Thursday, July 17, 2014

Ukrainian Horror

This week's news couldn't get worse.

The world witnessed the bombing of four young boys on a Gaza beach on yesterday, and then today some ignorant Ukrainian rebels shot down a Malaysian passenger jet with 298 people aboard.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/world/europe/malaysian-airlines-plane-ukraine.html

Six billion people on this planet are bombarded daily with news horrors like this.

We grieve with all the families and friends of those who fell from the sky.

We mourn the little boys on the Gaza beach, who didn't even get one day of headlines before their deaths were obscured by a larger tragedy.

We pray "Thy kingdom come"-- "May God's reign be completed, God's will be done on earth as it is in the heavens."

But horror and evil continue to abound.

Many of those on the downed jet were AIDS researchers headed for a conference in Australia, working to save lives and combat an epidemic.  Therein lies the only note of hope.

O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong
is oft so strong
God is the ruler yet.

These words to the hymn of faith become harder and harder to sing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fwfdij6HGo

Part of the problem is the patriarchal message of the hymn, "This Is My Father's World."

We worship a male god, and the ethic of vengeance goes largely unchallenged.

Thank you to the UN, which tries to halt warfare, and to Jann Aldrege-Clanton, who wrote new lyrics for that hymn and envisions a world without a male warrior god.

http://www.jannaldredgeclanton.com/music.php

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