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Leadership

Very Tough Week

The week just past has been a very difficult one for so many people around the world, especially for honest atheists who have no one to pray to and must view this week’s events as normal and acceptable in light of their world view.

Since Monday:

  • In the USA, 32 students & faculty members were murdered in cold blood at Virginia Tech. Four of these (Jarrett Lane, Matt La Porte, Lauren McCain and Mary Read – pictures) were Christians involved with Campus Crusade. This heinous tragedy has been met with amazing prayer and support from a strong Christian community from around the world. Cynthia, a friend of Lauren (one of the fallen), tells her unfolding story here.
  • In Liaoning province, China, 32 steel workers were killed when a steel ladle preparing to pour molten steel at 1500 degrees Celcius broke loose and fell, spewing workers with the liquid. It’s unlikely these 32 souls will have their stories told.
  • In Malatya, Turkey, 3 evangelicals (2 nationals and one German) were found dead, their throats slit, in the Christian publishing house where they served. More…

  • In South East Asia, over 40 national Christian workers were being detained by a Muslim government for “defamation of Islam.”

  • Multiple suicide bombings in Baghdad claimed over 200 lives. This is normal now.

  • Finally, this week marked the anniversaries of both the 1999 Columbine massacre and the 1899 birth of Adolph Hitler.

What can we do? We can pray. And we can invite others to look beyond the horizon to a God who knows, cares and intervenes on our behalf.

By Ken

Dr. Ken Cochrum (DMin, Bethel University) is Vice President of Global Digital Strategies at Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) in Orlando, Florida. An avid cyclist and aspiring guitarist, he also holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas and a Masters of Arts in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. He recently co-founded Indigitous.org, a movement passionate about connecting people to Jesus using digital strategies. He previously served as vice president of Cru’s student-led movements worldwide. He and his wife Ann spent 13 years in East Asia where they raised their two children. Ken blogs regularly at www.onleadingwell.com.

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