Taking action!
Previously I posted about our responsibility to advocate on behalf of others. Well, now we have an opportunity to put our efforts together to help those in Burma.
Things are worse than my previous post. The regime is systematically killing leaders of the National League of Democracy.
Please read the material below. Get involved. Our prayers and our action is needed.
Excerpts from Democratic Voice of Burma, June 4, 2003
1. According to the sources closed to the military, Northwestern
military command informed to the department of prisons that 32 criminal
prisoners, who were taken by the northwestern military command on May 25 for
military operation, died during their assignment. DVB assumed that these
criminal prisoners were used to attack Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her entourage
on May 30, 2003 with the promise of cash rewards and freedom, by the
military.
DVB also assumed that they were killed by the military to cover up the
whole incident.
2. Thein Oo and Soe Win, both are officer in-charge of the NLD
headquarter, were arrested yesterday night, by the military.
3. NLD's Moe Goat township committee members were arrested yesterday.
4. U Saw Khin, MP elect from Myin Gyan township and who accompanied
with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was seriously injured during the attack. He is in
Mon Ywar hospital, but not allowed to meet with anyone.
5. U Tin Aung, MP elect from North-Western Mandalay and who
accompanied with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was assumed to be dead. His family conducted
the funeral yesterday.
6. The regime continues to arrest members of the NLD nationwide. Many
people are in hiding.
Suu Kyi 'injured in violent protests'
How to get involved:
"Today Senator McConnell and Congressman Lantos introduced
major legislation on Burma, and tomorrow we will launch an all-out effort
to get as many members of Congress as possible on board.
Please do everything in your power to help. Get your members of
Congress on board, send checks or make donations online, and call and tell your
friends. It's time to do our part. Working together, we can."
Thursday, June 05, 2003
To all the lovely peeps who visit my site: the comment section is working! Yeah! Please engage me in a dialogue. I am so blessed to be inspired by you to be more than I ever dreamed.
Today's Entry: Living in Community
We live in a juxtaposition. A juxtaposition of desire and isolation.
Desire: a component of the human condition which compells us to seek out connection with God and others.
In Genesis, we are reminded that we were created for relationship. First, with God. Then, with others.
Isolation: A perpetuation in society to live on our own and depend on ourselves. And a risk-free way to ensure comfort when one is not pursued, understood, desired, heard, and seen.
This past week I've been thinking about the tension between both. How do we stay present while battling the temptation to run/hide? We live in a society where we value immediate gratification, consumerism, and independence. Our technological advances have instilled in us the attitude and behavior to rely on ourselves-- keeping us from community and the need of relationship. Thus, buffering the pain of disconnection and rejection. Now I think it is interesting to look at the relationship between both: desire and isolation. How do they work together and against each other? Living in a world where isolation and independence is encouraged: how do we handle desire? The distraction of self-consumption numbs us. Thus, killing desire.
I've been particularly looking at this because i've been thinking about the community I have been so graciously gifted with. How in my desire to know others: I find myself easily disappointed and willing to give up. One thing struck me this week as I started thinking about community, our society, behaviors, and sociological norms that we easily adopt as our definition of human existence and human interaction. Community/ relationship is intended because it provides a mirror of our relationship with God. I find this to be so true in my relationship with my husband. But on some level in every relationship we are reflection for each other. We are a reflection of our need for God, our failure to God, our humility to God, our pride and rebellion of God and so on. And it is in our community where we find our true need to seek grace so that we can in turn give grace. Because in all our sin against others it is only grace which can bring us redemption.
It is in community where we provide tangible evidence of service and response. In fact, time after time in the Bible you see that Christ teaches and provides examples in community. Community does not just provide us with an audience. It provides a venue where we can authentically respond to God's goodness.
Our murder of desire, our isolation of authentic connection with others and with God is a response. A response that can only please the self and ultimately kill our very souls. Our challenge is to live in the tension of both. To live well. And to struggle with God's goodness in light of our darkness.
Today's Entry: Living in Community
We live in a juxtaposition. A juxtaposition of desire and isolation.
Desire: a component of the human condition which compells us to seek out connection with God and others.
In Genesis, we are reminded that we were created for relationship. First, with God. Then, with others.
Isolation: A perpetuation in society to live on our own and depend on ourselves. And a risk-free way to ensure comfort when one is not pursued, understood, desired, heard, and seen.
This past week I've been thinking about the tension between both. How do we stay present while battling the temptation to run/hide? We live in a society where we value immediate gratification, consumerism, and independence. Our technological advances have instilled in us the attitude and behavior to rely on ourselves-- keeping us from community and the need of relationship. Thus, buffering the pain of disconnection and rejection. Now I think it is interesting to look at the relationship between both: desire and isolation. How do they work together and against each other? Living in a world where isolation and independence is encouraged: how do we handle desire? The distraction of self-consumption numbs us. Thus, killing desire.
I've been particularly looking at this because i've been thinking about the community I have been so graciously gifted with. How in my desire to know others: I find myself easily disappointed and willing to give up. One thing struck me this week as I started thinking about community, our society, behaviors, and sociological norms that we easily adopt as our definition of human existence and human interaction. Community/ relationship is intended because it provides a mirror of our relationship with God. I find this to be so true in my relationship with my husband. But on some level in every relationship we are reflection for each other. We are a reflection of our need for God, our failure to God, our humility to God, our pride and rebellion of God and so on. And it is in our community where we find our true need to seek grace so that we can in turn give grace. Because in all our sin against others it is only grace which can bring us redemption.
It is in community where we provide tangible evidence of service and response. In fact, time after time in the Bible you see that Christ teaches and provides examples in community. Community does not just provide us with an audience. It provides a venue where we can authentically respond to God's goodness.
Our murder of desire, our isolation of authentic connection with others and with God is a response. A response that can only please the self and ultimately kill our very souls. Our challenge is to live in the tension of both. To live well. And to struggle with God's goodness in light of our darkness.
Pray for Burma.
Pray for Aung San Su Kyi: Leader of the National League for Democracy
Please check out the Human Rights Watch web page at www.hrw.org. This past week Aung San Su Kyi and 17 other NLD leaders were taken into custody by the dictatorship military regime in Burma. Aung San is a peace activist and believes in opposition with non-violence. This past week supporters and protesters of the National League for Democracy were travelling and peacefully protesting against the regime-- when the regime opened fire-- killing approximately 70 people and injuring many more. The regime took Aung San into custody (she suffers a head injury) with several others. The UN has asked for her safe release and the opportunity to speak with her. The regime says 'no', but states that it is for her safety and assure the UN that she is well.
Please pray for resolution for the Burmese people. They have lived under oppression, poverty, slave labor, child labor, starvation, lack of medical supplies, torture and for many death.
There is a local non-profit agency called World Aid. They are located in Ballard. World Aid is founded by a Burmese man. There mission is to send resources to Burma to help the internally displaced refugees.
Pray for Aung San Su Kyi: Leader of the National League for Democracy
Please check out the Human Rights Watch web page at www.hrw.org. This past week Aung San Su Kyi and 17 other NLD leaders were taken into custody by the dictatorship military regime in Burma. Aung San is a peace activist and believes in opposition with non-violence. This past week supporters and protesters of the National League for Democracy were travelling and peacefully protesting against the regime-- when the regime opened fire-- killing approximately 70 people and injuring many more. The regime took Aung San into custody (she suffers a head injury) with several others. The UN has asked for her safe release and the opportunity to speak with her. The regime says 'no', but states that it is for her safety and assure the UN that she is well.
Please pray for resolution for the Burmese people. They have lived under oppression, poverty, slave labor, child labor, starvation, lack of medical supplies, torture and for many death.
There is a local non-profit agency called World Aid. They are located in Ballard. World Aid is founded by a Burmese man. There mission is to send resources to Burma to help the internally displaced refugees.
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