A good but troubling piece from ABP Cranmer. God bless Canon White and all the faithful who are prepared for martyrdom.
“We have had people’s heads chopped off. We are having people convert. We are even having children slaughtered and cut in half.” And with these words, Newsnight’s interview with Canon Andrew White ends, as he leaves the Baghdad studio to carry on ministering to his flock. “We are living in worst crisis I have ever known,” he writes on Facebook. “Working day and night to meet the needs of those who have nothing. We are providing a huge amount and as you will see on this video we are all very tired, but our Lord is sustaining us.”
And he does look rather tired. But there is no sense of bitterness, exasperation, or even a hint of indignation. His whole demeanour is one of peacefulness and serenity. At times he sounds almost like a soul in bliss, and perhaps that is what makes his ministry so vital in a region where every waking day brings an expectation of death.