Thursday, January 03, 2008

Prayers for Kenya


The violence in Kenya has a face for us here in North Kansas City. Last summer, a member of our congregation travelled there on a mission trip to serve at the Missionaries of Charity home for disabled and abandoned children and women and in the autism unit at an elementary school. She kept a blog and you can read about her experience there.

Edna has been in contact with some of her friends in Kenya, and they are alive, but it is very dangerous to leave the house still. 300 people are reported killed and 70,000 have been displaced, according to the BBC. We are asking for prayers for all of those innocent ones caught up in between the combatants, and for a just, peaceful resolution to the fighting.

There is such power in relationship, isn't there? Without Edna, the violence in Kenya would be just another abstract news story about a political/ethnic conflict on the other side of the world. And we would still pray for peace and for the safety of all the people, to be sure. But since Edna was there, knows people, has been in contact with them, and has shared and continues to share her experiences with us in the congregation, their story is our story, and their suffering is ours.

Life in Christ is a mystery. How is it that my connection with Edna means that I am also connected with her friends in Kenya? It kind of shrinks the world a little bit, no?

5 comments:

Christ United Methodist Church said...

sounds like process theology to me!

RevErikaG said...

Thanks for sharing the personal connection...I was very troubled by the news to begin with...

Anonymous said...

Mama Edna here. I can't figure out how to comment other than anonymously. I have no new word from my Kenyan friends. So far I have depended on those who have family there to report on their welfare, not wanting to call directly becasue I understand that cell phone power is precious and they may have other things they need more to spend it on than reassuring me. Bless you for caring.

Soulfari Kenya Administrator said...

My name is Sarah Were, and I am one of the founders of Soulfari Kenya, the organization that Edna traveled with this past summer. On behalf of our organization, we would like to thank you for your words in this blog and your prayers for this country we call home. The situation is devastating and our family and friends are struggling, and it is difficult because there is so little we can do on this end, except pray and send them encouragement. We will be posting updates on our blog so feel free to check it out. www.soulfarikenya.blogspot.com
Asante sana (thank you).

Anonymous said...

We have house guests from Mozambique. They and others we have met there personalize the poverty and natural disasters of that country for us, so I can understand a bit how Edna feels. The world is really so small and I still hold on to the naive notion that if people the world over could get to know people from other cultures, so many problems would be avoided.

I have not read your blog for several weeks, so it is good to hear from you again. The lights on the Christams tree words made me feel all worm and fuzzy again, even as I leave this spot to go now and remove the lights from my tree. Merry Christmas! cb