DarjeelinGirl

Like any American, I hear, weekly, reports of this or that unrest and war here or there in Sudan, Darfur and like African places. I have often wondered what all the trouble is about - why such horrible death and destruction, poverty, starvation, hatred? And then not being able to make heads or tails out of this political group over that political group or the Muslims against the non-Muslims, I feel overwhelmed and useless, so I close my web browser and go blissfully back to my untouchable, comfy, American cocoon.

Until now.

Two things have happened in the last three months that have forever shredded my ignorance. One, a gal from the bluer women’s group has gone to help in the Yei area of Sudan and has been able to email first hand reports of the conditions and the needs there. The second is a book called The Bible or the Axe. It is an autobiography of William O. Levi, a Sudanese man who has lost and gained everything he has for the cause of Christ in southern Sudan.

Levi tells the story of his childhood in Sudan and his journey to America to receive an education - the one thing that will make a difference in his country’s future. Through it he explains the political and religious problems in his country and the hope believers there have for a better future for their children. I found it inspiring the way the God’s hand so faithfully rests upon Levi’s life and future. Once caught and about to be executed by Islamists, William’s escape was nothing short of Biblical proportions reminiscent of Paul’s and Silas’ escape from prison or Daniel’s from the lion’s den.

Levi’s ministry began long before he ever received a diploma and headed back to Sudan. On his journey to the US, he left a trail of Christians in his wake. Starting with a prostitute in Cairo, the Lord used Levi to bring a whole apartment full of roommates back to His heart. From there William inadvertently landed in Istanbul where he led a Turkish Muslim to the Lord by pointing out that whereas Allah demands his followers to sacrifice for him in order to achieve holiness, Jesus offers His followers holiness through accepting His sacrifice for them. It’s subtle, but significant. Many more people touched and were touched by Levi’s life as he traveled to America.

I’m sure that those were the times that kept William O’Levi forging ahead because the road was quite costly. Indeed, he did lose his parents to militants shortly after he left his village. There have been many stuggles and a few points of major decision that have greatly impacted where Levi is today.

The book was an easy, but valuable read. It does end rather abruptly, but that probably means the rest of us need to jump in where Levi left off. Our help is sorely needed because the work there is very, very difficult, but so important. The Sudanese Christians (and those to be) need our prayers and support desperately. People like my friend Amy are coming alongside people like William O. Levi and making a difference, and people like us can help.

William O. Levi formed a ministry called Operation Nehemiah. From the website,

Operation Nehemiah Missions is a non-profit Christian relief and development ministry that addresses the plight of the persecuted church in the Sudan. Operation Nehemiah is unique, in that it is overseen and managed by Sudanese Christian nationals living both in the United States and Africa. The work could not have been a success without the collaborative efforts of the American churches and individual Christians.

Operation Nehemiah provides medical relief, refugee aid, education and employment training, agricultural development and so much more to the people of Sudan. To support this ministry, order the book at Operation Nehemiah’s website. I can’t think of a more relevant, timely book to read this year. Sherry at Semicolon mentioned that she would even read it to her kids as a modern example of God’s hand in our world today. I think that’s a great idea and will do so also.

Magnanimous Disclaimer:
This book was given to me as a gift by William O. Levi through Stacy at Mind&Media for the sole purpose of this review. Make a dent in American media, become a reviewer today!

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 5th, 2005 at 8:29 pm and is filed under general. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.