Are you sure?
This bookmark will be removed from all folders and any saved notes will be permanently removed.
Eye on the World: Oscar Pistorius murder trial
Paralympic and Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius is currently on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home in Pretoria, South Africa. Pistorius, the prosecution argues, shot Steenkamp on purpose while she was in the bathroom early in the morning. Pistorius says he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder in the home, and fired in self-defense, killing her before he realized what he’d done. South Africa has one of the world’s highest crime rates, and home break-ins are common. If Pistorius is found guilty of premeditated murder, he will go to prison for no fewer than 25 years.
“South Africa: prayer for solutions” mentions this trial specifically from a spiritual perspective. Issues such as gun violence, home safety, and celebrity culture are not beyond the reach of prayer. Rather than being sucked into the drama of this trial, we can all maintain a certainty in prayer that a just outcome will be reached, and that God guides His children to make wise, correct decisions and actions.
In “What will calm violence at home and abroad?” the writer discusses how we can pray about violence that affects individuals and communities. He points out that neither fear nor resentment comes from God. Instead, He created each of us to reflect spiritual qualities such as calm, poise, and discernment. The article notes, “Prayers that are mentally aligned with the one divine Mind enable us to be fearless, as Jesus was; to see, as he did, the ultimate nothingness of violence.” We can keep that thought foremost in our prayers as we look for a just outcome to this trial in South Africa.
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
