In recent months, as well as providing a travelogue on our trip to Kenya, I have written several pieces about life as an expat in Prague, Czech Republic. Most of these reports have been glowing. That's as it should be. We've been well-received and there are a lot of wonderful things going on here.p>
All is not grace and beauty, however. Here, as in all places inhabited by mankind, there is sin and ugliness. I would be remiss not to point this out and ask that you, my readers, pray for the Czech Republic. This is, by all reports, one of the most atheistic nations in history! It is needful of our prayers.
Just three stories from this week's newspapers will illustrate my point.
The trial of a government minister is the talk of the town. We were in a small cafe the other day and this corruption trial was all that the waiter wanted to talk about. It's all over the TV news (evidently, we don't have a television, but we've been told) and every newspaper. Corruption, greed, these are ancient sins which mankind manages to freshen up regularly.
The other big stories recently (and there have been several of them) have to do with hate, prejudice, and race. Sound familiar? No, I am not talking about the US. This is home-grown hatred.
The biggest target of the right-wing extremists (also known as neo-nazis) is usually the Roma, gypsies. Reviled through much of Europe, the Roma population here in the Czech Republic is often the scapegoat and the target of violence. A recent article in Czech-Position.com warns that some of these groups may turn to terrorism. It also states that, "While the ethnic Romany [Roma] population will continue to be the target of violence, the report says far-right groups are increasingly focusing their attention to resistance to multiculturalism and immigration to the Czech Republic."
The Roma, however, are not the only targets of ethnic hatred here in Czech. A recent report told of the attack on the lead singer of a Czech musical group who is black. Spitting at her, pulling her hair while hurling racial epithets at her these punks terrorized the young lady. When they came upon the woman, by the way, these enlightened individuals were on their way from an "anti-Romany" rally. So, this country is no different, in a lot of respects, from an other. It is a mostly-pleasant nation. It has much to offer. It also needs Jesus Christ.
Please pray for this nation. It needs God's touch.
