Aj Schwanz

An instant message notifier pops up on my computer screen.

jschwanz: Have you heard the news?
Aj: Mp. No. (I had my fingers on the wrong keys.)
jschwanz: the christian peacemaker team was rescued
Aj: oh, yes: did see that. thank you jschwanz: heard it on npr
Aj: yes: very cool, and sad - all at the same time
jschwanz: yup

I heard it this morning while catching the “real news” portion of the Today Show. My heart jumped a bit: hurrah! They’re safe! And then my heart paused: if only it had been sooner . . .

It does me and others no good to think in such a way. I don’t believe that God destined Tom Fox to die in such a way, but I do believe that God will use this horrible event and redeem it to be something to bring about good. What is God doing now? I believe Tom Fox would want us to keep attuned to the Spirit’s movements rather than spend time in regret and “if only” - to question does not honor his memory, his actions which seemed to go unquestioningly, selflessly after God’s leadings of compassion.

I came across this interesting post while looking at news stories.

7. The number of Christian Peacemakers in Iraq is extremely small. Their positive effect and peacemaking work is disproportionate to their size.

9. The goodwill that the Christian peacemakers elicited from the community around them may have had a great deal to do with the intelligence that appears to have played an important part in their release.

10. Christian peacemakers point that what the friends and family of Norman Kember, Harmeet Sooden, James Loney and Tom Fox have been through in the last 4 months is very similar to what the families of detainees of American and British forces have been going through on a daily basis for 3 years.

The last one struck me. As we have rallied for the release of “our” hostages, outraged that their rights and humanity were stripped away, what is my call towards those that are experiencing the same . . . at the hands of *our* people?

8. When the peacemakers were taken hostage, calls for their release flooded in from Muslims all around the world.

It’s time to step up.