Barcelona stunned by deadly van attack on Las Ramblas

Barcelona stunned by deadly 

van attack on Las Ramblas

At least 13 people were killed and 80 injured after a van rammed through crowds in the heart of Barcelona on Thursday in what the Spanish Prime Minister described as a barbaric act of terror.

Eyewitnesses reported scenes of panic and chaos as the van plowed down the renowned Las Ramblas avenue in the early evening.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/17/europe/barcelona-las-ramblas-van-hits-crowd/index.html

Courtesy CNN News

After the Charlottesville, Virginia White Supremacist and Terrorism attack leading to the death of Blessed Heather Heyer, loss of two police officers in their helicopter and the injury sustained by over 20 peaceful demonstrators against racism and their dogmatic hegemony of hatred, discrimination and thirst for blood and death to folks that are of divergent views, I am sadden to once more be asking for prayers and peace from another cowardly act by barbarians!

White supremacist and ISIS most regrettably have lots in common indeed!

May God bless us all to see love instead of hatred. 

We Stand United

Dear heavenly Father,

You are the almighty God, please come and help humanity!

We are tired of too many hate crimes and act of terrorism.

We need love!

We need peace!

We need hope!

We need compassion!

We need faith!

We need mercy!

We need prosperity!

We need happiness and joy again!

Please come and help us to love one another again, irrespective of our differences.

May the souls of the faithful departed rest in perfect peace, and those injured may be granted quick and complete recovery and the families given the fortitude to bear the loss.

In Jesus Christ name, I prayed.

Amen!

@PeterNHelenOdeh, @FocusInLove

Tears and tributes at Virginia memorial for Heather Heyer

Tears and tributes at Virginia memorial for Heather Heyer

Hundreds of purple-clad residents have packed a historic American theater to remember the 32-year-old woman killed when a suspected white nationalist crashed his car into anti-racist demonstrators.

Heather Heyer, a paralegal who colleagues said was dedicated to social justice, was killed in Charlottesville, Virginia, after clashes on Saturday between white nationalists attending a “Unite the Right” gathering and counterprotesters.

“We are absolutely in awe at this outpouring of affection,” Elwood Shrader, Heyer’s grandfather, told the service at the city’s 1930s era Paramount Theater, near where she died. “She wanted respect for everybody. In our family, all lives matter.”

In the crowd were Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, U.S. Sen. Tim Kane and Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer. Many of those attending wore purple, Heyer’s favourite color, at the request of her family.......

 Rest in perfect peace Blessed Heather Heyer

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tears-tributes-virginia-memorial-heather-slideshow-wp-174843668/photo-p-woman-leaves-message-chalk-photo-174843848.html

 Credit: YahooNews

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

 

 

The mystery of Mary’s Assumption reminds us that our definitive homeland is not here on earth, and that our longing for fulfillment finds complete satisfaction only in eternal happiness.

~ Pope Benedict XVI

The most precious of God’s gifts is eternal life! Like Mary, we too must find a way to make her words ours by repeating after her, “The Almighty has done great things for me.” (Luke 1:49), and “My spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (Luke 1: 47)

No matter our circumstances, whether we are happy or not, upset with somebody or not, in poverty or abundance, sick or healthy, let us believe that Jesus Christ is always with us, offering his divine wisdom to all who seek him out.

Mary, the Mother of God understood what complete surrendering to the Will of God meant and behold today, we join heaven to celebrate this unique feast that point us to our eternal home-bound journey toward the Kingdom of God.

And Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever."

Ref: Revelation 11: 19; 12: 1-6, 10, Psalm 45: 10-12, 16, 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, Luke 1: 39- 56

@PeterNHelenOdeh @FocusInLove

Is God White or Black

Is God White or Black

As I looked, thrones were placed
    and one that was ancient of days took his seat;
his raiment was white as snow,
    and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
    its wheels were burning fire.

~Prophet Daniel 7: 9

The question is God White or Black is really neither relevant nor necessary in our profession of faith, since faith is a gift from the Almighty! Nevertheless, given the plain misrepresentation of the true image of Jesus Christ by the Western hegemony- painting our Lord as one with long hair and blue eyes, coupled with a White Skin color, it is nice to reflect on the vision of the prophet Daniel and how he described the Ancient One or Ancient of Ages or the almighty God or the Alpha and the Omega or the God who is the Father of the Son of Man- Jesus Christ.

Without any doubt, while the prophet did not in any way mention the color of the skin of the Ancient One, he however gave us a clue to his image and the rest is sincerely up to us:

1.       The hair of his head like pure wool:  The only race in this world that has a hair type that is none straight nor coils, but wooly is people of African descent. This is in complete contrast to the image of Michelangelo’s God figure.

2.       His Hair White as snow: The whiteness of the color of the hair in this instance personified wisdom without doubt.

It is therefore a fact beyond reasonable doubt that, our God features according to Prophet Daniel is afro-centric and not European.

The same applies to the true image and likeness of Jesus Christ and his human family! There is no way that they could have lived in Egypt without contrast to the Egyptians, if they did not look similar. And we must not forget that Egypt and Israel have mixed relationship and many engaged in inter-marriage.  The Prince and Governor of Egypt Joseph married an Egyptian woman. The second Prince and later liberator of the people of Israel married foreigners too.

As I earlier said, the color of our God is immaterial to our faith, however, we must not also attribute any color to the Almighty, rather, let us see Him in ourselves. It is the failure to see the beauty in diversity in us as was created by God that has led to racism.

@PeterNHelenOdeh @FocusInLove

Further reading: Daniel 7:9 -10, 13-14, Matthew 17: 1- 9 NB: The Transfiguration of the Lord Feast