Prayers of compassion

During our regular staff devotions this morning, our time of communal prayer turned into wider prayers for the country of Haiti: for good leadership to emerge, for wisdom; prayers for all the people who are suffering and frustrated with how their country does or doesn't work.

Staff also had personal pains to share; children who are ill. I'm recovering from some unknown sickness that's had be down for the past couple of days. 

But after that prayer time ended, we had prepared a time of prayer for Haiti's cholera victims, who are ever growing in number. This week marks five years since cholera was introduced to Haiti by UN peacekeepers from Nepal. The UN will still not acknowledge its role in creating this epidemic which has infected close to 800,000 people.

Now, if I were in the shoes of some of my colleagues at that moment, I think my wells of compassion may have already been spent. With thoughts of poor governance in my country, and personal woes weighing heavily on me, I'd be tempted to think, ''oh, more people to pray for? What about the pain I'm already feeling?"

Instead, the prayers came forth. Prayers for victims like Renette, Olivia, and Cadet, who we are sharing about in a cholera campaign that will be launched this week. It seemed the wells of compassion from our team had not run dry at all; instead, they spread to cover all those who are suffering, everyone who has experienced loss.

It's true that our blog hasn't been very centered on personal Oswald updates of late. It's been a bit more about ''pray for this! learn about this issue!" And we love receiving those prayers. Last week, the connection between Sabbath rest and reflection and writing was made apparent to me. The fact that I haven't written in my journal or blogged much of late is one indicator that this past season hasn't included much Sabbath rest. (And by 'Sabbath rest,' I don't just mean not working on Sundays. I'm referring to good, soul-centering, control-relinquishing rest where you feel God doing what He wants to do in your spirit.) As we enter into a new season (Fall) and closer to Advent, my hope is that we will make more time for this rest.