Reflections on the Cross for Dom and Greg
Chris Chivers writes to his sons on the meaning of the Cross for a "world gone mad," a demonstration of what it might mean to be a human being in the face of horrifically inhuman behavior.  [posted 5/9/06]

A Modest Proposal and Open Letter to Ethiopia's Prime Minister
Blogger and activist Ethan Zuckerman shares some tips for the Prime Minister of Ethiopia about non-lethal crowd control, and other issues likely to slip through thte cracks in an adminstration deeply concerned about surveillance of and crackdowns on political opposition.  [posted 1/21/06]

Casualties, Detention Centers, Mouths Shut
Sudanese protesters in Cairo are in danger, and Elijah Zarwan is worried about the body count -- and about "the scandal is that people have started to believe what the newspapers say." He tells the story as he sees it, and provides translations of Arabic bloggers commenting on the story, for The Witness.  [posted 1/19/06]

The Rise and Fall of Liberia
Last week, Liberia broke new ground by electing Africa's first woman president. A trilogy of novels by John Gay, who lived in the war-torn nation for a quarter-century, can help people understand the nation's complex history. Theodora Brooks reviews his latest, Long Day's Anger.  [posted 12/2/05]

Tierno Bokar, Truth, and the Confiscation of Meaning
In West Africa, native spiritual thinkers can offer unique perspectives on post-colonial realities. Sybille Ngo Nyeck reviews a theatrical production from Mali, and says it offers important insights for a world, and a church, struggling with "the truth" in the 21st century.  [posted 9/20/05]

Helping Ubuntu Flourish
"When you see me, what do you see?" says Michael Lapsley, a bomb victim who lost his arms, an eye and an ear. In the wake of the tragic bombings in London, he seeks to create a healing culture of compassion for the youth of the world.  [posted 7/19/05]

ONE Great Step for Humankind
June 13, 2005 newsletter editorial  [posted 6/13/05]

Double Standards
The church's endless obsession with sexual behavior is frustrating to Mike Kinman, since it does not similarly focus its attention on health, poverty, education, and other social issues. In the midst of a season of judgment, he seeks to help spread a "worldwide pandemic of God's joy."  [posted 6/11/05]

Roses among the Thorns: The African Anglican Bishops' Communiqué
In 2004, the conference of African Anglican bishops released a statement recalling the challenge of the All Africa Council of Churches to become autonomous. In light of the international church's current divisions, Mark Harris says this is a call that must be respected and celebrated.  [posted 5/11/05]

The Last Disciple: Africa and Sexual Representations
Many people of African descent around the world had hoped that a non-European would be chosen as the new pope. Sybille Ngo Nyeck examines label of "sexually promiscuity" that stigmatizes Africans, and calls it an example of the church's colonial mindset.  [posted 5/3/05]

The Challenge of Human Rights in Chad
Thirty years ago today, a coup in Chad killed its president, and Hissein Habre was installed as the country's new leader. Jacqueline Moudeina, a Chadian lawyer, describes in an interview the years of oppression that followed and modern-day efforts to finally obtain human rights.  [posted 4/14/05]

Scripture's Truth and Diversity
Battles over truth and diversity have been at the center of the Anglican Communion's dispute about biblical interpretation. Joseph Wakelee-Lynch reports on a recent conference at which speakers dared to voice some of their deepest questions about this conflict -- and did so graciously, respectfully, and provocatively.  [posted 2/17/05]

Missing the Ordinary People
Daniel Bergner's acclaimed book, In the Land of Magic Soldiers, exhibits justifiable horror at the inhumanity seen in war-torn Sierra Leone. But, suggests reviewer John Gay, it is embellished and imbalanced: there is also grace, elegance, and even ordinariness in such a setting.  [posted 2/17/05]

The Pottery Woman
While in West Africa, Elizabeth Kaeton rediscovered the sense of joy that renews faith. An encounter with an impoverished potter teaches a lesson about the power of the Eucharistic phrase, "A sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving."  [posted 2/15/05]

Where Is God? A Ghanaian Reflection
At the start of 2005, Elizabeth Kaeton traveled to West Africa. In the Season of Epiphany, she experienced many personal epiphanies, as well as the powerful moment of being the first woman from the U.S. to celebrate the Eucharist in the Anglican Church of Ghana. (Originally posted January 20, 2005.)  [posted 1/25/05]