There were Ladies' Aid meetings at the 100-year-old Lutheran church in Farmer's Retreat, Indiana.  The entertainment was music.  The tattered songbooks would be passed around and Mom would accompany the women as they sang old Christian favorites... "0nward Christian Soldiers, "Amazing Grace," " Bringing in the Sheaves.

In the mornings I "helped" my Mom.  She wore an apron to protect her house dress as she cooked and cleaned.  (Yes it was the 50's.)  The old "Bakelite" Crosley radio was always on. The porcelain and linoleum surfaces of the kitchen would reverberate the sound of the "Back to the Bible Hour."  The theme song sticks with me today, "I love to tell the story."

(Refrain)
I love to tell the story
Of Jesus and his Glory
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his Love.

Modern conflicts in Sudan between the North and the South had their beginnings while I listened to the "Back to the Bible Hour" with my Mom.  While she was playing the piano at Farmer's Retreat, the British granted independence to Sudan, leaving behind leadership that had no intention of recognizing the southerners as anything but subservient.

One of the elders from the Sudanese community in Rochester explained the conflict in such a way that I finally understand.  He is a physician from the city of Wau in the state of Bahr Al Ghazal in the south of Sudan.  He draws the analogy and I embellish: you are one of two children in a family.  Your brother gets the finest clothing, food and education, but you are ignored.  You are the South and ignored by withholding or destroying hospitals and schools, the tools to succeed.  Many of the churches and homes of the South were also destroyed.  Natural resources from the South were stolen to buy your brother of the North a future, but all you got was rubble and death.

I am given wonderful memories of peace and love while these, my best friends in the world, have memories tainted with discrimination, hatred, death and disaster.  The British left Sudan to a series of leaders who ignored, starved and killed many Christians.  One resource that survived was the music.

Ask any Sudanese what the most important part of the church organization is.  The answer will always be "the choirs."  The choirs (always named in the plural) are the life of the church.  Just like at Ladies' Aid, the favorites are sung at every possible chance.  Mom's piano is replaced with drums and a tambourine.  The southern Indiana accent is replaced with one from southern Sudan.  For our Sudanese parishioners many of the favorites are in Local Arabic (Juba Arabic).  This is a dialect that is often sung but seldom spoken in Rochester by the Sudanese.  Some of the songs are in Arabic and some are in English.  "Sika ta Samaa," The path to heaven is through Jesus.  "Intum ya Nasi," You people! Come to Jesus and have life.  "Wa Katiaatii," If we confess our sins we can sing with joy that they are forgiven. This is the same story that we know of Jesus and his love!

How can we help the Sudanese?  On January 9, 2005, a peace accord was signed between the North and the South.

1. Pray that peace will also extend to the western state of Darfur.
2. Pray that the agreement will be respected by all Sudanese.
3. Attend the vigil for peace on March 12, 2005, at Rochester Covenant Church.
4. Befriend the Sudanese in Rochester.  Help bring true peace to someone's difficult life as only you can do it.
5. Truly believe that God created all humans as equals, no matter where they live, how much money they have, or the shade of their skin.  Pray with a Sudanese friend.  If you do not have a Sudanese friend, make one.  Ask me and I'll introduce you to someone who will help you in your walk with Jesus.

John Rueter