segunda-feira, 28 de maio de 2007

A Guerra Santa

As tensões entre Israel e Palestina têm-se acentuado ao longo dos anos, com várias oscilações: umas vezes piora, outras melhora, mas sempre neste impasse. As constantes demonstrações e "provas" de que um é melhor que o outro, ou que um tem mais direitos que o outro, são frequentes. Do meu ponto de vista, pode-se até afirmar que estes dois grupos (Israel e seus apoiantes versus Palestina e seus apoiantes) são comparáveis com as super potências que caracterizaram a Guerra Fria. No entanto, ao contrário das super potências daquela altura, estes vivem em constantes confrontos militares.

O mais incrível é que este conflito começou com uma questão de impostos há milhares de anos, em que a tribo de Judá (agora Israel) tinha mais direitos que as restantes tribos (hoje misturadas com os Ismaelitas e outros povos formaram a Palestina). Acontece que, esta situação agravou-se, á qual se juntou questões territoriais, religiosas e ideológicas.

Algumas pessoas poderão argumentar que Israel é o principal culpado dos conflitos gerados, porque conquistou territórios a outros que não os seus. Porém, eu digo que, esse argumento não é totalmente válido porque temos de ter em conta, pelo menos, duas questões:

- Primeiro, antes de falarmos de Israel quanto às suas conquistas temos de ter em atenção que nós, Portugueses, também construímos o nosso país através de conquistas, nomeadamente contra Espanhóis e Muçulmanos! Além disso, também conquistámos terras além fronteiras e oprimimos os povos nativos desde a época dos Descobrimentos até tempos bem recentes. O que valeu a Portugal foi as suas colónias não fazerem fronteira com o nosso país!

- Um outro ponto de vista em relação à conquista é o contexto histórico dessas mesmas conquistas! O povo hebreu era uma nação numerosa e sem pátria e que, durante muitos anos, foi escravizado no Egipto e em outras potências como a Antiga Babilónia e a Pérsia! Ora, é muito natural que, após anos de opressão e anos no deserto, os hebreus suspirassem por uma terra própria e, claro, que fosse fértil, ou seja, a Mesopotâmia. E a única forma de o fazer seria conquistar territórios! Além disso, era essa a forma como os povos daquela altura viviam, conquistando territórios uns aos outros e sucedendo-se uns aos outros, como foi o caso das já referidas Babilónia e Pérsia. É óbvio que, hoje em dia, isto é inadmissível, mas foi isso que moldou a nossa história e o Mundo em que vivemos, por mais injusto/justo que seja. E a História é para isso mesmo: para nos ensinar a conviver com as Nações e promover a democracia, mas para chegar aqui foram necessárias muitas revoluções. No entanto, não podemos continuar utilizando a guerra como forma de atingir os nossos fins, pois o Mundo é totalmente diferente e cada vez mais ligado entre si através da Globalização. Por isso, para que possamos ter estabilidade, convém recorrer á diplomacia.

Contudo, o problema de Israel não é só esse. Por mais que eles o não admitam, os israelitas estão a lidar com e lutar contra gerações da sua própria família, para além das descendências dos povos não conquistados e outros que foram subjugados ao poder israelita! E, nem mesmo assim, são capazes de se entenderem! As linhas para uma paz definitiva já foram lançadas nos Acordos de Camp David e nos Acordos de Taba, mas sempre que se tenta uma resolução dos conflitos, acontecem ataques terroristas! Ora, o Terrorismo é guerra. No entanto, há diferenças entre Terrorismo e Guerra com letra grande: enquanto que Guerra tem legislação, o Terrorismo não o tem, e este já atingiu a escala planetária! Além disso, não estamos a lidar com duas pessoas para fazer paz, mas sim com milhares de uma lado e milhares do outro. Uns querem a paz, outros preferem morrer por Alá! Ora, por muito que eu seja religiosa e por mais que eu acredite na vida para além da terrena não devo pôr em causa a vida da Humanidade e a sua sobrevivência. Se não, por qual é a razão que nós nascemos e vivemos neste mundo? Para causar terror? Vivemos para matar? Já não basta termos de morrer de morte natural? É isto o que os terroristas pensam? Afirmam que morrem por aquilo que acreditam, causando terror no mundo, para obter a vida eterna? Eu posso morrer por aquilo que acredito lutando pela paz e sem causar toda esta instabilidade!

Por mais que eu entenda a posição dos terroristas, ou seja, de o terror ser a única forma de chamarem a atenção da Comunidade Internacional, há que se notar que os que incitam as populações ao terror, e por mais que acreditem em Alá, eles são cultos o suficiente para saberem que há a diplomacia, e que há outras vias! Mas usam a religião como desculpa, assim como, infelizmente, os cristãos o fizeram, e incitam os fracos a morrerem por uma causa "perdida" (note-se, entre aspas porque é causa perdida para os ocidentais, para eles é algo que valha a pena), pois este não é o mundo que eles imaginam ser! Nós vivemos numa sociedade global tal que não vai ser fácil para os Muçulmanos conquistarem de novo os territórios que já foram seus! E é desta maneira que nós vemos a distância em séculos que estamos de uns para os outros!

Concluindo, vivemos uma situação global, e os conflitos israelo-árabes reflectem essa mesma situação! No fundo, esta situação de apocalipse do combate ideológico já havia sido predito! Agora só temos é de nos preparar para entrar na "Guerra ideológica" e fomentar a paz e, além de ter esperança, passar desta à acção! Se não for neste geração, que preparemos os líderes do futuro!


domingo, 27 de maio de 2007

I saw Jesus last week

I Saw Jesus Last Week.
He was wearing blue jeans and an old shirt.
He was up at the church building;
He was alone and working hard.
For just a minute he looked a little like one of our church members.
But it was Jesus, I could tell by his smile.

I saw Jesus last Sunday.
He was teaching a Bible class.
He didn't talk real loud or use long words,
But you could tell he believed what he said.
For just a minute, he looked like my Sunday School teacher.
But it was Jesus, I could tell by his loving voice.

I saw Jesus yesterday.
He was at the hospital visiting a friend who was sick.
They prayed together quietly.
For just a minute he looked like our pastor.
But it was Jesus, I could tell by the tears in his eyes.

I saw Jesus this morning.
He was in my kitchen making my breakfast
He then fixed me a special lunch to take with me.
For just a minute he looked like my Mom .
But it was Jesus, I could feel the love from his heart.

I saw Jesus today.
He was praying on his knees all alone.
He then began to cry for those he prayed for.
For just a minute he looked like a lady from our church.
But it was Jesus, I could see the compassion poured out of his prayer.

I saw Jesus the other day.
He was at the grocery store talking to a friend.
He then put his arms around them to comfort them.
For just a minute he looked like a young mother in our ladies class.
But it was Jesus, I could see the concern for others who hurt.

(added)
I've seen Jesus every Sunday.
Even though we were a minority, He would
face the world just because He loved us.
For just a minute He looked like our Lay Leader.
But it was Jesus, i could tell by his persistance and responsability.

I've seen Jesus lately.
Last year, He came from Missouri to work
at the Lajes Field, American Air Base, as a
Speech Therapist Pathologist.
For many times, He looked like a young lady
who had just found out there was a Lutheran
church in the island and made our dreams happen:
to have our very own Pastor and chapel.
But it was Jesus, I could tell by His care and devotion to us.

I've seen Jesus from far away even close.
He has given us support even though in a distant country.
Many times He looked like our brothers and sisters in America.
But it was Jesus, I could tell by the support, prayers He prayed,
and the trust He placed in us.
(added)

I see Jesus everywhere,
Taking food to the sick,
Welcoming others to his home,
Being friendly to a newcomer
And for just a minute I think he's someone I know.
But it's always Jesus, I can tell by the way he serves.

May someone see Jesus in you today.
Remember to encourage those you see living for Jesus!
"You are My witnesses," says the Lord." (Isaiah 43:5)

Evil is the absence of God

Does evil exist? Did God create evil?

A University professor at a well known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?"

A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!"

"God created everything?" the professor asked.

"Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil.

And, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil."

The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question, professor?"

"Of course", replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"

The other students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.


--If you're a believer in God then repost this...Evil is the Absence of God...and let everyone know that evil only exists with the absence of God in their heart!! If you are not then think of why you opened it when it said Evil is the Absence of God...

Dying to Self

I absolutely LOVE this passage. I'm not sure who wrote it but it goes through my mind a lot.

"When you are purposely set aside, rejected, forgotten, and hurt with the insult of oversight--but your spirit sings because you are being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, that is "Dying to Self". When your advice is disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and all manner of evil is spoken against you, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all with patient, loving silence, that is "Dying to Self." When you do not allow any disorder, irregularity or arrogance to come against your peace, when you are face to face with filth, waste, stupidity, or spiritual pride, and endure it as Jesus endured it, that is "Dying to Self." When you are content with the location you live, the climate, the society, the solitude of the "backside of the desert", and are willing to have your plans changed or interrupted by the will of God at any moment, that is "Dying to Self." When you never care to have others know of your good works, and never refer to yourself in conversation, or even care to have anyone commend you, when you truly love to be the unknown, that is "Dying to Self." When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in Spirit, and feel no envy, nor question God as to why your own needs are not being met, that is "Dying to Self." When you can receive correction and reproof, finding no rebellion, or resentment rising up in your heart, that is "Dying to Self."