"Walk a mile in my shoes" - it is an overused phrase, but it contains much truth about relationship. There is often much discussion about whether it is better to go to an emerging/developing country, or to send money to provide assistance. Our Global Ministries department speaks always of the need for "critical presence", which is sometimes financial and resource assistance, but sometimes is simply what it says, PRESENCE. I first understood this fundamental premise in Honduras, on a mission trip build houses for those displaced by a hurricane. Time and again, people expressed amazement that we had taken vacation time to come to their country and work. More than our money, or even our labor, our willingness to stand beside them in their time of travail was what mattered to them. I was humbled. We are so used to valuing things in economic terms, but they taught me that the real value is always in human terms. The most profound example of presence I have ever heard came from David Vargas, co-president of Global Ministries. He recounted a trip with the bishop of the Lutheran Synod in El Salvador years ago during the war there. They were stopped en route at a road block, and papers were checked. Seeing that David was an American, they were allowed to proceed. As they went on, the bishop said simply, "Thank God you were here today. If you had not been, I would have been killed."
A primary goal for our trip to Mbandaka is to be able to enter more fully into the daily life of our Disciples partners during our sojourn, to be present in their lives, to experience their stories in a way we cannot do with words only. Two days ago, we received a proposal for activities during our sojourn. Each of us will have some time to connect with those to whom we can best relate - pastors, women in Bible study, theological students and faculty, high school students learning English, youth leaders, church leaders, farmers, and most of all, fellow Christians. It is humbling to see how carefully they are trying to arrange things so that we can truly walk beside them for a week. The trip is officially no longer theoretical - it has its own life and purpose. It is time for me to turn my thoughts again to what it will mean to be "present" at all times - to leave my mind empty of all thoughts so that I can hear the truth they will teach me by their very living.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Violence Here and There
The violence in DR Congo, especially in the east and toward women and children, is always in our minds when we speak about Congo. Questions about it frequently come up during presentations. Maman Nzeba, head of the Department of Women and Children for the ECC (Church of Christ in Congo, the national umbrella organization for Protestant churches in Congo), spoke often and powerfully about this during her visit in the summer of 2010. The Congo Symposium in May 2010 (http://globalministries.org/news/africa/congo-symposium-dvd-clips.html) lifted up the problems in great detail. The recent book, A Thousand Sisters by Lisa Shannon, follows one American's journey of discovery about the suffering there.
After the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and other innocents in Arizona, the murder of a promising young athlete and the shooting of a 16-year-old at a funeral for a victim of violence in my home town this past week, I am devastated. In a small scale, I experience the frustration and fear of senseless violence. It is so wrong, it is so meaningless. What can possibly be done to stop it?
Consider, then, the devastation that must be felt in a country where more than 5 million people have died since 1997 due to the violence in Congo - that is roughly one in every 10 persons in the country. There, it is a war of greed over resources. Until the exploitation of this rich country stops, recovery seems unlikely.
Here the causes are less clear, and the impact is less widespread. But the question remains, what can stop the violence? Some of us would suggest that semi-automatic and automatic weapons have no place in the hands of civilians, and a reasonable first step would be to stop their sale for anything but military purposes. But the power brokers for the weapons are strong, and a solution to our violence seems unlikely, too.
Today I am praying for an end to violence everywhere. Too many of God's children are dying at the hands of other children of God.
After the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and other innocents in Arizona, the murder of a promising young athlete and the shooting of a 16-year-old at a funeral for a victim of violence in my home town this past week, I am devastated. In a small scale, I experience the frustration and fear of senseless violence. It is so wrong, it is so meaningless. What can possibly be done to stop it?
Consider, then, the devastation that must be felt in a country where more than 5 million people have died since 1997 due to the violence in Congo - that is roughly one in every 10 persons in the country. There, it is a war of greed over resources. Until the exploitation of this rich country stops, recovery seems unlikely.
Here the causes are less clear, and the impact is less widespread. But the question remains, what can stop the violence? Some of us would suggest that semi-automatic and automatic weapons have no place in the hands of civilians, and a reasonable first step would be to stop their sale for anything but military purposes. But the power brokers for the weapons are strong, and a solution to our violence seems unlikely, too.
Today I am praying for an end to violence everywhere. Too many of God's children are dying at the hands of other children of God.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The holidays are over
Today is "Three Kings Day" - not observed so much here in the US, but a very big day in Latin America. At our Disciples Net worship last night, we focused heavily on the meaning of the visit of the Magi to the newborn king - a reminder that from the very beginning, the gift of Christ was for the whole world. This is much in my mind at the moment. Our daughter has just left to return to her home, and it seems that the holiday season is over.
As the hustle and bustle passes, my thoughts and efforts are turning to our trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are meetings to schedule, books to be read, visas need to be obtained, and a myriad of details that have been put on hold to focus on the celebration of God's greatest gift. We are still trying to find a few more people to join us on the journey - it's important for several reasons. We want to have a good delegation to meet with our partners, and it does help defray the steep expense of travel to a part of the world ill-served by the services most tourists seem to require. Time is running out, too - it's hard to convince people that it really does take several months to work out the details to get to DR Congo - we are so used to deciding at the last minute to fly wherever.
In the midst of the logistics, I try to constantly keep the images of my friends in DR Congo in my mind. They are so important to me. They have taught me so much. They are such incredible people. When I feel a bit overwhelmed, I remember the challenges they face every day. All of this effort is, in the end, only made in order to preserve and strengthen the wonderful bond we have shared.
Slow me down, Lord, and keep my thoughts focused on your will for this pilgrimage. There is a reason we have decided to call it a pilgrimage - it is truly a journey to a sacred place.
As the hustle and bustle passes, my thoughts and efforts are turning to our trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are meetings to schedule, books to be read, visas need to be obtained, and a myriad of details that have been put on hold to focus on the celebration of God's greatest gift. We are still trying to find a few more people to join us on the journey - it's important for several reasons. We want to have a good delegation to meet with our partners, and it does help defray the steep expense of travel to a part of the world ill-served by the services most tourists seem to require. Time is running out, too - it's hard to convince people that it really does take several months to work out the details to get to DR Congo - we are so used to deciding at the last minute to fly wherever.
In the midst of the logistics, I try to constantly keep the images of my friends in DR Congo in my mind. They are so important to me. They have taught me so much. They are such incredible people. When I feel a bit overwhelmed, I remember the challenges they face every day. All of this effort is, in the end, only made in order to preserve and strengthen the wonderful bond we have shared.
Slow me down, Lord, and keep my thoughts focused on your will for this pilgrimage. There is a reason we have decided to call it a pilgrimage - it is truly a journey to a sacred place.
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