Only One Message - KSA Quarterly Volume# 14 Issue # 1 Date: July 2017

Security concerns continue to be tight in our province.  While I was back in country these last two months it was almost a daily occurrence to hear of another friend or family member of a friend who had been taken in by the government for  ‘re-education’.  Their families are not informed of their departure or their whereabouts, these people are simply gone, for an unknown length of time.  Sitting with families in the midst of this grief it is easy to fall into the trap of vilifying the officials, wanting to jump on the social justice band wagon and start preaching a message on human rights and freedom.  But that is not the message He sent me around the world to proclaim.  Even in the midst of great human suffering and seemingly unfair treatment, we only have one message that will stand the test of time – The message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen again.  The message of one who freely gave up His rights and privileges, in order to call us to Himself.    This is a message that can bring healing to the ach and discord in our area, it is a message that goes beyond a temporary solution, to the very root of all human suffering.  It is a message that invites people to openly lament before a loving God about their lack of rights and await His perfect timing for justice and mercy to be extended.  Lord, please daily give me the words to speak your one message into the lives of hurting lost people around me, take away the temptation to fixing the problem by preaching any lesser message.