As I prepare to go to sleep tonight, I can hear chanting in the distance. The Shia are celebrating the Day of Ashura in which they remember the martyrdom of two of Muhammad’s grandsons in AD 580. For the past nine days, the Shia held processionals in the streets in which some of the men traditionally beat their backs until they are bloody. Today is the climax of the celebration when some Shia men add the cutting of their heads to the continued back beating. A bloody ritual, no doubt. But against this backdrop of different worldviews and cultures, I want you to know that the love of God is alive, active and still in the business of changing people’s lives. I see it every day and it’s happening because people are joining together and praying for the souls of service members in Iraq. Through your intercession, I praise God tonight confident that many are finding eternal hope in the Lord.
