A Call for Justice, Peace, and Prayer

A few weeks ago we featured the celebrations of a Southern Sudanese woman named Lucy commemorating the new-found independence of her homeland. Her family has suffered many loses and made difficult sacrifices in pursuing independence for Southern Sudan. In particular, Lucy’s husband, Isaac, has spent many years working to expose oppression and inequalities as a journalist. Describing how the passing of the referendum in Southern Sudan has affected her family, Lucy said, “My husband got his job back after he lost it due to his freedom speech.” The fact that Isaac “spoke out” against businesses, politicians, or individuals who wielded power in ways that harmed the people of Southern Sudan made him a target for revenge. He exposed people for their greed and deceit.Two weeks ago Isaac went missing when he traveled to Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan. We ask now for your thoughts and prayers to be with Lucy, Isaac, and the rest of their family. Events like these illustrate how vulnerable the Amani women, their families, and their communities often are. They are subject to the whims of powerful people who can take advantage of the poor and disenfranchised members of society. This is a heart-wrenching reminder that the work of seeking peace -- the work Lucy’s husband, Isaac, has been doing so faithfully -- is often met with resistance. Still, it is in these moments that we feel the absence of justice most acutely and reclaim our call to work toward peace.

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Learn to do right; seek justice.

Defend the oppressed.

Take up the cause of the fatherless;

plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 1:17