed, illiteracy or little education comes in with all that is associated with it, disorder and all kinds of evil, leave alone any dreams of having a strong economy! If strong and stable economy is taken away from that equation, what do we end up with? Think of it! Societies that have a good level of education and that have been in political stability for many years are flung into all sorts of civil unrest, confusion and damage to all of their systems including their educational system, when their economies crumbled! _____________________________________________________________________ The “LEE” principle of development (hyphen, –, = ‘leads to’): Law and order – good education – strong economy – law and order. Good education – law and order – strong economy – good education. Strong economy – good education – law and order – strong economy. We can also say that two factors can combine to produce one: Law and order + good education = good economy. Good economy + law and order = good education. Good education + good economy = law and order. _______________________________________________________________________ In conclusion, the Lee Principle is a principle that is worth imitating in South Sudan. We are in a similar situation compared to Singapore after its independence. Although we have natural resources, we need to give priority to developing our human resources above anything else. We need a good educational system that produces quality and capable people-resources who can build a strong and stable economy. We need law and order as there is insecurity everywhere in South Sudan at present. Stable, strong and a continuously growing and booming economy will come, once security, stability and good education are in place. We need to be open to learning from other countries that have gone through similar situations to ours, (Singapore, East Timor and others). Let us all pray and work for peace in our beloved nation. If we do so, we will enjoy a long lasting peace and a much better future for our children. First printed in The Citizen Newspaper, Juba, on 17th October 2013. Slightly amended here. Discussion questions 1. How important is our human resource – our people development? Why? 2. What role should prayer play in making and maintaining peace in society? How is this best done? Be as practical as you can be. Consider 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Philippians 4:6; Jeremiah 29:7-9. 3. Is the Book of Common Prayer (1662) right in restricting this prayer, “for all Christian kings”? Why? Why not? 4. What difference does it make when your nation has a non-Christian government or is not founded on Christian principles? Does it become “Impossible to rule this nation without God and the Bible”? See USA /George Washington above. What position should Christians take? 5. Dr Alex Bolek suggests “economists will know better than I do which other factors contribute to” good development. What do you believe is needed? Why? See E 2 above.

My life (put) alongside God's word. Section on National development issues. by Alex Bolek Abuk Peace or ‘shalom’ in Hebrew tradition is more than just simply peace, as it is known in our daily life. It is a complete peace in its broadest sense, a package comprising of contentment, completeness, wholeness, wellbeing and harmony. Shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfection, fullness, rest, harmony and the absence of agitation or discord. (www.therefinersfire.org) Health, “the state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, (World Health Organisation), has been adapted from the Hebrew concept of peace. A person, family, community and nation blessed with peace in its real sense are truly blessed. How would a nation be if it has all the characteristics mentioned above? It would be the most ideal nation and place on earth one would love to live in! In these turbulent times, it is rare to find a nation that is completely at peace with itself and with neighbouring countries because many factors like socio-economic crises and political disputes emerge from time to time. This is why the Lord Jesus told His disciples that compared to this world’s peace the peace that He (Jesus) gives is different. It is an internal peace, a peace of mind and heart in times of trouble. Someone put it that, “Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God.” The Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”, Psalm 46:1, also Psalm 91:1-16. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”, John 14:27. This world’s peace is a fragile and temporary peace because it is an external peace that can be disturbed by external factors. Yet in times of civil unrest, wise political leaders and peace-loving citizens should strive for peace because of advantages peace has for a nation. War brings with it hosts of problems that directly and indirectly affect civilian populations. How often do innocent civilians become victims of political struggles? When war breaks out, the themes are always ‘Liberation from oppression’ or ‘Defending national sovereignty and national security’, which are great. But in the process, innocent civilians suffer a great deal. The African proverb is true, ‘When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers’. This is why it is important to pray for political leaders so that a country is blessed with peace to avoid citizens falling as victims of wars. The Bible gives many reasons why peace, ‘shalom’, is important for a nation. For the sake of space, I have selected the following eight: 1. Peace preserves human life and prevents material loss The prophet Hosea in his book speaks of the devastating effects of war on both human life and infrastructure, effects that do not happen in times of peace. “The roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses (=infrastructure) will be devastated — as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children” (=human losses), Hosea 10:14. War is destructive both to human life and to material resources. In terms of human losses, in wartime young people die more than others on battle frontlines, because they are a target for mobilisation and recruitment in the army and other auxiliary forces, to defend national sovereignty. But whenever there are random shootings and bombings, lives are lost irrespective of age, sex and socio-economic status. Innocent women, children, old people and the rest fall victims in such situations. The war in Syria for instance, where there is random shelling and shooting by both the government security forces and the opposition groups, has claimed countless civilian lives. The recent and current crisis in South Sudan is one example that is clear and evident to all. In just a few weeks over a thousand people have been reported dead. In time of peace, this does not happen. People don’t die in such big numbers in such a short time. Infrastructure as well is also destroyed. In civil wars, bridges are bombed and blown up, buildings like schools, hospitals, civilian houses, offices, factories etc. are demolished. And when a peace deal is reached, the warring parties start rebuilding what their very hands have destroyed. This takes a long time to rebuild and drains the nation’s resources that could have gone for other developmental projects, if there were no wars. In terms of development, war takes nations back to square one. But even if the demolished infrastructure could be rebuilt, how about human life? Can it be replaced? 2. Peace increases life expectancy The prophet Zechariah in his book talks about a time when God would bring peace to Jerusalem so that people live to a ripe old age as a result. As a sign of peace, the streets and playgrounds would be filled with young people playing. Sports are a sign of peace in a city. “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there”, Zechariah 8:4-5. As a result of civil wars and the related chronic socio-economic and health problems, life expectancy (the average number of years a person can expect to live) in countries with civil wars has gone down compared to other countries that are in peace. Health indicators like maternal and infant mortality rates are worse in countries that are under civil wars. Take for instance my country South Sudan. For every 100,000 live births, more than 2,000 (2,054) mothers die. This is attributed to a lack of well-trained health cadres, lack of well-equipped health facilities and drugs, bad roads and other reasons all due to civil war. But when there is peace these unnecessary deaths are avoided and people live to a ripe old age. Whenever there is civil unrest, people die before time, Ecclesiastes 7:16-17. 3. War causes citizens displacement to live as refugees and Internally Displaced Persons/People (IDPs) The book of second Kings narrates a true history when there was a mass displacement of citizens from Israel to Egypt. An incident happened in which Ishmael son of Nethaniah, who was of royal blood, assassinated Gedaliah the governor appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar after the Babylonian invasion and capture of Jerusalem. Other high ranking government officials, both Jews and Babylonians, were killed alongside Gedaliah. As a result of this incident, the citizens, even the army officers, reasoned that the Babylonians would come to avenge the blood of their officials killed with Gedaliah. So they fled to Egypt to live as refugees. “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah … Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians”, 2 Kings 25:22, 25-26. Displacement conditions are hostile. I have seen how our people lived in slums as IDPs in displaced camps around Khartoum, and in dire poverty in neighbouring countries as refugees, during the years of civil war in the Sudan. Many of our people died in displaced or refugee camps and in the bush while trying to cross international borders to find safety and refuge in neighbouring countries. In civil wars, the majority of deaths are caused by indirect actions rather than by sword or gunshot. During the civil war between the armies of King David and those of his son Absalom who rebelled against him, the Bible says the forests (hostile conditions) claimed more lives than the sword. “The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword”, 2 Samuel 18: 8. I read the following in an Arabic language newspaper Alahram Alyom in Khartoum about a World Health Organisation report on deaths related to the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan: “WHO confirmed that 80% of people who died in Darfur died as a result of epidemics (infectious diseases) and not from violence (gunshot)!” When I read this, my eyes were opened wide as it seems to be confirming what the Bible is saying in the scripture above. According to this report, the majority (80%) of deaths, although related to the crisis in the region, did not result from direct violence but from diseases. If this report is correct, it confirms what the scripture above is saying. It was reported that over two million people died in South Sudan during the 21 years of civil war. How many of those two million people (or those one thousand in the recent crisis) actually died of gunshot? Probably only a little percentage. But the conditions of displacement (forest), where people were subjected to starvation, poor living and insanitary conditions, infectious diseases like malaria, walking for long distances on foot without food and water, ferocious animals etc., all contributed to the majority of the deaths. 4. In war time, citizens are tortured and their properties are looted To substantiate this point, the book of the prophet Ezekiel reports what happened when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded Tyre and Egypt: “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw (=torture). Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army”, (=stealing and pillaging of properties, robbing as the spoils of war), Ezekiel 29: 18, 19. When soldiers (both regular and rebel) are sent out for operations in wartime where they go for weeks or months away from home without food or money, what do they do? The only and easiest alternative they have is to resort to loot and plunder citizens’ properties for their wages, leave alone other evil acts like rape. This happened in South Sudan during the first two civil wars. We have seen the extent of looting and devastation in the recent crisis (2014). If this can happen in South Sudan, it can happen anywhere, wherever there is war. Robbers who are neither government soldiers nor rebels also take advantage of such circumstances. In the recent crisis in Juba, I know of at least one citizen whose house was looted before his eyes at gunpoint and everything valuable was carried away. When I asked him about the identity of those who looted his house, his answer was, “I can’t really tell because some were in military uniform but others were in civilian clothes.” Even robbers in such a situation can easily find armed forces’ uniform and be ‘wolves in sheep’s skin’. It is important to note here that this is not to be generalised to all soldiers. There are well-disciplined and God-fearing soldiers who do their national duty well and never loot or rape under any circumstances, see Luke 2:14. What I am saying here is that looting and rape are common phenomena, reported all over the world in war circumstances. Some undisciplined soldiers might be out of control and reckless even if their direct commanders gave them orders not to do such acts. 5. In war time the peaceful movement of citizens and goods is hampered One of the adverse side effects of war is the restriction or hindrance of citizens’ movement and the flow of goods in a country. Here is what the Bible says, “In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another”, 2 Chronicles 15:5-6. According to this scripture, ‘it was not safe to travel’. In our modern time, this could be due to road ambushes (see example below), land mines, many check points and questionings at those check points by security agents as to where citizens are travelling and why, if they have ID cards or not etc. The scripture above also says that ‘all’ the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. When wars happen, they affect all the citizens in the land without any exception of class, nationality, race, age or sex. There was no citizen who was unaffected by the wars. Everyone was unable to travel freely, all were starving and going without food, all were going without salaries, all were going without health care, all were without schools, all were under dangers of death any time…name it! Many of you have experienced this! When a country is at war, roads are blocked and citizens are confined to their cities and villages. In the Bible days when the citizens of Shechem were in crisis with Abimelech and hunting for him, the Bible says that they positioned men on the hilltops to ambush and rob anyone who happened to pass by. The Book of Judges tells us: “In opposition to him (Abimelech) these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelech”, Judges 9:25. Look at that! ‘Anyone’ who happened to pass by that road was a potential candidate for ambushing and robbing. It is clearly not Abimelech suffering but the innocent citizens! The ‘Abimelech’ they are hunting for might be hiding where they cannot get him or might have even fled to a neighbouring country. He is nowhere to be found. So civilians become victims on his behalf. Here travelling became really dangerous as there were ambushes on the roads. If it is ‘Abimelech’ that they wanted, why set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob every innocent civilian who happened to pass by? Innocent civilians who have nothing to do with politics have always suffered when authorities hunt for ‘Abimelech’ or ‘the rebels’ they want. ‘Ambushing and robbing’ here also supports the point of ‘looting and plunder’ for wages I talked about above. The soldiers were looking or hunting for Abimelech or ‘the rebels’, but while they were doing that they also ambushed civilians and robbed their properties! Weeks ago on Juba-Yei Road, some cash was forcefully taken from my colleague and others travelling, by a group that blocked the road. Thank God my friend and those with him were not murdered! Freedom of movement, travel within a country and across its international borders, is of utmost importance to citizens. Safe travel and movement of goods anytime and anywhere within a country is a sign that the country is at peace. This boosts economic growth. Roads, both national and international, are the economic arteries of a nation. Although they are good for citizens’ easy and fast movement, they also serve economic purposes. Goods come in through roads that are safe, and once they are blocked by army, rebels or robbers, or infested with land mines, goods disappear from the markets and prices immediately shoot up. In war times, goods also get looted on the way by elements that make use of the war situation for their own ends. The city of Juba and almost all cities and towns in South Sudan went through times of starvation while they were under siege during the civil wars. When travelling on the main roads becomes dangerous due to insecurity, citizens resort to using other paths that would not be used if there were peace. Here people resort to walking on paths, as public roads used by vehicles are no longer usable by pedestrians, yet another suffering for civilians. The Bible records a time in the era of Israel’s judges Shamgar and Jael when the usual roads were abandoned and travellers used other alternative ‘winding’ (forest, mountainous) roads. “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travellers took to winding paths. Village life in Israel ceased”, Judges 5:6-7. When the civil war broke out in 1983 in south Sudan, people thought it would stop in few days or weeks but it continued for over twenty years. It is easy to start a war but difficult to stop it. As a result, the main roads between cities in south Sudan stopped being used by civilians and citizens started using country bush roads. I remember meeting a relative in the 1990s who happened to come to Juba through those ‘winding paths’. When I asked him how he managed to come into the city, he told me, “I had to walk for days using countryside roads as the main roads are not safe.” War makes main roads be abandoned and this affects all citizens’ movement and the flow of goods into the markets. 6. Peace fosters nation building and economic growth Peace is a prerequisite for nation building. During the time of king Asa, the Kingdom of Judah enjoyed a time of peace and the king came up with an initiative to build the nation making use of the peaceful time they had. “Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years. Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to obey his laws and commands. He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest. “Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered”, 2 Chronicles 14:1-7. Because Asa’s kingdom enjoyed ten years of peace they were able to build a prosperous nation. King Asa was able to summon his people to a common agenda of ‘nation building’ because there was peace. “Let us build up these towns”, he said to Judah. They built and they prospered. Asa’s kingdom also had rest on ‘every side’. This means there were no civil wars and there were no wars with neighbouring nations. A nation at peace with itself and with the neighbouring countries is a blessed nation. My country Sudan has always been in civil wars and this has kept us behind in terms of development. Today as I write these lines, my country South Sudan is witnessing a third civil war, a tragedy that will hamper development in this nation for many decades to come. Wars affect all spheres of life, social, economic, health, education, etc. The Bible says there were ten years of peace during the reign of King Asa. Those ten years reminded me of the ten years of peace in Sudan after the first civil war (1972-1982) before the second civil war broke out in 1983. In those ten years a lot of good things happened. One of them was that schools were opened and I am one of the privileged children who went to school at that time. If it were not for those ten years of peace, I would not be able to write these lines today. Those ten years saved my generation from illiteracy. In civil wars education, among other developmental activities, is affected. Here is another headline from Allahram Alyom newspaper: “Security Situation in Jebel Marra (Darfur) prevents 894 pupils from sitting Primary/Basic Leaving Certificate Examinations.” What this article intends to communicate is clear to all. The message is that peace edifies but war destroys. Peace brings growth and development but war takes nations backwards. Nearly 900 students were not able to sit for their exam because of insecurity! This kept them one year behind. What if the war continues? Their future is jeopardised! As someone who has experienced perils of two civil wars, (born during the first 1955-1972, and grew up during the second 1983-2005) and now in a third one that I pray should quickly stop, post independence, I really hate to hear the sound of gunshot. I long to spend the remaining years of my life in peace. We need to pray for a long lasting peace and not only for few years of peace then back to war! In our South Sudan situation peaceful ‘law and order’ would mean the elimination of tribal fights, cattle rustling and any sort of civil unrest, including armed struggles within or among political parties as are happening now. Before educators open school doors, before farmers go to their farms, before businesses open up, before engineers go to their works, before investors and development partners come into a nation or city, before all in the nation do anything; there must first be law and order. When there are shootings and riots in the streets all these developmental activities come to a halt. No investor would think of bringing millions of his dollars to invest in a failing and fragile State. (editor’s note: Sadly, South Sudan is top of the world’s list of failing states as we publish this book). In the Western world when there is national crisis of any kind, for instance citizens’ riots that have caused economic losses, they estimate their losses and how much time would be needed to recover those losses. This helps them to learn lessons, work hard to avoid future crises, bring development back to its feet (pre-crisis level) and keep it moving forward. I wish we had this type of thinking! As Africans and Sudanese (sorry to say), we are ready to fight and destroy for 50 or 100 years, not mindful of any development delays leave alone human losses. As South Sudanese, how long will it take us to recover the two years of development that we destroyed in less than a month, when the nation eventually returns to peace? Good Lord help us! As already stated, nations that spend years fighting will never experience economic growth and development. This is equally so even within one country. Regions or states that are not at peace do not see any signs of development while those that are at peace do. 7. Wars bring foreign troops into a nation, with their related negative effects Interestingly the Bible has a story that confirms this point, 2 Chronicles 25. It is a book that is never taken by surprise. Nothing is new to it. The Bible has recorded and documented all the reference stories for us long ago, for us to refer to and learn from. Hiring troops is therefore nothing new. The wise King Solomon observed, “There is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time”, Ecclesiastes 1:9,10. In our modern times, foreign troops come into a nation wearing one of two shoes when there is war. They come either as peacekeeping forces or as troops hired by a nation in war. They come from sisterly or friendly nation(s) to fight alongside its national army, deemed incapable of repelling the invading foreign or rebel army on its own. ‘Peacekeeping forces’ are non-combatant troops that come under a mandate of international government organisations like the UN or regional bodies like IGAD, in agreement with the host country. The mandate of these troops is to protect civilian life, observe cease-fire implementation, and monitor and maintain peace reached by warring parties. The troops are paid by the sending organisation(s). ‘Hired troops’ on the other hand are combatant forces that come to support and fight alongside the national army of the hiring nation and are paid by the country that hires them. Although it is not always openly said that these troops are hired, their involvement is not for free. The author of this article does not believe that a nation can risk its soldiers fighting in a foreign country for free. The terms of their hire are usually beneath the table and confidential between governments and heads of states. Their wages are directly or indirectly paid to their governments and can take different forms, including exchange for commodities like oil, gold, uranium, diamonds etc., depending on what is available in the hiring nation. Although the presence of foreign troops (both peace keeping and hired) in a country is ‘good’, there are also related negative side effects. Firstly, since the troops who come to fight alongside the national army are ‘hired’, they drain the hiring nation economically as they are paid in hard currency. The amount depends on the number of the troops and their duration of stay in the country. Secondly, reciprocal killings happen. Foreign troops that are combatant troops kill and get killed on the battle front lines. Because they are not the national army, they might kill indiscriminately, not distinguishing between who is an enemy and who are ordinary citizens. Thirdly, foreign troops in a nation might get involved in illegal and criminal activities like illegal marriages, rape, looting etc. in spite of their clear mandate and strict regulations. There is enough evidence to support this but there is not enough space to explore further here. You Google it! As stated above (Point 4), these negative activities are not to be generalised to all peacekeeping or hired forces. There are soldiers who are well disciplined and respect their mandate. But there might be a handful of soldiers who do not respect their mandate. For instance when foreign troops leave a country after 10 or 20 years, they leave behind illegal children born by daughters of the host country. This is part of the hidden price a nation pays for allowing foreign troops onto its soil. No one is an island in this world. We will always be part of the international community and therefore in need of foreign military interventions in times of need. Protection of civilian life by peacekeeping forces is always a mission well appreciated. The author of this article is not in any way against the presence of foreign troops in a nation but I am trying to bring into the light what consequences there are. It is up to governments to weigh the sensitive balance of cons and pros in this matter, especially with hired troops. A typical example of hired troops in the Bible is when King Amaziah of the kingdom of Judah hired a hundred thousand soldiers from the northern kingdom of Israel for a hundred talents of silver (a heavy hard currency in our time) when he was at war with the nation of Seir. The arrangement went quite smoothly. The deal was signed, the amount was paid, and troops from Israel were dispatched and arrived in Judah. But after their arrival, God sent a prophet to tell King Amaziah that those troops are not needed and that they should return to their own country! I wish such prophets still existed today. Prophets who come with a message of peace or who tell Mr King or Mr President: “Do not go to war” or “Do not bring in foreign troops”. Amaziah told the prophet that he had already paid a big and lump sum amount for the troops and that it would be a waste if the troops he brought would not fight for him and defend the kingdom of Judah. But the prophet told him that God would compensate that amount. “Don’t take it back and don’t use the troops”. King Amaziah was an obedient king. He told the hired troops to return home. How many of our kings or presidents today would be obedient like King Amaziah? Many of our leaders would just consider that prophet who came with a word from God was “a mad man who comes with nonsense”. The hired troops who were enthusiastic and ready for battle were angered when they were told to return home and not go to war. On their way home they destroyed and looted Judean cities along the way, killing thousands of people! Here is some of the Bible text: “Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years … Amaziah called the people of Judah together and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds for all Judah and Benjamin. He then mustered those twenty years old or more and found that there were three hundred thousand men ready for military service, able to handle the spear and shield. He also hired a hundred thousand fighting men from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, these troops from Israel must not march with you, …” Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?” The man of God replied, “The Lord can give you much more than that.” So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were furious with Judah and left for home in a great rage … The troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided Judean towns from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder”, 2 Chronicles 25:1-13. In this story, we see that the hired troops killed thousands of innocent civilians and looted the country they were hired to defend! Did king Amaziah know that the same troops he hired would come and kill 3,000 of his own innocent civilians and loot his own cities? These are the kind of things not always taken into consideration when bringing foreign troops into a conflict. Governments only regret later on, in the end. Sensible nations should therefore avoid bringing in combatant troops. Stories like that of King Amaziah are recorded in the Bible to warn and teach us (including all nations). “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, ...For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, … so we might have hope”, 1 Corinthians 10:11, Romans 15:4 (italics mine). 8. Peace is important for the propagation of the Good News of salvation As for the Church, peace is important for the Church to be able to carry the message of salvation in Jesus Christ to all parts of the country and to the world at large, as the Bible says, “my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth”, Acts 1:8. When Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and all the ends of the earth are in turmoil, the evangelists who bring good tidings, Isaiah 52:7, will not be able to go out to preach the gospel. It is a well-documented fact that revivals and church growth happen when the church is persecuted and in times of Christian suffering. This is clearly outlined in the Acts of the Apostles (see for example Acts 8:1-8, 11:19-21). But although persecution and hard times bring growth and revival to the church, we still need peace to be able to proclaim the Good News of salvation freely and openly. We do not have to pray for bad times and persecution as a means for revival. The church should know her mandate and the commission given to her by the Lord Jesus, Matthew 28:18-20, and should not wait for painful times to be able to go out and preach the Gospel. How I long for a time when there are no wars! The prophet Isaiah talks about such a time when people and nations will not fight each other. “Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” … He (God) will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many people. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more”, Isaiah 2:3-4. This is why we need to pray that long lasting peace comes to our nation and will enable economic growth and development. As a nation, let us pray and work for true forgiveness and national reconciliation. Let us remember the old Chinese wisdom that says, “He who opts for revenge must dig two graves.” Revenge will just bring another grave, but forgiveness and reconciliation will bring peace, healing, and re-building. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”, 1 Timothy 2:1-2. Let me conclude this article with Saint Francis of Assisi’s traditional prayer, a prayer that all of us need to pray especially in times of national crisis: “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is error, truth; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”, Matthew 5:9. Let us all become true peacemakers for the future of our beloved nation, South Sudan. First printed in The Citizen newspaper, Juba, on 29-01-2014. Slightly amended here. Discussion questions 1. What will be the single greatest “peace dividend” for individuals? Why? 2. What will be the single greatest “peace dividend” for the nations? Why? 3. From the closing prayer, “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace”, consider at least one practical way you can answer every one of the ten “Christian alternatives” asked for, e.g. suggest how you can bring love instead of hatred.

My life (put) alongside God's word. National development issues section. by Elisama Daniel Please read and consider these Scriptures. “Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery”, 2 Chronicles 19:7. “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God”. They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one”, Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3. “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips”, Proverbs 4:24. “Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart”, Ecclesiastes 7:7. “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”, Isaiah 58:6. “They have sunk deep into corruption, as in the days of Gibeah. God will remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins”, Hosea 9:9, see Judges 19:1-21:25. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Listen! The Lord is calling to the city – and to fear your name is wisdom – “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it”. Am I still to forget, O wicked house, your ill-gotten treasures and the short ephah, which is accursed? Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights?”, Micah 6:8-11. “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one”, Matthew 5:37. “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount”. Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham””, Luke 19:8-9. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone who had need”, Acts 2:44-45. “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need”, Acts 4:32-35. “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation”, Philippians 2:15. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, Who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”, 1 Timothy 6:17-19. “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who ar corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good”, Titus 1:15-16. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by its evil desires”, 2 Peter 1:4. Introduction Corruption, simply defined as the abuse of authority, power or resources for private gain started since the fall of man after creation, as sin entered the world through Adam; and politically, is as old as the history of government as stated by Aristotle in 350 BC in ‘The Politics’. Others define it as misuse of public power, office, or authority for the benefit of a few (clique or cronies); the World Bank defines it as ‘The abuse of power for personal gain or for the benefit of a group to which one owes allegiance’. Corrupt practices on the other hand refer to soliciting, accepting, obtaining, giving, promising or offering of a gratification by way of a bribe or other personal temptation or inducement, or the misuse of a public institution/authority or office to achieve private advantage or benefit to the person or others (South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission). Therefore, any action that causes or affects an object, organism or individual to be less or become less than its original form and weakens the ability to survive or to project itself into the future, just as sin fails us short of the glory of God is a form of corruption. Generally speaking, Corruption is not primarily a problem of bad people, but of bad systems, but of course without God in your heart, it is inevitable. There is also a worrying fact that it is not only the reported allegations of corruption in any country, rather the attitude, perceptions and behaviour toward corruption. There is a growing feeling that corruption is being associated with the culture of reward and impunity and is almost becoming a norm in many post-conflict countries including South Sudan. There is a great concern that the corrupt are getting away unpunished and seem to thrive and feel they are above the law. The Church on its part seems to have its prophetic role diminished in shaping society. The Church is now viewed as having either joined in the throng and conformed to the status quo or it has simply become a talking machine that does not even walk its talk when it comes to corruption. Consequently the same corruption taking place in society is also happening within the Church and its institutions. The Church of God in the Sudan, with its main base being South Sudan, had been the vital and formidable agent of transformation in the past. It is therefore imperative that it takes up its pivotal role now, more than ever before, in transforming the society and nation by confronting the menace of corruption. Types of corruption Broadly, corruption is classified as grand, petty, systemic, active and passive corruption, depending on the intention or purpose of the classification. Other forms include bribery, fraud, graft, embezzlement, extortion, conflict of interest, impersonation, nepotism and so on. What drives officers to commit corrupt acts? Its causes Greed and the desire to have more! Most corrupt people are not necessarily poor, but always want more. Moralblindness/the decay of social norms, a decayed conscience, no fear of God, eroded business or professional ethics, weak systems and nonexistent controls in institutions do provide a favourable environment for corruption. This is illustrated by the corruption equation shown: Monopoly + Motive + Discretion/Opportunity – Accountability = Corruption. There are three stages in the commission of corruption; namely pressure, opportunity and rationalisation, thus explained below: 1. Pressure Pressure to supplement income due to living beyond means. Examples include: Maintain expensive vehicles, like 4x4s Extravagant lifestyles – holidays abroad, suave dressing, golf, private clubs etc. Family pressure e.g. children in university education abroad, high class residence, among others Extra marital affairs – require more funds to finance mistresses (men) or boyfriends (women) Gambling and drug addiction. 2. Opportunity Once the fraudster is financially stressed, he/she finds an opportunity to commit the crime through: The segregation of duties and assignments being lacking, and the existence of control gaps and lapses Access to physical cash or the payment processes Trust and loyalty to the boss, hence no suspicion Weak or non-existent internal controls Weak approval systems or discretionary powers Lack of operational or procedure manuals. 3. Rationalisation Unauthorised borrowing – a loan which is supposed to be repaid A commission or appreciation for doing his job well Feeling undervalued and under-rewarded by the organisation No promotion, no salary increment, hence no future prospects Thinking of being unfairly treated and deserving of more money Working for ‘a rogue organisation’, there to brobbed. Some effects of corruption Corruption affects both the individual and the nation: Nationally: There will be poor economic performance of the national economy Disregard for standards and pillars of integrity – everybody puts self-interest first Withdrawal of international aid and lack of investments Looting of public resources and capital flight Conspicuous consumption and low purchasing power At the personal level, there is loss of confidence in the public service to deliver, leading to death and degraded beings Increased insecurity Exorbitant prices for goods and services General moral decay and increased illegal activities in society. Benefits of curbing corruption A corruption free society is the one that will experience peace and serenity for its entire people and is characterised by: Economic growth and a conducive business environment Poverty eradication and job creation Increase in domestic and foreign investments Improved social behaviour and moral standards Strict adherence to laws, rules, and codes of conduct and ethics Renewed confidence from development partners Effective, responsive, responsible, fair and efficient public services More resources available to government for health care, infrastructure, education, security, etc. Increased revenue and a reduced crime rate. How to combat corruption It is about the fear of God and serving Him rather than men, Colossians 3:17,23 It is about changing organisational features that allow corruption to occur It is about strengthening systems of control in organisations through better management systems and closer supervision Declaration of assets and disclosure of Interest policies in place Regular vetting of staff and rotations Regulation of discretion and the establishment of internal controls Follow the proper procurement procedures in the award of different types of contracts Formal and informal monitoring of behaviour and activities Rewarding outstanding integrity among staff Transparent and proper recruitment procedures Strengthen the probability of corruption detection and put preventive mechanisms in place Create a disadvantage for the corrupt and protect highly vulnerable areas Permit proper management and oversight, and facilitate independent audit Develop gift and conflict of interest policies; supervisory accountability and internal complaint systems, to help in combating corruption. Conclusion The effects and consequences of corruption are unbearable for any church, society or nation, and will affect the progress and wellbeing of all people. That is why corruption must be prevented, confronted and fought, in order to bring about the holistic wellbeing of humanity as intended by the Creator, Genesis 1:31-2:1. The Church, which is the body of Christians, is the one institution that undeniably has been, and still is, the agent of transformation on the face of the earth throughout human history. It therefore cannot afford to stand by watching and letting things go. It should therefore, examine itself and get rid of corruption in order to play its leading prophetic role of transforming society with Kingdom values. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. - Edmund Burke, Anglo-Irish statesman. (www.goodread.com). Discussion questions 1. Why did our Lord Jesus say, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’”? What is He trying to encourage today? Matthew 5:37. 2. Give some examples you have seen of people who have fallen into the trap of, “the corruption in the world caused by its evil desires”, 2 Peter 1:4. Suggest how people could have avoided falling into the trap? 3. Elisama writes, “Corruption is not primarily a problem of bad people, but of bad systems”. Is this how you see it? Why? Why not? 4. What does “the fear of God” practically mean in your daily life? See “How to combat corruption”, first bullet point. 5. How can the individual take a stand against corruption in society? Give practical examples. What price may have to be paid for being different to those around you?

My life (put) alongside God's word. Section on National development issues. by Anthony Poggo Just before the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005, various stakeholders undertook an assessment of the needs of Sudan so that they would be ready for the time when the expected peace agreement was signed. The results of this assessment were put together in a Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) report. This report was the basis of the donor discussions in the Oslo donor conference of April 2005. At this conference donors pledged to give 4.5 billion dollars towards the post war reconstruction efforts of the Sudan. The JAM report was a result of various visits and meetings with numerous stakeholders inside Sudan but also outside Sudan. Reflecting on the biblical character Nehemiah, we read that one of the things that Nehemiah did once he got permission from King Artaxerxes of Persia to undertake the construction of the walls of Jerusalem was to undertake an inspection of the ruined city, Nehemiah 2:11-16. Nehemiah did this first inspection visit in secret, save for a few trusted aides. He wanted to have a first hand view of the situation to be able to count the true cost. After he inspected the city, he gave the people a report on the gravity of the situation and encouraged them to respond by acting on this problem. He also told them of how God had helped him up to that time and expressed his faith that God would continue to do so, “the God of heaven will give us success”, 2:20. The response of the people was encouraging to Nehemiah for they said, “Let us start rebuilding”, 2:18. By explaining to the people the task and the work ahead, Nehemiah involved them. He was the visionary in this plan. The vision needed to be shared with the people so that they could be involved. Once they caught the vision, they were able to own it as their own project. One of the qualities of Nehemiah was his ability to plan ahead. There is a saying that when one fails to plan she/he is planning to fail. For us to undertake the re-building of South Sudan, we need “Nehemiahs” who can undertake comprehensive strategic plans for the whole country. I do not know what became of the JAM report referred to above, it needed to be operationalised into annual, semi-annual and quarterly plans. Many strategic plans have been written at all levels of Government as well as those written by others in their various roles. Such plans need to be translated into tangible benefits for the average South Sudanese person. In Nehemiah chapter 3 we see a list of all the participants in the reconstruction of the city wall. Each portion of the wall was given to a particular group of people. These were in accordance to family, clan or professional groups. Notice that the priests were also involved. The way the work was done was a classic example of teamwork. Teamwork is not therefore a modern management concept but a biblical approach that was practiced by Nehemiah and others in the Bible. We also see here that everybody was involved in the building of the walls of Jerusalem. Even the priests were involved in the work. The rebuilding of South Sudan needs all of us. The Government leads through coming up with the right policies but all other stakeholders should also be active participants. This includes the United Nations agencies, the churches, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders. The concerted effort of rebuilding South Sudan can be compared to the cooperation between the parts of the human body. Each part has to play its role well for the body to function smoothly. In fact we know from life that if one part of the body is unwell, the entire body suffers. All parts of the body are important, remember 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. This means that all South Sudanese have important roles to play in the development of the nation and also to ensure that there is peace in all parts of the country. There is a mistaken belief that now we have our own nation the Government should do everything for us. Hard work is one of the things that we all have to embrace. For us to catch up with the rest of the world in development, we will need to work extra hard to make an impact in our country. We also need to have a change of attitude and see work as part of our responsibilities and not as a curse. We all have individual roles and responsibilities and can make a useful contribution to the development of our country. This responsibility is for each and every one of us people of South Sudan. I have written and preached elsewhere that the Bible encourages hard work. In fact Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that any person who does not work should not eat. It has also been said, “Laziness is the mother of poverty”. This may not be true for us in South Sudan, as some of the causes of our poverty have to do with the situation that we have been through. Hard work goes hand in hand with time management. In some places we have the culture of doing things according to our “local time”. The understanding of the word “local” in our context is for something that is worthless and is not exact. This concept isn’t helpful. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word local to mean, “belonging to or connected with the particular place or area that you are talking about, near to the place where you live”. Being local should not mean being ineffective time managers. In some parts of South Sudan the exact time is referred to as “standard time”. We need to work on keeping time so as to catch up with the rest of the world. This is why, after the CPA was signed, the decision to extend the official working hours to 5:00 pm was a welcome development. It is not however the number of hours that one spends working, but the quality of work that one does which really makes a difference. The habit of visitors sitting in offices just chatting at the expense of meaningful work should always be shunned. In the story of Nehemiah, we see that he sub-divided the work according to various clans and professional groups, see this throughout chapter 3. Each group was to play its role within the project so as to rebuild the city and the wall of Jerusalem together. Here we find that all the people joined in the work, in spite of the opposition that they faced. The work was finished in an amazingly short time. They were not paid but they had the great joy and satisfaction of seeing the work completed and their beloved city restored. We need to learn from this story so that South Sudan is re-built. The devolved system of governance where we have ten states in South Sudan should make it easier for us to develop every single part of South Sudan. This is one way of fulfilling Dr. John Garang’s stated objective of bringing the urban centres to the people rather than the people to the towns. For us to achieve meaningful development, we will require peace to be achieved in all parts of the country and within the region. This is because if one part of the country is suffering all parts of the country will be affected, just like the analogy that we have used above on the parts of the human body. By peace, we do not mean the absence of war, but peace in totality, where there is reconciliation, healing, trust and good neighbourliness. Note: 'Come Let Us Rebuild, Lessons from Nehemiah', a 218 pages book by Bishop Anthony Poggo, is available from Millipede Books, Hertford, England and from good book distributors in South Sudan. Discussion questions 1. What are the values of sharing a common vision? List as many as you can. Consider Nehemiah 2:11-18. 2. Considering “the FOCUS vision for South Sudan” (chapter 19), what practical steps would be needed to take it – or any other vision – into reality? 3. Why do some people view hard work as a curse? Are they right or wrong? Why? 4. How do you get the most out of every day that you live? Share practical ways of making the best use of your time. 5. What are the strengths and weakness of teams made up of different kinds of people?

My life (put) alongside God's word. Protecting peace section. by Anthony Poggo We begin with Scripture. “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died.And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him Who died for them and was raised again”. “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. The title I have given could be re-worded more broadly, “Reconciliation - the Christian perspective”. Before we go any further, let us look at the meaning of the word ‘reconciliation’. The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines reconciliation as “an end to a disagreement and the start of a good relationship again”. Consider the following two statements on reconciliation followed by six problem areas and finally, ten practical suggestions: 1. The reconciliation ministry of Christ Christ’s purpose in coming to the world is to reconcile us with God the Father. This He did by coming to us on Christmas day to be born as a child. We read in verses 14 and 19 that it is because of Christ’s love through His death on the cross for the world, He achieved this reconciliation. But only those who take God’s free offer for salvation know and experience the significance of His love. Nathaniel Garang, retired bishop of the diocese of Bor, once said that we are all “people of God” but only some are “children of God”. When we are reconciled to God we graduate from being people of God to becoming a child of God. When we become the children of God, we should then live for Him. In verse 15, we read, “those who live (as the children of God) should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again”. Verse 17 triumphantly declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come”. It is God who takes the initiative of reconciling us to God. He takes the initiative of the redemption, verse 19. Redemption is the restoration and fulfilment of God’s purposes in creation. God takes the initiative and He sustains it. When we receive the ministry of reconciliation from Him, we also are given the privilege and obligation to now become God’s instruments to proclaim the message of reconciliation. We become ambassadors, verse 20. This is the message of the ambassador of reconciliation, “Be reconciled to God”. 2. Reconciliation is the core ministry of the Church Reconciliation is within the core function of the Church. The Church takes such a mandate from the ministry of Jesus Christ whose main mission was to reconcile mankind to God. The then New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC) made tremendous contributions in this area through the people to people grass-root peace making process. Amongst this was the Dinka-Nuer West Bank Peace and Reconciliation Conference held in Wunlit, Bahr el Ghazal from 27th February to March 1999. This was needed for peace to be achieved in what was then Sudan. Reconciliation is needed between the politicians, as there has been a lot of distrust amongst groups of different political and military persuasions. The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan was appointed by the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) President to head a religious committee to bring about peace, reconciliation and national healing. This is a vote of confidence in religious leaders to play such an important role in our nascent nation. In the areas that were held by the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), the relationship between the SPL Movement/SPLA and the churches in the 21 years of war were, generally speaking, cordial. A significant development was the holding of the Kajiko conference between the SPLM/A and the churches. In this conference, there was openness in discussing issues that were helpful in building their relationship. The war that broke out in December 2013 has taken us back to a situation of distrust within ethnic communities, tribes and people of different political views. The Church and all Christians must desire to work hard to bring peace and reconciliation. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”, Matthew 5:9. Sons have the characteristics of their Father. We need reconciliation so that our new nation works well. We need reconciliation so that families, communities and clans can live amicably with each other. 1. Reconciliation is needed in the family and in communities Reconciliation is needed in the family so that our families are at peace. One of the ways the evil one wants to attack the believers is through disharmony in the family. Pray that the Christian family will show a reconciled family at all times. What is a Christian family? It is the family where Christ is in charge. It is also a family where there is regular prayer and Bible reading. There is a saying that, “A family that prays together stays together”. A Christian family is a family where there is good communication. We need to talk to each other. We all need each other. Someone has said, “Husbands are like wood fires, when unattended they go out”. We talk about reconciliation in the family because conflicts in a Christian marriage or family are inevitable. What is important is that they should be handled well, resulting in genuine reconciliation. Talking to and forgiving each other is needed. It should not be like the story of a woman who was said to be wearing her wedding ring on the wrong finger. When she was asked, she said this was because she married the wrong man! 2. Poverty is a key contributor to conflicts Poverty is one of the problems facing almost all parts of South Sudan. In addition to achieving peace, we have the wars against poverty, ignorance and disease to fight. The Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary defines poverty as “the state of being poor” or “the lack of something”. But what is the meaning of the word “poor”? The same dictionary gives one of the meanings of this word as “not having enough money for basic needs”. I would like to see poverty understood in a broader sense than just the lack of money. The majority of the people in South Sudan fall within this 1.1 billion people in abject poverty in our world. The situation is made worse by ongoing conflict, HIV/AIDS, drought and other natural or manmade calamities. Poverty is made worse by the unequal distribution of wealth, resources, land, and with poor economic and political policies. Poverty fuels resentment, and this provides a favourable environment for conflict. Wars contribute to the destruction of lives and properties hence increasing the level of poverty. 3. The Nazarene Manifesto Luke 4:18-19 is referred to as the Nazarene Manifesto. Jesus said that His ministry was not only aimed at the spiritual need, but at both physical and spiritual. Preaching of the good news should be holistic. You cannot go and preach the good news and leave the person to die due to lack of food. The Nazarene manifesto also means that prisoners should be freed from their physical and spiritual oppression. This may mean campaigning for those who are wrongly arrested or arrested for their faith, and bringing pressure to bear on Governments that are mistreating their people. 4. The Millennium Development Goals One of the ways that the United Nations identified to fight poverty is through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). All the 191 members of the United Nations (UN) have pledged to meet the MDG by 2015. Although time is not on our side, the eight MDGs were as follows: 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development (For an up to date progress visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals ) The eradication of poverty and hunger is top on the list of these goals. The next 6 MDGs are also closely related to poverty. This is because either they are caused by poverty or are as a result of poverty. The eighth and last MDG calls for a need to develop a global partnership for development. It is only possible to undertake this goal when progress has been made on the seven other goals. 5. Education MDG number 2 is related to education. We can solve some of our problems in South Sudan through Universal Primary Education (UPE). We could go a long way if we aimed at having a Primary school per Boma and at least one secondary school per Payam. During the 2010 campaigns the SPLM said that UPE would be a top priority. Although some progress was made, to date this has not been done. It is important that this is done; the Church should be seen as an ally in doing this. The Church in the past has contributed to education in many ways. The Anglican and Catholic churches played a key role in education in what was Sudan, especially in the southern part of our former country. There are now many church related Colleges and Universities in Africa. 6. Diseases Another problem we face is disease. MDGs 4, 5 and 6 have a link with this. One way we could address this is by starting Primary Health Care Units (PHCU) in all Bomas of South Sudan and a Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) in all Payams. Many people die due to a lack of adequate and available medical facilities. Malaria and other preventable diseases are rampant in many of our areas and could easily be prevented with adequate facilities and health education. Linked to this is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Church is playing an important role in raising awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. What should we do? For us to achieve the above suggestions we need to have changes in some of our attitudes and also to change the way we do things. In the next section, I would like to outline some of these things that we need to do. 1. Go back to the land The 21 years of war have meant that we have a whole generation of people who grew up either in refugee camps or in camps for Internally Displaced People (IDP). We must give training and opportunity for productive agriculture, growing crops and keeping animals. 2. Work hard For us to catch up with the rest of the world in development, we will need to work extra hard to make an impact in our country. We also need to have a change of attitude and see work as part of our responsibilities and not as a curse. We all have individual roles and responsibilities. Everyone can make useful contributions to the development of our country. The Bible encourages hard work. In fact Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that any person who does not work should not eat. Though the saying that “Laziness is the mother of poverty” is far too simplistic, it does sound a warning that needs to be heard. Working hard is partly about working ‘smarter’. We could achieve greater output if we learned how to use time more efficiently. 3. Keep time We also need to keep time so as to catch up with the rest of the world. The idea that the more senior a person is, the more you should delay a function to show your importance, will not help us if we are to work hard to develop our nation. 4. Avoid corruption One of the key problems facing us is the issue of corruption. This is in all aspects of our lives. An important role of religious bodies is to fight against ills like this that bedevil our society. 5. Avoid negative ethnicity Another issue that is of concern is the issue of negative ethnicity, otherwise known as tribalism. This is often seen in Government appointments or in the distribution of public resources. Governments appointing people or providing resources and development only to their own areas of origin help create this problem. Some of the wars in Africa are fanned by tribalism. We saw what happened in Kenya during December 2007, where there were ethnic killings, and also what happened in South Sudan since December 2013. 6. Avoid intertribal tensions Recently there have been several intertribal tensions and attacks in many parts of South Sudan. We need to find out and treat the root causes of these things. One of the root causes of tension is the inequitable sharing of resources. This is why it is important that fairness is seen happening in the sharing of resources. Another root cause of intertribal tension is the whole issue of cattle raiding. 7. Avoid nepotism Related to tribalism is the issue of nepotism. This is seen through the appointment of relatives or close friends into jobs and higher positions. There is a saying that “blood is thicker than water”, but we need to see those best gifted and experienced getting into the right roles. 8. Play your own role If we want to build our nation, we have to make our individual contributions to the work. No one will do it for us. God will not send us angels to do it miraculously but He will use you and me as builders. He has given us talents that are to be used for playing these roles. South Sudan needs more servant leaders and fewer bosses. In fact, most Governments refer to their workers as ‘civil servants’. The expectation is that you provide service to the whole community of people. 9. Encourage the role of the Church and religious leaders The Church should act as a watchdog for society. Other African leaders have encouraged the Church to play the role of a watchdog. The late President of Tanzania is quoted as saying, “everything that prevents a person from living in dignity and decency must be under attack from the church and those who work in the church”. Bishop John Henry Okullu also quotes the former Kenyan President, when he was Kenya’s Vice-President, as saying that “Politics and Religion should not be separated”. According to Mr Mwai Kibaki, “It is through the involvement of the Church in public affairs that Africa can regain its soul”. (See John Henry Okullu, 'Church and State in Nation Building and Human Development'. The Church and its followers must be influenced by their faith. In Africa, it is unheard of for a person not to pray at the beginning of any public events or during the opening of parliaments. In Khartoum, most Moslem ministers would have places for their prayers next to their offices. A two day national prayer conference was held in Juba early in May 2014 with regional pastors giving assurances that “peace has come to South Sudan,” promising no more war for the embattled country. At the opening of the function the Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs, Rev. Fr. Mark Lotede Locapi, blessed the event on behalf of the President and the Government, and confirmed that prayers could help bring peace, love and reconciliation among the people of South Sudan. Other similar events have happened. 10. Pray your prayers Most of the national anthems would have God mentioned in them. Our own national anthem starts with the words, “O God we pray and magnify you for your grace on South Sudan.” In Kenya, the anthem begins by saying, “God of all creation”. In Uganda it is, “Oh Uganda may God uphold you”. In Sudan it is, “We are God’s army, army of the nation”. Since our national anthems bring God into our nation’s daily life, surely we as the Christian Church must bring God into everybody’s life as much as we can. Conclusion God expects us to be reconciled to Himself through our Lord Jesus Christ. But that is not all. He also expects us to live lives reconciled with ourselves and with one another. Reconciliation is vertical with God and horizontal with our neighbours and in our families. The church should take this ministry seriously. Since God has given the ministry of reconciliation to us let us receive it, and work hard at it during the time He gives to us. Discussion questions 1. What problems may arise in a nation, or a region or even a family, if there is peace without genuine reconciliation? 2. Why did the Lord Jesus say, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift”? Matthew 5:23-24. Since reconciliation was a priority for Him, how can we make it so for ourselves? 3. How is it possible for those with money and those without to develop in life together? See the Millennium Development Goals above. 4. Rt. Rev. Anthony makes ten suggestions for promoting harmony and eliminating conflict. Which of the ten would be your top three? Why?