HI Fighter,
Father Dave here and again I’m a day late with my Monday Missive, but this week it’s deliberate!
I figured that it would be a bit silly to broadcast my Easter sermon two weeks after Easter, and I didn’t think it right to urge Denning to work on the video on a public holiday so … the holiday is over, the video is up and the missive is posted! 
Thinking about Syria
It appears that our trip to Syria is back on the agenda! Indeed, it may take place May!
The whole process of postponement and rescheduling has been very educative and has been helpful for me personally in terms of helping me clarify what I see as my own role in the campaign for peace.
Without wanting to divulge information that should remain private, I can tell you that when the initial March visit was suddenly cancelled the day before we were scheduled to leave, a handful of the original delegates did travel to Syria regardless. These persons (who were from India) made it to Damascus, met with Mother Agnes, and returned home safely. From there they organised a follow-up peace conference in Damascus to which Denning and I were invited.
We decided not to attend the conference, not because we disagreed with the aims of the organisers and not because we’d become any less concerned about Syria, but because the conference seemed to have quite a specific political agenda and I felt that if I had a contribution to make it was more in supporting grass-roots humanitarian work than broad political change. Again, this wasn’t because I consider the work of political change unimportant – far from it – but because I don’t think it’s my area of expertise and I simply don’t feel it’s my calling to be involved at that level (at least for the moment).
Anyway, it appears now that Mother Agnes is re-initiating the tour of the grass-roots initiatives being undertaken by her Mussalaha (‘reconciliation’) group and I am keen to do whatever I can to support her wonderful work. Of course nothing is confirmed as yet but I would appreciate your prayers and ongoing advice.
Thinking MORE about Syria
While I don’t see myself as being an agent for political change, I am doing my best to understand what is really going on in Syria and the rest of the Middle East, and I normally add two articles each day to my blog on Middle Eastern events – www.israelandpalestine.org – .as well as pieces I publish on our member site.
I’d like to draw your attention to two resources that I’ve found particularly helpful in the last week and that I hope you’ll find enlightening too. Both of them appear on our member site.
The first is a video posted by Fighting Father Ali Baghdadi, entitled “WWIII is Coming Soon and Here’s Why”. It covers the relationship between gold, the US dollar and the trading of petroleum, and how this all relates to the wars in the Middle East that we are familiar with.
The second is an audio of a one-hour radio show that includes a 20-minute interview with Deepa Kumar – Associate Professor of Media Studies and Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University in the USA – on the topic of Syria’s alleged weapons of mass destruction.
Kumar draws attention to the similarities between the current talk of ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ in Syria and the almost identical accusations leveled against Saddam Hussein ten years ago. Once again it appears that the US is about to unleash massive violence against an already beleaguered nation on the basis of accusations that are at best speculative.
Moreover, as Kumar points out, the assumption behind the US President’s latest ultimatum to the Syrian government is that the USA has the right to intervene militarily wherever it deems it necessary to change the course of world affairs, like a father stepping in to pacify his quarreling children.
It is taken for granted, of course, that this paternal act will lead to the betterment of all the warring peoples involved, and yet even a cursory glance at the recent history of US intervention shows the opposite to be the case! Indeed, the only real beneficiaries of the US interventions in. Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan seem to be US and multinational business interests!
The interview with Kumar is in the first half of this audio broadcast. Even so, I kept the entire broadcast intact as the second half also includes a powerful interview. It’s with Fred Branfman who, in the late 1960’s, was the first person to report to the world the US secret bombing campaign of Laos.
Christ is Risen
Let me balance out these painful reflections with the wonderful proclamation of Easter!
Christ is Risen!
He is Risen indeed!
The resurrection of Jesus is a great beacon of hope for our sick and suffering world. It’s the ultimate reminder that death and destruction are never the end of the story!
That’s not exactly the theme of my Easter sermon but I hope you enjoy it anyway.
- If you can’t view this video, click here.
- If you’d prefer the audio recording (with much better audio quality) click here.
- If you’d prefer to read the written version, click here.
That’s enough from me for today.
Apologies if this Easter missive was a bit ‘heavy’ but I’m sure you’ve had your fill of chocolate and fluffy bunnies over the last few days. 
May the Lord bless and strengthen you for the work to which you have been called.
Your brother in the Good Fight,
Dave
www.fatherdave.org
www.fighting-fathers.com
www.israelandpalestine.org
www.how2changetheworld.com
P.S. And as I’m apt to remind you, if you’d like to support our work, the best way is to become a financial member at fighting-fathers.com. It only costs you $10/month but it makes all the difference at this end!
About Father Dave Smith
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
Father Dave,
You are a crack up. I adored your Easter sermon.You know your online holiday sermons are a true blessing to me. You see I hardly ever go to church on holiday because I am with or visiting son and with family etc. So I get my holiday sermons through you. The digital, techno world can be grand:).
Sincerely,
Adriana in Arizona