Tears flow as black and white Christians seek forgiveness for each other’s sins.

A momentous prayer meeting took place in the South African Parliament last Friday that is likely to have significance for generations to come.

The focus was on reconciliation, with white people asking forgiveness from blacks, and blacks confessing their sins against the white community in recent years.

Many were reportedly brought to tears during an extended time of prayer and confession, after which farmer-evangelist Angus Buchan addressed MPs and other dignitaries about the need for faith in South Africa.

One MP, Steve Swart, even confessed the government’s anti-Semitism during World War II when Jews who had fled the Holocaust were not allowed to disembark in Cape Town.

Confessing and Repenting

Inside South Africa's Parliament. See Photo Credits.The meeting was held in the Parliament’s former main chamber where many discriminatory laws were passed, and was by invitation only due to the venue’s maximum 250 capacity.

Anneke Rabe, praying on behalf of South Africa’s whites, sought forgiveness for the way they had treated the nation’s black, Coloured (mixed race) and Indian population along with other minorities – for oppressive laws, land dispossession and the way the churches condoned apartheid:

I repent for the way that we shamed, humiliated and oppressed you…for those who died under the evil system of apartheid in Sharpeville, Soweto and many other places; for the inferior education you received under that system; for the pain, anguish, fear and shock you had to endure; for the detentions, imprisonments, tortures and violence.

Cape Town intercessor Ashley Cloete, a descendant of slaves and the Khoi people,¹ was reduced to tears “when one speaker after another recalled laws that had affected my life down the years such as the Group Areas Act and the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act.

“As a result of the former law, and the related practice of so-called ‘slum clearance’, almost all the buildings and places of my childhood memories had been eradicated. And the latter law was the reason for my exile of just over 18 years,” he told Gateway News.

The meeting was held in the Parliament’s former main chamber where many discriminatory laws were passed.

Representing the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa, Rev Moss Nthla prayed “with a deep sense of awareness of the grace you showed us through what many have described as the miracle of 1994 [the relatively peaceful transfer of power].”

But he went on: “I stand to confess our failure, as a people, to be good stewards of that miracle. We have neither sought nor walked in your ways. As a result, we have harmed ourselves and each other as South Africans. I ask for forgiveness that sadly, a growing number of white South Africans have been made to feel unwelcome in this country and that they have no future for themselves or their children [a possible reference, in part, to the policy of positive discrimination favouring blacks over whites for jobs]. I further ask for forgiveness for the thousands of farmers who have been murdered in our country by black people.”²

Commenting later on the reference to anti-Semitism, Ashley Cloete said: “The attitude of our present government towards Israel is of course something that we are not at all proud of as followers of the Jewish Jesus, our Lord and Saviour” (there are moves afoot to downgrade diplomatic ties with Israel). And he also referred to regular worship on Signal Hill (adjacent to Table Mountain) “in our Isaac-Ishmael prayer battle for Jews and Muslims”.

Drawing People Back to God

South Africa’s Christians have taken the bull by the horns and stepped straight into the very heart of government. Didn’t Jesus say the gates of Hell would not prevail against his Church? They are not shy about their faith, or happy to keep it to themselves. They know it’s the only hope for the nation’s future.

Clearly, God has anointed Angus Buchan and others for such auspicious moments, but we have to ask if there is someone in Britain with comparable courage and conviction, who is prepared to raise his voice among our politicians?

Angus knows where his strength comes from – the mighty power of the Holy Spirit that was first poured out in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.

South Africa’s Christians are not shy about their faith or happy to keep it themselves - they know it is the only hope for the nation’s future.

In 1960 British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan also addressed the Cape Town Parliament warning of “winds of change” blowing through Africa among nations seeking their independence from colonial powers. But our farmer friend knows that the only wind of change God requires from leaders in these dark days is the acknowledgement of rule from heaven above, and the restoration of our Judeo-Christian heritage.

As with Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and Ezra drawing the people back to God by reading the Law, so South Africa is experiencing a restoration – both in spirit and in truth.

Same Need in Britain

Our need in Britain is the same; chiefly for reconciliation with God, though working together in unity with our Christian brethren is a vital first step, without which our secular nation will not fully grasp that we love one another.

Like Angus and his fellow leaders, we also need courage – the sort that caused those who witnessed the boldness of Peter and John to recall that they “had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

We too need to repent – over the shameful laws we have passed that contradict the commandments handed down to us on Mt Sinai; and over our treatment of Israel, who gave us God’s Law in the first place.

Thankfully, an anti-Semitic campaign calling on the British Government to apologise for the Balfour Declaration (promising to do all we could to restore Jews to their ancient land) has come to nothing. If anything, we should apologise for trying to prevent its eventual implementation, largely through appeasement of Arabs opposing it.

Worse still, we prevented Jews trying to escape the Holocaust from entering the Promised Land through our policy of limited immigration during the (internationally-approved) Mandate we held over the region.

Passion for the Nations

Buchan's 'Mighty Men' conference. See Photo Credits.

And since we’re discussing South Africa, perhaps we also need to repent over our disgraceful dealings with the Afrikaners, 26,000 of whom perished in the British concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902.

I am still proud to be South African, despite my problems with immigration when initially refused re-entry to the UK on my recent return from Israel. My loyalty to the country of my birth is chiefly due to the God-fearing Afrikaners who rescued my orphaned great-grandfather and his siblings from possible death in the veldt following the roadside murder of their widowed father.

My great-grandfather, also Charles, was subsequently brought up in the parsonage of the Rev Andrew Murray, a much-loved revivalist who, together with his famous son of the same name, became a father-figure for Dutch Reformed evangelicals throughout the country.

God has anointed Angus Buchan in South Africa, but is there someone in Britain with comparable courage and conviction, who is prepared to raise his voice among our politicians?

The passion for Jesus exhibited by so many Afrikaners today is in no small way connected, in my opinion, to the legacy left by the Murray clan – I happen also to share Scottish ancestry with both Angus Buchan and the Murrays.

But it’s about the heart more than our genes. May passion for God’s rule over our nations drive us to our knees, as we are witnessing so powerfully in South Africa, where 1.7 million Christians converged on a farmer’s field to pray for the nation back in April. Amen.

Notes

1 Original inhabitants of the Cape who are now almost extinct.

2 Gerber, J. There will be no drought in Western Cape by March - Angus Buchan. news24, 24 November 2017. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that accompanied the transition to multi-racial democracy in the 1990s did much to heal wounds at the time, but there has been a clear failure to build on what was such a hopeful start to the new ‘Rainbow Nation’.

Clifford Hill discusses growing ethnic segregation in Britain.

A report published this month highlights the alarming trend of racial segregation in many towns and cities in Britain.¹ The overall decline in the white population of Britain is accelerating with vast changes that have taken place in a single generation.

By contrast, this month we have also been celebrating black culture, with the BBC broadcasting an excellent series called Black and British: A Forgotten History, as part of their Black and British season this November.² In this article we review some of the changes that have taken place since the middle of the last century.

Initial Arrivals

Before World War II the UK population was virtually 100% white. The number of non-white people was statistically too small to show in any survey. For most people in Britain their first encounter with non-white people was when members of the Commonwealth came to help defend the Motherland from threatened Nazi invasion, and when American forces with many black soldiers arrived in preparation for the 1944 invasion of Europe.

HMT Empire Windrush.After the war the first non-white migrants (mostly ex-servicemen who had served with the British forces) came to Britain from Jamaica aboard the Empire Windrush in 1948. Their numbers increased steadily during the 1950s. It was not until the early 1960s that significant numbers of Asians began arriving, settling mainly in the Southall area of West London.³

Ten years later I was living in East Ham, in 1972, when the first Asians arrived in Newham as refugees from Uganda, expelled by Idi Amin. The area where they settled was mostly white with a modest number of Caribbeans. Today it has only 4% white people living there. Many of the white people in Newham are now from Poland, Lithuania or other parts of East Europe, and there are only a handful left of local EastEnders who were born and raised in the area.

I was living in East Ham in 1972, when the first Asians arrived in Newham as refugees from Uganda.

Total Transformation

There are other areas of Britain that have seen a similar change-over in a single generation. The report, by professors Ted Cantle and Eric Kaufmann of Birkbeck, University of London, shows how in some areas the white British population has halved in the past 20 years.

Blackburn in Lancashire has areas where there are virtually no white people. The Whalley Range area of Manchester is where migrants from India and Pakistan came in the 1960s to work in the cotton mills. Today, the report says, 95% of the local population is Asian and there are schools where there are no white children. Integration has simply not taken place.

The process of neighbourhood change is very similar to what I have seen happening in Chicago and Detroit in the USA where 'redlining' has taken place. When the first black people moved into an area the real estate agents would 'redline' it and inform the white occupants that property values were dropping and if they wanted to maintain their stake in the housing market they should sell quickly and move out of the area. Within two or three years the population can change drastically. Something similar has happened in many towns and cities in Britain.

A Racial Issue?

Church and mosque side by side, Birchfield. See Photo Credits.

Last year my wife and I visited a church in Leicester where they were baptising 15 former Muslim migrants. They were the only church left in the area. We took with us a friend from Oxford who had a sore throat. He went into the local corner shop to get some cough sweets but was unable to make himself understood because neither the shopkeeper nor anyone in the crowded shop spoke English!

According to the report, white people are moving out of 'Asian areas' in droves and this situation is repeated in many other places such as Slough where the white British population dropped in 10 years from 53% in 2001 to 34% in 2011.

This lack of integration will cause serious social problems if it is not tackled very soon. Segregation breeds prejudice and dysfunctional societies. It reinforces racial stereotypes and creates fear and suspicion; this is what is happening in areas where large-scale Asian settlement has taken place. But this needs to be seen in its true perspective – not as a racial issue but a cultural issue! It is very important to recognise this.

Segregation breeds prejudice and reinforces racial stereotypes, creating fear and suspicion.

Segregation is About Religious Culture

There are many inner-city areas where Africans and African-Caribbean migrants have settled and integrated with the local white population. In the 2011 riots that began in Tottenham, north London, and spread to other areas of London and other cities, it was very clear that these were not race riots – black and white participated equally in protests against inequality and injustice. I described this from my personal experience of living in Tottenham in FREE AT LAST: The Tottenham Riots and The Legacy of Slavery.⁴

Following some difficult times in the early years, the Africans and Caribbeans have now integrated well into local white communities because they share a common Christian culture - in contrast to the Indians and Pakistanis whose backgrounds are mostly Muslim, Hindu or Sikh. These cultural differences have been exacerbated by the failure of our politicians to understand the social and cultural issues involved.

Establishment Ignorant

British immigration laws were formed in the 1960s, based upon outdated concepts of the old British Empire. All citizens of the Empire were regarded as 'British' which gave them the right to settle in Britain. This has allowed large numbers of Asian migrants the freedom to develop a form of voluntary racial apartheid in Britain. They have been allowed to settle in an area of their choice and given no official help with cultural integration, language instruction (although local voluntary groups have helped) or education in British history, law or customs. There has been no expectation that they would integrate into British society. They have been free to come to Britain and establish culturally isolated expatriate communities.

To reinforce their cultural isolation, they have also been permitted to bring their relatives to Britain including sending their children back to India or Pakistan to find a marriage partner and bring them back to Britain, thus doubling the size of the childbearing migrant population every generation and maintaining a much higher birth-rate than the white population. Of course, some Asians integrated very well into British culture as can be seen in the election of the London Mayor, but this has not happened with the majority of migrants.

By contrast, most African and Caribbean migrants have been keen to integrate into British society. African-Caribbeans have English as their first language; their education is British-based, and the vast majority are Christians having attended churches of similar denomination to those in Britain. The largest churches in Britain are African, and the Redeemed Christian Church of God holds an all-night prayer meeting twice a year where 50,000 (mainly migrants from Nigeria) meet at the ExCeL Centre in London to pray for the re-evangelisation of Britain.

Segregation is a cultural issue, not a racial issue - it varies greatly depending on the religious culture of migrant populations.

The differences between the Africans and the Asians have not been recognised by our politicians. Politicians of all parties in Britain have recklessly ignored our centuries of Christian heritage in Britain and encouraged the settlement of those who have no interest in becoming 'British'. Many Asian migrants want to retain their own culture and for some of them their desire is to change the culture of Britain. This is particularly true of some Muslims; whose stated aim is to make Britain a Muslim country. British immigration law actually facilitates this. Unless the law is changed Britain could have a Muslim majority by the middle of this century.

Of course, it could be argued that the migrants are only following the British example. The British formed expatriate communities in India and made no attempt to integrate, and to a small extent we are doing it today in Cyprus, but that doesn't make it right.

Wisdom and Love, Not Xenophobia

I have spent the whole of my working life living and working among migrants and campaigning for the rights of ethnic minorities. My first book was called Black and White in Harmony,⁵ and I have constantly advocated the rich benefits of cultural diversity - so I can hardly be charged with xenophobia in calling for a change in our immigration policy.

It is surely time for Christians in Britain to sound the alarm and call upon our politicians to review ALL the laws regarding immigration as part of the Brexit negotiations. Surely it would be much better to be giving refuge to Christians fleeing their desperate plight in war-torn Syria than to go on allowing thousands of migrants to come in from Pakistan who have no love for Britain and who may represent a very real threat to the future of this nation.

White Britain has gone forever and I personally have no regret - I love living in a multi-racial community with its rich diversity. But I am greatly concerned that our precious freedoms for which we fought two world wars will be lost if Islam becomes the dominant religion in Britain. We need to wake up to the fact that our present immigration laws are directly handing Britain over to Islam.

For all who believe that Britain still has a role in the modern world – it is time to sound the alarm! If we are to maintain our freedom to preach the Gospel of Jesus and to preserve our Judaeo-Christian heritage, our immigration laws must be changed!

References

1 Reported in The Guardian. Asthana, A and Parveen, N. Call for action to tackle growing ethnic segregation across UK, 1 November 2016.

2 Watch online here. See all the programmes associated with the BBC's Black and British season here.

3 ONS net immigration statistics quoted from Hill, C, 1970. Immigration and Integration. Pergamon Press Ltd, Oxford, p27.

As BLM protests take place across the UK today, Linda Louis-vanReed offers an analysis of the growing movement from an American perspective.

According to its website, the 'Black Lives Matter' movement was originally formed in response to the incident involving young Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on 9 August 2014, the aftermath of which catalysed a new conversation between the African-American community and law enforcement across our nation.

We in the US began hearing the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement being compared with the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Young people began to respond to what they considered the need for a new Civil Rights dialogue in this era.

However, BLM has a scattered leadership and is loosely organised. Because each 'chapter' is led by whoever would step forward, regardless of his/her personal background or ideology, the protests have often morphed into a platform for organisations like the New Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam and the Communist Party. The majority of protesters have been paid, and many have been from out-of-state.

As the organisation, now almost 18 months old, has gained traction, it has become known widely that many of these protesters have been being paid through organisations owned by business magnate and political activist George Soros, who has funded political revolutions in Egypt, Serbia and Georgia, and was instrumental in getting Mr Obama into the White House.

BLM has a scattered leadership and is loosely organised, with local chapters easily becoming a platform for militant organisations.

Do Black Lives Really Matter to 'Black Lives Matter'?

The BLM movement could be an incredible, positive force for change throughout the African-American community, which has suffered the legacy of its enslaved forefathers in this nation for at least three generations.

If, in addition to relations with law enforcement, it was simultaneously addressing the issues of 'black-on-black' crime in urban areas, education and job preparation, health and health resources, substance abuse, family wholeness and programmes to bring hope and help to mothers and grandmothers who are raising young children alone, BLM would, indeed, be following in the footsteps of Martin Luther King and his mission of peace, prosperity and unity.

However, it has been my experience (and that of those clergy, city officials and police around me) that BLM is not interested in hearing the whole truth as it pertains to the circumstances of the unrest.

It does not matter that Michael Brown, Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile each had his own criminal record and each was being stopped by the police with reason of suspicion. It does not matter that black-on-black crime is the number one issue within the African-American community. It does not matter that more African-American babies are aborted every year than any other ethnic group in America. It does not matter that, far from being 'excluded', the African-American community (13% of our population) is gaining wealth and education faster than any other group.¹

What appears to matter to BLM in the United States is represented by what it has become: an outlet for rage, hate and anti-white racism to such an extent as to possibly exacerbate a full-scale race war in the United States.

The BLM movement could be an incredible, positive force for change, but instead it has become an outlet for rage, hate and anti-white racism.

The Fallout

In the 1960s, Martin Luther King was adamant about finding peaceful, unifying solutions to the then-palpable issue of race in America. His solutions were contingent upon prayer, obeying the law, relating to the facts concerning situations as they occurred, and moving forward so that one day, there would be no 'color line'. I have a very dear friend who was there, in Louisville - one of two white men in attendance that day - who can attest to the spirit of love and co-operation that was present when Dr King took the platform.

The American Civil Rights Movement, under leaders like King and icons like Rosa Parks, was used by God to change the hearts and minds of men for generations. Great strides have been made toward eradicating white racism toward blacks. Opportunities on every level have opened toward the African-American community, which were not even being considered in 1950.

Although things are far from perfect for any of us, regardless of colour, it has been my experience that out of the hundreds of white persons I have met over the course of my lifetime, I can name only about seven who are actually racist toward blacks. As for me, the majority of my friends, colleagues and associates are African-American – by God's design, as all things should be.

However, since the advent of BLM the attitude in my 71% African-American community is changing. In the past months I have found myself subject to many more anti-white remarks and even physical threats. People who used to smile and speak now look at me with suspicion. I have had African-Americans literally pull their children away from me and scold them for 'talking to that white woman'.

Since the advent of BLM the attitude in my 71% African-American community is changing; recently I have found myself subject to many more anti-white remarks and even physical threats.

One of my closest friends, a young African-American woman, has a beautiful 11-year old daughter who attends a Christian school. She doesn't understand why, all of a sudden, the colour of someone's skin matters. She thinks it is 'stupid'. This young girl embodies the fulfilment of Dr King's dream. But now, in these last days, when morality is being legislated, God is considered a myth, and conformity to the principles and values of humanism, globalism and pluralism are being demanded of young and old alike, I fear for the tender heart of my young friend.

Prayer for August and Beyond

A few days ago I attended a meeting among the clergy of the Ferguson community concerning the upcoming plans for the commemoration of the death of Michael Brown. We have it on strong authority that BLM will be active in the first week of August, and perhaps beyond.

The call is to prayer. We will prayer-walk streets and businesses. We will pray at home, over the phone and collectively. We will stand among the activists, praying with them as they express their anger and desire for change. We will stand in the precinct with the police, praying for them as they exercise their sworn duties. We will be there, dispensing water, umbrellas, food and shelter if necessary, and the Truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the love that Christ displayed to us.

Behind the mask of every activist, behind every uniform of every policeman, behind every label, there is a person who God created, whom he loves. It is our job, our mandate from Christ, to be responsive to that person.

Until all of us, black, white, yellow and brown, embrace who we are as children of the living God and embrace God's definitions of 'love', 'justice', 'unity', 'freedom' and 'peace', human beings will continue to war against, manipulate, and destroy one another.

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power...never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim 3:2-7, NASV - paraphrased)

Behind the mask of every activist, behind every uniform of every policeman, there is a person who God created, whom he loves.

Time of Decision

Now, as in no other time in the lives of each and every one of us, both in America and the United Kingdom, we face a time of decision. Will we continue to look at the histories of our individual cultures, and the sometimes terrible ways in which those cultures came into conflict with one another, and choose to find a use for that hatred, to allow it to continue, or will we look into the face of Jesus and hear him calling us to reason together?

We who are believers in Jesus Christ have heard his message, which declares that no man will triumph over the Kingdom of God.

On this day, we in the US and the UK must ask God that his will be accomplished. We must lay down our own wills and opinions to champion his cause. Only then will we feel free to love our neighbour. Only then will we gain the understanding we need to stand in the gap in this hour, in our respective nations. Only then can both of our nations hope to remain free.

References

1 Tisdale, S. Blacks in the U.S. Gaining Wealth and Education Faster Than Other Groups. Black Enterprise Magazine, 18 February 2016.

Linda Louis-vanReed reports.

As most of you in the UK may by now be aware, the 'Day of Rage' supposedly planned by the group Anonymous in conjunction with Black Lives Matter did not materialise.

During the week beginning 11 July, 37 cities across the United States were put on alert in response to rumours that protests were to occur on Friday 15 July. Although 'Black Lives Matter' events can be peaceful, it has not been uncommon for people to attempt to use them as opportunities to create an atmosphere of physical violence and chaos.

As we remember all too well from the early days of Ferguson, these attempts often succeed, with disastrous results.

Peace Reigned

By the morning of Saturday 16 July, however, news reports all across the country confirmed that there had been little to no notable activity.

In Washington DC, a few protesters turned up outside the White House, peacefully holding signs, enjoying the lovely weather. In New York City, close to 30 LGBT activists rallied outside The Stonewall Inn (the first national monument dedicated to LGBT rights), then marched to the LGBT community centre on 13th Street.

In Dallas, where just days before five policemen had been killed in a sniper attack, no activity took place. In New Orleans, rumours that protests were to take place at famed Lafayette Square caused businesses to shut down early. Officers were instructed to respond only if there was trouble. But the evening came and went peacefully.

In St Louis police monitored specific high-traffic areas for activity, but only a scant few protesters showed up outside St Louis City Hall. In Ferguson, peace and quiet reigned.

The only activists who claimed to respond directly to the call for a 'Day of Rage' gathered in Oakland, California. As a group of 10 activists swelled to between 100 and 150, they impeded traffic at several downtown intersections. Attempts to obstruct on- and off-ramps along Interstate 880 were thwarted by the California Highway Patrol. No citations were given out during the protests.

In San Francisco a group of protesters gathered near the Mission Police Station, several of whom assaulted a news crew. Three people were arrested on suspicion of battery and resisting arrest. Garbage was thrown into the street and lit on fire, but police quickly extinguished the flames.

The News No-one Reported

The one story that the US press did not hear was that of the thousands of committed, involved Christians who, every day leading up to protest day, petitioned our Father that hearts and minds might be changed, that these plans might be confounded and come to nothing, that his hand would be on our nation and its people.

God heard us, friends, and God heard all of you in the UK who were also moved to respond in prayer for the United States. The eventual peace was, in no small part, a Divine response to our collective intercession. Thank you.

Interracial tensions continue to mount as protests are planned across the nation.

After the recent outbreaks of racial violence, today (Friday 15 July) a 'Day of Rage' is being called across America. Protests appear to be being planned in at least 37 different cities and military personnel have been warned to stay away.¹

Following the high-profile police shootings of two black men, Alton Sterling (5 July, Louisiana) and Philando Castile (6 July, Minnesota), and the retaliatory killing of five police officers in Dallas, Texas (7 July) during a Black Lives Matter protest, racial tensions in America seem to have reached their worst point in decades.

Graphic Shootings

The first two shootings, which appeared to involve unwarranted use of force by police, were caught graphically on camera and later televised/posted on social media, provoking a surge of anger across the nation and elsewhere (over here there have been protests in Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Nottingham – with a march in London scheduled for Monday²). The divide between the establishment and the people, it seems, has never been wider – causing concern about a more general breakdown in the social order.

Lawsuits have been launched against police, who have complained of feeling threatened and vulnerable on a daily basis. Obama, who has been criticised for not doing enough during his presidency to change the clear inequalities in American policing, has cut short his visit to Europe and returned home to meet with police chiefs, activists and politicians to try to find ways to keep the peace and restore trust in the law enforcement system.

Today, protests are being called in at least 37 different cities – needless to say, the potential for these to boil over or be exploited for more violent purposes is considerable.

Highly Volatile Situation

There is some dispute as to the reliability of these protest calls, which are being attributed widely to activist group Anonymous, as similar calls in 2014 after the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri were exposed later as fake.³ However, their potential to inspire and spark protests remains potent, even if they remain 'unofficial' calls.

This is a highly complex and volatile situation with a long and difficult history. For Americans, it touches several nerves at once – not least gun control, racism, socio-economic inequality and the role of the police to 'protect' people.

Our American correspondent, Linda Louis-vanReed, has made a special request for prayer following two nights of protests very close to her. She has also requested prayer for the Ferguson Chief of Police, who is a committed Christian.

We ask that you join us in prayer today for the towns and cities across America:

• Pray that God would raise up his people at this time to be a voice of peace and reconciliation to a divided, hurting nation.
• Pray for America's leaders as they navigate the explosive situation. Pray for the Lord to raise up new Martin Luther King Jrs who will rally those hungry for justice together under the banner of peace-loving leadership.
• Pray that the situation would not be given over to further violence, but that the Lord would have his hand on it and somehow turn it for his glory.

References

1 Halper, D and Schram, J. Defense Department workers warned to avoid 'day of rage' protests. New York Post, 14 July 2016.

2 Farrow, A. Black Lives Matter protests continue in Britain - here's how you can get involved. Socialist Worker, 13 July 2016.

3 LaCapria, K. Anonymous 'Day of Rage' Protests. Snopes, 11 July 2016.

Linda Louis-vanReed challenges us to understand better the power we have in Christ - and to not be easily overwhelmed by worldly displays of strength.

Although day to day, life appears to be returning to normal here in Ferguson, Missouri, there is a war going on - and it isn't about race.

It's about power.

System in Need of Reform

In March 2015, a report issued by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) was critical of Ferguson's police practices and its 'profit-driven' municipal court system which relied heavily on revenue from traffic tickets to fund the city and its resources (two things which, I regret to say, are not uncommon in the smaller cities and suburban communities of the United States). Negotiations between the DOJ and the city government in Ferguson ensued.

Public meetings were held where, many times, voices promoting peace and reason were drowned out by those whose purpose was to foment dissent, mainly for the benefit of a restless media. Most of those voices were not residents of Ferguson. Nevertheless, they were loud, they were present and they were perceived as powerful.

Clash of Authorities

After seven months of talks, a 407-item consent decree outlining a top-to-bottom re-shaping of basic police practices – everything from how to conduct traffic stops to when to utilise force – was submitted to the City of Ferguson. The caveat was that, should Ferguson refuse to sign the decree as it was, the DOJ would file suit.

Last Tuesday the City of Ferguson agreed to sign the decree, but only if the DOJ agreed to seven 'conditions of acceptance' tailored by the City in an effort to make the extra costs associated with implementing the items within the DOJ document financially bearable.

The following day the DOJ filed a lawsuit against Ferguson. The 'powers that be' prevailed.

Crippling Costs

As for Ferguson, the cost of implementing the reforms spelled out in the consent decree with the DOJ approach around $3.7 million in the first year alone.

Other cities that have entered into a similar consent agreement with the DOJ have been forced to incur costs into the millions to implement similar reforms. In 2015, the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico agreed to a settlement following an investigation that determined a pattern of use of excessive force. The first year of reforms could cost the City of Albuquerque up to $6 million.

In Ferguson, reforms being imposed by the Department of Justice will cost the city a quarter of its annual operating budget.

In Cleveland, Ohio, an agreement with the DOJ which requires a new use-of-force police policy and enhanced officer training could cost the City of Cleveland at least $10.6 million in the first year and $7 million for each of the subsequent four years.

But Ferguson, with 21,000 residents and a total annual operating budget of $14.5 million, is smaller by far than either Cleveland or Albuquerque — and its residents are far less able to absorb costs in the millions. Already Ferguson suffers a $2.8 million deficit since the incident occurred.

Costs to cover overtime pay for police and emergency personnel, vehicles and equipment during protests, loss of sales tax revenue from businesses damaged by fires and looting, legal fees, and lost income from municipal court reforms already in place have all but knocked the lock off the city treasury. Jobs are on the line, as power grabs are being made just to be the one on top when the legislative smoke finally clears.

Concern on the GroundAttorney General Loretta Lynch responds to questions in the wake of the DOJ's lawsuit announcement.

In April the city will be asking its voting residents to approve increases to their property and sales taxes. All this at a time when Ferguson businesses are in their first real year of recovery, and property values - according to Breitbart.com - have dropped by 45-50%.¹

Many of the people are concerned. Some are frightened that the City of Ferguson could possibly be legislated into a financial crevasse so deep that the only outcome could be the dissolution of its city charter. They feel helpless and overpowered by a system much larger than they can either understand or affect.

Yet, the majority of residents here are not willing to allow their city to remain broken and tarnished by media reputation, nor by outsiders who come not to visit, but to foment unrest in this historically peaceful, suburban community.

In spite of all the hype, population statistics current for 2015-16 show that Ferguson actually has more residents now than in 2013.² It isn't because families cannot afford to leave – it's because they do not desire to do so.

Working to Rebuild

In the year and a half since the Michael Brown incident I have watched the people of Ferguson work together to rebuild this community, and have been involved personally. People of every colour and background have pooled their money, lent their tools, fed one another, prayed together, traded skills and hired one another to repair fire damage.

Many of the people feel frightened and overpowered by a system much larger than they can either understand or affect. Yet, they are not willing to allow their city to remain broken.

Although an altercation between protesters and one of the vendors on site forced the Ferguson Farmer's Market to close, it is now open and running stronger than ever after just a few months. Drive down the streets and every few buildings have construction projects going on. New facades are being erected, giving the entire community a facelift. People are donating their time and resources to conduct personalised studying sessions for those who dropped out of school and want to re-enter to receive their degree.

Churches Stepping Up

Churches in the area are stepping up in remarkable ways. Through a contact within its body of believers, one church is working with a local company who made 24 permanent positions open to people who are homeless and have no vehicle. Not only did the church use its building to house the job fair for this company, but it also allowed a follow-up hiring workshop, and provided clothing and bathing facilities. Now every morning, those two dozen new employees walk to the church where, for $7 per day, they are bussed to and from their new jobs.

First Baptist Church of Ferguson opened its doors for kids at Christmas so those who attend the Crisis Nursery (an organisation that helps kids and mothers in crisis) could meet Santa, have lunch and receive Christmas gifts for the kids. Over 500 mothers and children attended. I was thrilled to see 64 children receive books from our library that they could keep.

Although so many of these activities seem small in the face of government action and financial ruin, they are examples of people using whatever power they possess to effect permanent change from the ground up.

In the face of government action and financial ruin, ordinary people are using whatever power they possess to effect permanent change from the ground up.

Feeling Vulnerable?

So many of us (if we will admit it to ourselves in those rare moments of self-honesty) feel small, soft and easy to kill. We feel vulnerable to ourselves, vulnerable to one another, to forces of nature, forces of man, to God.

When we turn our eyes away from our Father, from Truth himself, to focus on ways in which we can take our lives and futures into our own hands, we invent whatever facade we believe will best protect us - and we are dismayed when it fails. Like a suit of armour, it is only a hard shell built to protect that which is soft and vulnerable.

As people who serve God, we often get sidetracked into using those human survival skills we have been taught since childhood. We have never given thought to whether or not we, as individuals, possess a proper understanding of 'power.'

True Power

Galatians 2:20 defines it with eloquence and brevity:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.³

This is our power - this freedom that Christ offers us through him, by his sacrifice for us. When we apprehend that we died with Christ and rose with him to eternal life, when we understand that we are now heirs to the Kingdom of God through his atonement - and as such, we have access to all to which he has access - we understand that we, through Christ, are not disenfranchised.

The freedom offered to us through Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection means that we are not disenfranchised - we are heirs to the Kingdom of God!

We have the power to open our hands to God, with all our deepest desires and best-kept secrets (even about him), and to ask our Father to help us know him, his voice, his words.

We have the power to live our life through his.

We have the power of choice – to not worry, not argue, not indulge our personal strongholds that separate us from God, but to allow ourselves to be open to becoming the son or daughter that God intended us to be.

We have the power to pray, and through that one simple act, we have the power to turn a nation.

References

1 Nolte, J. Months of Media and Protests Devastate Ferguson Property Values. Breitbart, 16 March 2015.

2 Population Demographics for Ferguson, Missouri in 2016 and 2015. Suburban Stats.

3 The Oxford Annotated Bible, RSV

An exciting update from Ferguson, Missouri.

At the end of August, we shared some encouraging news from Ferguson, Missouri, where racial tensions erupted in 2014 over the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white police officer. Linda Louis-VanReed and Bruce VanReed shared with us about how Christians were using the threatening environment to proclaim the good news about Jesus, and how God was using the prayers of the saints to intervene in the situation.

We now have a new and exciting update to share with you about events in Ferguson on November 24^th, the anniversary of the court decision in favour of the police officer: first a brief note from Linda, then a response from Ferguson's Interim Chief of Police.

Hi, Cliff and Monica –

As always it was lovely to hear from you. Thanks to you all for your prayers and remembrance of us, here in Ferguson, during this past couple of weeks.

Yesterday, November 24, 2015, marked the one-year anniversary of the handing down of the decision in the Michael Brown incident. People have been gathering in small groups (around 5-10 individuals) since Thursday, the 19th, so we were unsure as to how far things were going to go.

But, praise God, so far no big events to report. The demonstrations have been largely peaceful. We had some activity last night, far into the early hours, we understand, in front of the Ferguson police department, but everyone maintained a focused and respectful presence. There were few media. We were driving home at 10PM last night and saw no media trucks.

It does appear as though our continued prayers and commitment to have an open dialogue with the community after last year has had an impact. God's grace and His mercy are boundless.

Hope you two have a beautiful and blessed week.

Yours in Christ,

Louie

Response from Ferguson Police Department

As you may all know, your prayers prevailed. A number of you met at the police station, spoke to protesters (citizens) in a way that allowed for some to gain a perspective about the day's event. In a way that allowed for them to express their constitutional rights. At a meeting, I asked you to pray that we have no violence, no damage, and no criminal activity. I challenged you to stand up and prove that you're the "Moral Authority." Well, it's evident you made a difference. No reported damage, over 150 protesters, no arrest, no one injured, no crimes reported due to protest, and all calls for service were handled.

Because of you, we are well on our way to ensure that your combined efforts will endure. You are very much part of a greater strategy and one that will not only ease tension, but improve our officer's response, and improve their lives. Your work has just begun in my view. And I believe you know there is much more to do. We must continue to improve race relations, improve the quality of life for those less fortunate and be the living embodiment of professional excellence. I can say without a doubt, you mean a great deal to this community. If it was not said before, I am saying it now. THANK YOU! The "Moral Authority" stepped up! I will be leaving, but I have not left you. An old adage commonly said, I'm only a stone throw away."

Andre C. Anderson
Interim Police Chief
Ferguson Police Department

We are overjoyed to share news of what God has been doing in the town of Ferguson, Missouri...

A little over a year ago, the town of Ferguson, Missouri made international headlines when black teenager Michael Brown was repeatedly and fatally shot by a white police officer. Since the incident, which ignited heated debate about race and law enforcement in America, Ferguson has seen repeated civil unrest, both violent and non-violent. The judiciary response to release the officer from all charges did not help the situation, despite the use of independent investigations.

To the watching world, Ferguson is another example of long-standing American racial tensions boiling over. As expected, the anniversary of the initial tragedy on 9 August this year brought yet more protests.

However, what we do not hear on the news is that God is at work in this volatile, complex situation. Christian couple Linda Louis-VanReed and Bruce VanReed live just half a mile from the centre of the unrest. Their vivid, positive description of all that God has been doing through the Ferguson crisis has so encouraged the team at Prophecy Today that we want to share it with you all!

August 15, 2015

Dear Cliff and Monica –

It was good to hear from you both a few days ago. Thank you so much for your unfailing support in prayer during the past week, as life in Ferguson threatened to "get rowdy" once again.

As you might expect, those who were either being paid to demonstrate by various groups (Black Panthers, Nation of Islam, Communist party) or who were coming alongside those paid demonstrators (regardless of what group they represented) just to be seen by the media, were on hand in spite of the high temperatures and rainy conditions present between Monday, August 3 and Tuesday, August 11. However, people were not out by the hundreds every night as they were last year.

There were, among the protesters, a great increase in the number of Caucasians, most of who were not from the area, and a good number of felons who were waiting for the crowds to get worked up so they might use it as a chance to vandalize.

The Billy Graham truck with about half dozen pastors from different parts of the US was present on West Florissant Road ("ground zero," as they have been calling it) and they made themselves available to minister to the crowds. Their best opportunities came from passersby who stopped in to see what the truck was about. Unfortunately, Bruce and I could not get over to see them before they left, so I don't have stories from their ranks to relay to you.

Wednesday evening around 7pm groups of protesters and media trucks converged on downtown Ferguson, about a half mile or so from our house. There was also a group on West Florissant that evening. Storms had been flaring up around the state of Missouri all day, but none were scheduled to touch the St. Louis area until that weekend. However, as the racial tensions thickened, so did the storm clouds, and around 7:30pm we experienced an unexpected torrential downpour. All the hate and misunderstanding planned for that evening was washed away by two inches of rain. Local weather reporters were all a little surprised by the way in which this one particular storm flared up all by itself just outside St. Louis County, and how it seemed to drop the most rain on North County (where Ferguson and Florissant are located). When everyone came together again, later that night, proceedings were peaceful and the crowds were minimal.

All the hate and misunderstanding planned for Wednesday evening was washed away by two inches of rain. Local weather reporters were surprised by the way in which this one particular storm flared up all by itself...

The crowds were nonexistent on Thursday, all day, and into Friday. Friday evening things began to become active, but, strangely enough, everyone seemed, on that evening at least, to prefer a peaceful, friendly, demonstration, and there were no problems. Bruce and I were watching the proceedings down the street from our house via the Internet – a young man with a procam was shooting a live feed which he simulcast from in front of the police station.

The police were in regular event uniforms – light shirts, no weapons, no headgear, nothing. It was the Ferguson police and the St. Louis County police, who were on standby. One man decided to take his bullhorn and scream obscenities into the faces of these people. His blatherings were largely incoherent, but his obscenities were crystal clear. He worked these people on a personal level while a small group of protesters tried to move the crowd into a frenzy by shouting "F*** the police!" and "We will shut it down!" They were playing drums and chanting into the crowd. One young man got on top of a car and started waving two American flags which had been mounted upside down on their poles.

As Bruce and I watched and prayed, we noticed that within a few minutes those who had gathered around the man with the bullhorn were disassociating themselves from him. Soon, he stood there alone with a small child which we think may have been his son. One of the cops stepped forward and appeared to ask him if he needed a bottle of water. He became confused, then cursed, turned, and walked away.

Meanwhile, in the background, our drummers and flag-wavers were faring no better. People chanted along for a minute or two, then broke off into small groups of peaceful demonstrators. They broke it up by midnight. No one hurt. Nobody died.

Saturday night was a different story. Footage from that night was probably what you have been seeing over there. A local station carried a play-by-play throughout the evening as we watched and prayed far into the night.

The events of that evening were at "ground zero." A group of agitators (about 35 or so) were present, once again, trying to stir up the crowds with chants and drums, etc. One young light-skinned black man, wearing a green shirt wrapped around his head and, at one point, a mask, it appeared, was a primary agitator, getting right up into the faces of the police and screaming obscenities, sometimes, less than six inches in front of their faces. The police remained calm and unresponsive until this young man and a few in the crowd began to throw ice water bottles, rocks and pieces of glass at them.

As tensions escalated over the next hour, some local kid with a gun fired off about 30 rounds into crowds and cop cars. The police had to fire on him. The next thing we see is crowds breaking up, as people who were there with their young children got into their vehicles and left. The young man with the green shirt – arrested. They pulled the headgear off him right in front of the camera, and when he saw the camera on him, he immediately started to cry. Guys, he couldn't have been more than about 18 or so. Big man behind his green shirt. Things got real when that shirt came off. I am still praying for that kid. I can't seem to get his face out of my mind. What must have happened in his life to get him to make the choices he made to get him there?

That was pretty much the story of most of the protesters the entire weekend, because after the Saturday night shooting, the police decided their level of tolerance had been reached. These folks were fast becoming a public nuisance, looting three stores, blocking an interstate highway during rush hour, etc. The protesters would push and play, the police would calmly and politely restrain them and book them.

Sunday evening was actually pretty calm. There were six shootings, which I'm sure you heard about, but those were gang-related, black-on-black crimes. Monday and Tuesday there were more such crimes, little in the way of protests. We have not had this many killings in St. Louis even during the Civil Rights protests of the sixties. Our young black men and women are killing each other in frustrations which have little or nothing to do with our police policies.

The aura surrounding all of these events was so different from last year, when the event was fresh. The churches in the area, all of St. Louis, in fact, have been holding events and open forums all year long. A lot of people gave their lives to Christ. There are lots of people who don't want anything to do with a race war, and they are using their influence, locally, to stop and encourage their neighbors who might want such a war to rethink. So much of the raw emotion is gone.

The churches in the area have been holding events and open forums all year long. A lot of people gave their lives to Christ. There are lots of people who don't want anything to do with a race war.

People want peace, praise God. They want their town back. They want their lives and livelihoods and children back. They are getting tired.

Nationwide there was very little to report, it seems. But, you know what that tells us, Cliff and Monica? It tells us that God is a God of his word. If we will seek his face and petition Him, He will save our nation. This is excellent news! The spirit of God was palpable in this town last week. The feel in the air was peaceful, even at the sites of the protests, even as they were going on. Many churches had events. Clergy showed up, big time, late Saturday evening, to pray with, for and among the protesters after the shootings had occurred. Even our heavily-biased liberal media was on the side of the police during all of this! AMAZING!

The spirit of God was palpable in this town last week. I think God is still hearing His people, still making a way in these days for us to experience the power of His glory.

I don't think God is finished with America. I think God is still hearing His people, still making a way in these days for us to experience the power of His glory. The encouragement we feel from simply the events/non-events of Ferguson this year has uplifted so many of us.

I hope the tone of this letter can excite in the both of you just a little of the encouragement, empowerment and faith that we, here in Ferguson, are feeling these days. God has done so much here in response to our prayers, our faithfulness to serve, our desire to see Him glorified. He even went so far as to make it so the Hills, way over there in the beautiful UK, were joining hundreds of us who they have never met face-to-face, in prayer.

God is the author of time, and may yet choose to stay His hand for awhile longer. May the freedoms that both the US and the UK enjoy continue, and may all who oppose Him be confounded!

Warmest regards,

Linda Louis-VanReed
Ferguson, MO