Evil in the Congo

The violence in the Congo, particularly the brutal rapes of girls and women of all ages, has been haunting me for weeks. Today I read an article from the BBC that implied it's only getting worse. The most devastating part of the article was at the end:

The latest mass rapes - during July and August - were first reported by the International Medical Corps, which treated many of the victims.

Mr Ban sent his envoys to the country to learn why UN peacekeepers had apparently been unaware of the attacks.

DR Congo has a shocking reputation for sexual violence, and rape is commonly used as a weapon of war.

The UN says at least 8,300 rapes were reported in 2009 and it is believed that many more attacks go unreported.

I am going to make a commitment to pray for the Congo every day. Generally, I am an action person, but I forget that fervent prayer (not just the half-hearted promise of prayer) IS an action. It's a crucial action! Being unemployed leaves me with little financial resources, but my heart just breaks for these women. By the way, many men are killed or beaten (and unable to protect their wives). It's not just the women who suffer, but there are many new widows and rape survivors stigmatized by their husbands and communities. The repercussions are overwhelming.

Crises like these do test my faith. You might ask, how can you love a God who allows atrocities of this level? An indirect answer to that is because He is big enough yet intimate enough to care. I truly do believe He cares. I believe that His heart breaks much worse than I do. When I read the Bible, I see over and over the charge to care for the vulnerable. People who take advantage of the vulnerable are warned of destruction. Sometimes I think God tarries partially for the perpetrators' sakes. I actually believe that man is naturally selfish at heart, but oftentimes I still cannot fathom how people can be so cruel to each other. I find myself wondering how these armies can terrorize civilians, particularly women and children, and I mean truly wondering. What is it in their circumstances and hearts that compels them to ignore the voice of God and exult in their truly evil desires? Or maybe they are just going along with the crowd? I can only think about these subjects for so long because it really does tear me apart.

Today was a good day, by the way. I spoke about communication at a Christian sober living home whose residents are going through Pop's curriculum. Afterward, Emily and I went to Trader Joe's, and I made stuffed bell peppers for dinner (from my Trader Joe's cook book). Then my team came in third out of six at pub quiz, so we are improving.