In This Issue: How (and why) not to be ignorant about the world
- IRAQ: A Child’s Prayer
- SAUDI ARABIA: Millions Head Toward Mecca
- GUINEA: Ebola Team Members Killed over Tragic Misunderstanding
- INDIA: Church Converted to Hindu Temple
- WORLD: 50 Years of Mission
Dear readers,
I highly recommend that you watch and share the TED talk, How Not to Be Ignorant about the World, in which a father-son team explain biases and give helpful tips for a healthier, more accurate perspective on the world. Ola, the son, talks about how we often see causation where there is none. This reminded of me a humorous list of bizarre correlations I’d seen, and then I found a whole website devoted to churning out these weird stats. Did you know that if you consider yourself hairier than most you are more likely to drink Mountain Dew?!
Assumed causation is a serious matter, though, and can cost lives. See the story below about what happened to Ebola workers in Guinea. Some readers might also be interested in Karen Armstrong’s recent article on the myth of religious violence (“The popular belief that religion is the cause of the world’s bloodiest conflicts is central to our modern conviction that faith and politics should never mix. But the messy history of their separation suggests it was never so simple”).
I believe our greatest incentive to be well informed is for intercession. There is a true correlation between prayer and events; we may not have empirical evidence of this, but we have the promises of God. This week we join Christians who are praying for an end to Ebola, and others interceding for Hindus during their Navratri festival (see below).
Many are also praying for Muslims on the Hajj pilgrimage and Jews observing the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur (October 3-4). When I pray for people of other faiths during times of repentance and cleansing, sometimes I pray through the lyrics of the song Rock of Ages, changing the “I” and “me” to “they” and “them.” Try it this week and think of the millions of Muslims circling the rock in Mecca and those Jews who have “rejected the stone.”
Praying with you for the sons of Abraham (and others),
Pat
P.S.: Bruce Allen of Forgotten Missionaries International, quoted in one of our recent news briefs, said one of you was trying to reach him after reading our story. He accidentally deleted your email. Try again!
Pat Noble has been the “news sleuth” for Missions Catalyst since 2004. In addition to churning out the news, she is working to create a SWARM (Serving World A Regional Mobilizers) in Northern New York using the NorthernChristian.org website. You can connect with her at www.whatsoeverthings.com.