Juxtaposed uprisings in Egypt

Egypt (MNN) — The violence that erupted in Egypt over the weekend saw at least 83 dead and nearly 800 people injured.

It started when the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of the ousted President Mohammed Morsi staged a sit-in protest in Cairo against the leadership transition.

Clashes ensued after protestors moved into a nearby boulevard and were met by police and armed civilians.

Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, the head of police, said in a news conference, “We didn’t go to them, they came to us–so they could use what happened for political gain.” He accused the protestors of provoking a fight to gain sympathy, according to The Seattle Times.

Other political leaders are critical of the violence. Interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei, a supporter of Morsi’s disposal, tweeted, “I highly condemn the excessive use of force and the fall of victims.”

Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi-supporters want the democratically-elected Morsi to be reinstated as President. The military is currently in control after Morsi was ousted on July 3. They have promised to give back full civilian rule in about six months with a “road map” to parliament elections.

Morsi is still being held in a secret location. He will be held for at least 15 more days, according to a judge’s statement on Friday. Morsi is being investigated for charges of “premeditated murder of some prisoners, officers and soldiers” in a prison break when he and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders were freed in January 2011. He was also accused of conspiring with Palestine’s militant Hamas which has strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The protests and clashes may be mainly an adult venture. But SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, recently saw a different kind of uprising–one that spells hope for the future of Egypt.

As the storm clouds of conflict gathered over Egypt, around 1,400 Egyptian kids ages 8-14 gathered to worship and pray for God to use them as salt and light, interceding for their nation.

SAT-7 aired the One Thing Kids Festival July 16-18 held in the desert oasis of Wadi El Natroun. Most of it was broadcast live across various SAT-7 television and YouTube channels.

“Our vision is to have this generation praying and worshipping God, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to change the world,” say festival organizers Kasr El Doubara Evangelical Church (KDEC) and the children’s prayer ministry of the Synod of the Nile of the Presbyterian Church.

The Wadi el Natroun area was traditionally a prayer site for Christian monks and pilgrims. But at One Thing Kids, children took the reins with prominent roles in the worship choir and leading prayer.

SAT-7 Egypt Director Farid Samir says, “In a conference like this, we saw kids worshipping and praying from their pure hearts, hearing God’s voice and sharing it. Some kids told their testimonies of special encounters with the Lord…. We believe God is going to change things in Egypt because of the faithful intercession of kids, and there will be reconciliation, salt and light, especially at the communities the kids will go back to.”

Pray with them for the Holy Spirit to move in Egypt’s future.