Last week’s Race for Congo was a sprint across America. The riders pushed themselves around the clock in order to arrive in Baltimore in a week. As an observer, new updates were exciting to read and I found myself “glued to my computer.” The focus was largely on the 8 riders making it across America safely and efficiently. As a culture, I think we really like the intensity and the excitement of sprints. Marathons, on the other hand, aren’t as exciting to watch and it’s easy to lose focus on the race.
This week as the riders, crew and those of us watching have returned to normalcy, Eastern Congo continues the marathon of living in a war zone, while hoping to see peace sometime in their lifetime.
They have no choice but to stay in the race.
The goal of the ride was to raise money for peace initiatives; this goal was accomplished by the fact that $107,000 has been raised so far. This is great but the Bible tells us in Isaiah 58:6:
“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?”
As an American Christian, I admit that it is much easier for me to give money than to think about breaking chains of injustice, freeing people from their burdens and setting the oppressed free. I know that as we step into God’s plan for our lives that it requires more than our checkbooks – it costs us our desires, our plans and our wills.
In 2010, God asked me to give up Pepsi and sweet treats. It sounds quite silly that that was my “sacrifice.” But the cravings became reminders to me to pray for Congo, for a woman being raped and for evil to be driven out. While in Congo I sat in the home of Esperance, a woman whose husband had died from the violence and who later became pregnant as a result of a rape. Just a month before we arrived she explained that she had nearly been raped again because she has no choice but to go work in the fields. In that moment, God spoke to me and raised the question, “Did I pray for her?” Was my prayer effective in getting her away from the rapist? The message was clear: Keep praying!
I need the reminders to keep praying so I am once again giving up Pepsi and desserts in order to pray for Congo. Will you join me in fasting from something in your life and allow God to use it as a reminder to pray?
We’ve enjoyed the sprint across America. Now I invite you to not lose sight of Congo’s marathon. I invite you to learn more, pray, fast and to have your heart broken by the suffering in the Congo.
Kristi
No comments:
Post a Comment