Day Fourteen ~ Deep Prayer

If you have not logged on to chrisseay.net to watch the brief video for Day 14 I invite you to take a moment, go there, watch the video, and then come back.  We will wait.  I promise, it will be a powerful experience.

I don't know if there is a more potent scene around the world.  A mass grave where thousands are buried.  Most of them died on the same day.  It was January 12, 2010.  Some must have lingered but they are all buried together.  Many families still do not know where their loved ones are for sure.  They have an idea but it all happened with such chaos that many will never know where their father, mother, brother, or sister are buried.


Thousands of people.  They died of massive poverty.  Sure, I understand that the they died when the cinder block structure collapsed and they were crushed.  I know that the earth swallowed some.  And we all understand the devastation that we saw through the safety of a television lens.  But they died of poverty.

They died because generations of poverty, corruption, and painful expectation all came together at the same moment.  Please don't call it an act of God.  Please don't tell me that it was the result of individual sin.  They died of poverty.

Now there is just a simple place.  A mass grave.  Acres that are covered with white surf smoothed rock.

The reality of absolute and extreme poverty around the world continues to be evident.  Chris speaks about Burkina Faso in west Africa.  He identifies the need for basic things like food and clean water.  I think about our friend Joanna who lived and served in Burkina Faso on behalf of the Peace Corps.  Thank you Joanna!  Thank you to all who serve around the world.  We lift you in prayer today and commit to working to alleviate extreme poverty around the world.