Dear Friends,
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Yesterday was a very bad and sad day for peace in the Middle East.
The killing of Mavi Marmara crew members was tragic. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families
and our prayers are for peace.
There has been widespread international condemnation of Israel, but we
must be careful not to prejudge the issue, when we do not yet know what
happened on board. The methodology
of some people who say they are keen to work for peace is more than disturbing. In Israel / Palestine, we oversimplify
the issues at our peril.
A Complex Conflict
I have been involved in this part of the world for many years and have had
significant engagement with Hamas and its supporters. I have never found them easy. I have been attacked by them, beaten and
had complex negotiations, such as the Bethlehem siege, extended by many days
because of their activities.
Most people in Gaza are not terrorists; they suffer terribly and have
very little. They need our help,
our support and our prayers. Sadly, there are times when, in my view, their leaders have not acted in
their people's best interests. This too is tragic.
So yesterday was a day when everybody suffered. The Palestinians, the Israelis, those
trying to deliver support to Gaza and finally the Middle East Peace Process
itself. We must pray, pray and
pray for all mentioned above. It
is so important that we do not just pray for and support just those we favour;
that is not how our Lord would react.
Meanwhile, I have been in the UK for the past week, spending time with my
wonderful family, preaching in different churches, and meeting my trustees and
diplomatic and political advisers. Last Sunday I had a truly wonderful time at Highfield Church,
Southampton, with a brilliant time of worship and a great opportunity to speak
about what God is doing in Iraq and through our Church in Baghdad.
The Pedaling Vicar
I also got to speak with Rev. David Post, the intrepid 'Pedaling
Vicar'. Not content with cycling
from Lands End to John O'Groats, he is also riding to Lands End from his home
in Middle Rasen, Lincolnshire, and then at the end of the ride, he plans to
cycle home again. The total
journey is 2,060 miles and he plans to do it in a month, averaging 73 miles per
day. And did I mention that David
is 71 years old? Do please feel
free to encourage David by sponsoring him, which can be done on JustGiving or via our donations page - please make it clear the money relates to the sponsorship.
With every blessing,
Andrew
PS - on a personal note I have had several birthday greetings via Plaxo. Thank you for those, but it is not my
birthday until the end of June. I
have never even used Plaxo and don't know where they got the idea that it is my
birthday.
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For more information on the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East please visit our website
www.frrme.org |
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Job Vacancy
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Finance ManagerWe are offering a fantastic opportunity to join the FRRME office team.
We are looking for a highly capable, faith - filled accountant who is also keen to adopt some office management duties.
Please follow the link to the full job description, but do be mindful that time is short.
Applications by CV and covering letter to Peter Marsden.
Deadline: June 10th
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Staying on track with the "Pedaling Vicar"
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The remarkable Rev David Post has made it possible for us to check in with his progress, using a Global Positioning System.
Simply follow this link to see where he is up to.
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Verse of the Week
Revelation 21: 2-4
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"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from
God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I
heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is
with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from
their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away."
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