Does God want to punish us? Does he just want to forgive us, letting us into heaven when we die, but letting us wallow in our misery while we remain here on earth?

For the answer, we have to look at what Jesus did. He didn’t just forgive the Woman at the Well, he restored her to a place of dignity. He didn’t just just forgive Peter for denying him 3 times, but restored him to his place as a leader and friend.

Our God is a God of new beginnings. He wants to make us new and give us healing. Not just when we get to heaven, but beginning here on earth.

For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’

(Matthew 13:15 )

Roy Bennett was sent to jail by Zimbabwe's parliament 8 months ago. CNN reports that he lost 66 pounds during his ordeal. Bennett said that he himself was not tortured but that he heard the screams of many that were.

AGAINST MUGABE
“"I am more convinced than ever that righteousness has to overcome evil, that someone has to stand up"

CNN, in an understatement typical of its Zimbabwe reporting, says that "[t]he opposition party is under tremendous pressure under Mugabe’s autocratic rule.” They don’t mention the 200,000 people recently left homeless in a Mugabe bid to undercut rumors of strikes to protest bad living conditions.

My pastor and I talked a few weeks ago about why the atrocities in Zimbabwe are being barely reported. His theory is that the victims are black and thus don’t matter. Could be.

A friend who has spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe over the past few years tells me that Christianity is growing by leaps and bounds and that this makes Mugabe nervous.