Justin S. Holcomb, Sudan: My Heroes Keep Getting Killed

A bunch of my heroes have been killed in the past few years and it is getting to me. Every few months I receive an email telling me about another death. I got one last week. But since my heroes live in southern Sudan

I don’t expect you to have many opportunities to hear their stories. I want to fix that and tell you about them.

I have gone to southern Sudan each summer for the past three years and I’m headed back June 13^th. I go to teach the chaplains in the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army. I’m assuming you are thinking, “Who? What? Where?” Let me give you a brief overview.

Sudan’s conflict is old and complex. The government in the North hates those in the South. It is a conflict between northern Islam and southern tribal religions, animism, and Christianity. It is a conflict between Arabic masters and African slaves. It is a war between the impoverished herdsmen and civilians of the South and the North made wealthy from oil profit. In the words of US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, there is “no greater tragedy on the face of the earth than the tragedy that is unfolding in the Sudan.”

For over twenty years, the regime in northern Sudan (the Government of Sudan) has bombed, starved, and enslaved black southern Sudanese in an effort to subject them to Islamic rule. In response, southern Sudan organized a rebel movement and army—the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A). The SPLA defends against attacks from their government. Over the past twenty years, more than two million southern Sudanese are dead and nearly five million southern Sudanese have been displaced by starvation and violence.

In the middle of this mess, chaplains serve the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army as Christian clergy who are promoters of human rights and agents of reconciliation. The southern Sudanese chaplaincy exists to minister to and enforce basic human rights for the southern army, northern prisoners of war, and all Sudanese civilians. They serve weaponless on the frontlines to minister pastorally to the southern Sudanese soldiers and to encourage the southern soldiers to engage the northern soldiers appropriately and to take northern soldiers who surrender as prisoners, instead of killing them. If northern soldiers are captured, the chaplains oversee their care and ensure that they are treated humanely while POWs. A constant concern of the chaplains is the welfare of civilians, especially southern Sudanese civilians who are oppressed by their government and terrorized by militant extremist groups that do the types of things you don’t want to read about. Madeleine Albright said, “The human rights situation in Sudanis not marketable to the American people.” And she is correct. We just don’t want to hear about it.

The main purpose of my trips is to teach in the chaplaincy training program. Each year approximately 50 men from every denomination enter a one year training program to become chaplains for the Liberation Army. Their training is 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and for one year. They cram the usually 3 years of seminary training into 1 year. The curriculum includes biblical studies, theology, pastoral training, and counseling. After their training, chaplains are sent out to serve SPLA soldiers, POWs, and civilians.

These men are my heroes. Not many people sacrifice like they do—for their neighbors, for their country, and for their enemies.

What is happening to our brothers and sister is horrible and heartbreaking, and they are in great need from the rest of the world. But, the world is not worthy of them (Heb 11:38)! I have seen the suffering: bomb craters in school yards, southern soldiers injured in the war, priests with limbs missing because they were helping others take cover as bombs exploded, recurrent droughts, orphaned children, cramped refugee camps, mass starvation, and epidemics of diseases. But, I have also seen the courage and perseverance of the southern Sudanese, who have been oppressed by their government and terrorized by extremist groups. I have also witnessed the bravery, dedication, and servant-leadership exhibited by the chaplains of the SPLA. Some chaplains have been killed already and all the chaplains know the dangers they are facing. In the despair and darkness of the brutal realities of Sudan, there is hope.

And now you know their story. I’ll try to send an update from Africa once I arrive.

© Justin S. Holcomb, 2005.

Comments

[G. van den Bosch]

Thank you for posting this. And may God bless and keep you in the days ahead. we look forward to your updates.

[Dug]

I thought politics was off-limits here?

[Timothy]

Great column, Justin. God bless you in your efforts, and God bless these Chaplains. As a Chaplain for the U.S. Army training for a deployment to Iraq, I can relate. People sometimes think that Chaplains are there to grant theological authority to the military action, as though their presence suggests that God is with their army and against the other. This is exactly the role of Chaplain that Karl Barth deplored in German Chaplains in the Nazi era. He still felt that no minister should ever serve as a Chaplain simply because it may appear that they are bringing God down on one side or the other of a political battle. (I don't have the reference at the moment...anybody got it? Church Dogmatics...deep, deep in). At any rate, the Chaplain is not a sponsor, the Chaplain is a minister conveying the presence of God in the places of pain and suffering in the world. War is chaotic, disordered, horrid and dark. God wants light, joy, order and peace in such places. The Chaplain moves to where the pain is.

A Church Father, Ignatius of Antioch, wrote a letter to his friend and colleague, Polycarp about being a bishop. He told him always to go where the pain is--this is the model that Christ has given us.

So go where the pain is, Justin. I'll be praying for you. Looking forward to hearing more.