I shared in my Compassion Indonesia Trip summary blog post about some independent research that confirms that Compassion child sponsorship works. See all the Wydick Research findings here. Below is a new info-graphic video from Compassion Australia that summarises the research:
What it says about us when we leave bodies in the sea // Michael Jensen
Michael Jensen has written a moving article on leaving the bodies of asylum seekers in the ocean recently off Christmas Island. It was originally published at Sydney Anglicans and then republished on the ABC Drum website. (I just had a quick read of some of the many negative comments on the ABC version of the article… that just compounds the sadness!!)
Here is a snippet:
I am simply sad about the loss of this boat. These are people who I don’t know. But there’s something about these unwanted, stateless, desperate unburied people, who died beyond the borders of any state and with no-one to care for them, that moves me.
‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ said Cain, as he fled from Abel and denied responsibility. The corpses floating off Christmas Island cry out from the sea… Surely the answer to the question is ‘yes: I am my brother’s keeper’.
Christian Service of Commemoration for Those Lost at Sea
Michael has also organised a commemoration service for this Sunday. Here are the details from the Facebook Event:
Christian Service of Commemoration for Those Lost at Sea
Sunday 23 June 2013.
2-3pm at St Barnabas Anglican Church, Broadway
A service to commemorate the asylum seekers lost at sea this week; our brothers, unknown to us, but known to God.
“The gospel of the resurrection tells us […] that their bodies are not beyond the God who made their bodies. They are not beyond the scope of the one who promises that at the final day there will be what theology calls a general resurrection of the dead. All human beings are united at least in this destiny. It tells us that ‘our’ dead are not just those who belong to the community that defines me ethnically. All human beings are ‘our’ dead. They, whoever they are, are ‘our’ people. They are ‘known unto God’; and thus, worthy of our respect as fellow bearers of his image.” – Michael Jensen
SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY // NYC // IRAN
This post has nothing to do with today, a Sunday! It’s been a good day. For the younger crowd reading this, Sunday Bloody Sunday is a well-known U2 song (U2 is a band). Find out more about the historical background to the song here.
Last week, on a rooftop in New York City, the band recorded an acoustic performance of ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ – and dedicated it to democracy in Iran.
The track is part of ONE’s campaign to harness the power of protest songs to demand action against extreme poverty at the G8 summit. (Read more about it here) Check the vid:
THE GOOD KING // GHOST SHIP New Album
Ghost Ship, one of the bands from Mars Hill Church, have just dropped their new album, The Good King. Preview and buy the album here. Check out the preview vid:
Really good Jesus-centred, gospel-centred lyrics. A number of the songs pick up the idea of Jesus as the fulfilment of Old Testament promises. I’m really enjoying all the tracks. So far, my three favourites are:
- track 3 – lion man // some good atonement theology with driving southern rock
- track 7 – holy holy holy // this hymn remake is all about the pipe organ at the end!
- track 10 – where were you // job 38 richness (God is God and you’re not)
Here is a lyric clip for track 1 ‘Mediator’
WITH A PIECE OF CHALK // JuBaFilms
Cool story. I’ve got the same shoes as the kid. But not the skills.
#CompassionINDO Manado Trip 2013 + Why Child Sponsorship Works @CompassionAU
In April/May 2013 I went on a trip with a bunch of other ministers to visit some of Compassion’s projects in Manado, East Indonesia. It really was an amazing trip! This post is a summary of the trip. I didn’t realise I’d written so many posts, but below there are 25 short blog posts written during and after the trip. Thanks to the team from Compassion for the opportunity to gain insights into their incredible work. Thanks also to the many who have followed along with the journey. Click here to sponsor a kid.
- SINGAPORE TO MANADO
- SUNSET MANADO
- RICH + POOR
- THE SKINNY ON COMPASSION EAST INDO
- KING OF THE KIDS
- PARTNERSHIP WITH CHURCHES
- GRATEFUL FOR GRACE
- STOP CUTTING BABIES IN HALF
- WILL YOU SPONSOR JUN?
- LOOK, IT’S JUSTIN BIEBER!
- LOOSE THE CHAINS OF INJUSTICE
- ROLL THE CAMERAS
- YESUS NOMOR SATU!
- NEEDING CLEAN WATER
- MANADO RAW CUT
- MANADO 2013 RAW CUT #CompassionINDO
- LOVE IS NOT OPTIONAL
- WRITE LETTERS TO YOUR SPONSOR CHILD
- THE TASTES OF MANADO
- TAKRAW // CONNECTING THROUGH SPORT
- JESUS LOVES KIDS
- THE TEAM
- FEGA’S PAIN-FILLED POEM
- TUHAN ITU BAIK KEPADA SEMUA ORANG
- CHRIST + CHILDREN + CHURCH
Marcus Reeves from Crossroads Canberra has written a fantastic summary of the trip, probably more worthwhile than my 25 posts above!
WYDICK RESEARCH – COMPASSION CHILD SPONSORSHIP… IT WORKS!
Some independent research has just been released regarding Compassion’s child sponsorship work.
Compassion Australia CEO Tim Hanna has this to say about the research:
“I’m very excited about the results of this research. We have known for many years that Compassion child sponsorship is making a deep and lasting difference in the lives of individual children—now we have world-class independent research to support this.”
Check this video:
See more videos | View full report (PDF) | Compassion Media Release | FAQ | Compassion
FEGA’S PAIN-FILLED POEM
#CompassionINDO @CompassionAU
One afternoon we stumbled into a Compassion project class while they were proudly sharing their poems. Rodrigo had just shared a moving poem about how his “mumma” is everything to him. Pride, joy, gratitude and affection for his mum was evident even before we heard the translation into English.
Fega (on the right) was much more coy when it came to sharing her poem. She was visibly moved before reading it. And chose not to share it with the class.
However, she shared it with me. Her poem, like Rodrigo’s, was about her family. Filled with grief and tears she shared how her dad had died when she was young and her mum was gravely ill. The poem spoke of anguish and uncertainty about the future. Gut-wrenching.
Although only with her for a short time, it was special to be able to comfort her with the comfort of Christ and to pray with her.
Hopefully this doesn’t seem too crass, but Fega reminded me that sponsor kids are real people, with real families, with real emotions and real pain.
Poverty in our world is massive. The number of children that die each day from preventable diseases is heart-breaking. But it’s easy to let the tragic numbers wash over you. Fega isn’t a number or a statistic. Her deceased father and ill mother aren’t a number or a statistic.
I’m thankful to God for Fega’s grandmother and her care for Fega. I’m thankful to God for Compassion and their care and support of Fega.
Compassion know that children aren’t statistics. Compassion workers on the ground know the children and their needs: physical; spiritual; and emotional.
Check out www.compassion.com.au if you want to bring comfort, care and compassion to precious little ones like Fega.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV)