Christian Conscience
An Open Letter
To the people we serve at World Relief, We want to express our unwavering support to you and express our deep grief over the events of last week when a group of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol. The scenes we all witnessed left us feeling sick and unsettled and were reflective of the divisions that…
Read MoreBlessed are the Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God. — Matthew 5:9 A Contested Election On New Year’s Day in 2008, my wife and I arrived in Nairobi and witnessed up close the horrific aftermath of a disputed election result between the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki and his opponent,…
Read MoreMade for Change
Change isn’t easy. I can’t even begin to count how many times we’ve said that phrase over the last eight months at World Relief. When I think back to March, when our offices across the globe began closing their doors due to shelter-in-place orders, it feels like another lifetime entirely. Like many of you, we…
Read MorePursuing Peace Together
Imagine a world where wounds were healed and reconciliation was made possible because wrongs were acknowledged and forgiveness was both extended and received. Where hatred and broken relationships were replaced with humble dialogue, and Christlike love fueled spiritual, relational and community development. This is the world World Relief Rwanda is helping build, and it’s the…
Read MoreBoth Can Be True
Several months ago, a counselor said something that has stuck with me. She told me, “Both can be true.” I have held onto these words in the past few months as a tangible way to remind myself of the tension and the reality in our day-to-day world. For the past couple years, my husband and…
Read MoreThe Church is Divided Over Racial Justice. But It Shouldn’t Be.
Rejection and Division In 1915, as famed baseball player-turned-evangelist Billy Sunday prepared for a Washington, D.C. crusade, Black Presbyterian Pastor Francis J. Grimké wrote to him, urging him to decry racism among other sins. Sunday never replied, and Grimké, like generations of Black Christians after him, lamented Sunday and so many other white ministers, “claiming…
Read MoreThe Path to Lasting Change
Change isn’t easy, and it isn’t fast. Change shows up day after day, month after month, year after year. The path to change requires faithfulness, consistency and a commitment to going the distance — no matter how far or how long it takes. I remember the day our team pulled up to the abandoned factory…
Read MoreDACA and Dream Act 101
Photo by EPA-EFE/ALBA VIGARAY On June 18th, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) — at least for now. This is an answered prayer for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. For those who may not fully understand DACA…
Read MoreSearch Us and Know Us
You have searched us oh Lord — Prejudice lurks in every heart. Racism in every mind. Though they may hide themselves from consciousness, they take root. Lord, search us and know our heart. We confess and grieve our sins as well as those of our country and world. Lead us oh God in the way…
Read More5 Reasons for Hope
We are living in extraordinary times. The impact of the Coronavirus is being felt deeply across the world. Increasingly, this pandemic is disrupting our everyday lives and virtually every structure in our home cities and countries. This is a matter of great concern at every level of government and society, yet it is also a…
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