Back in my seminary days, there were several African students doing their graduate work and I got to know them. Included were folks from South Africa and Namibia, back when the former exported its apartheid system to the latter, which it illegally dominated.
A Namibian pastor who I got to know went back to his country with his wife and three children. Several years later, his wife was killed when a bomb was set off in a bank by pro-South African terrorists.
I became a local contact person for a network within our denomination called Free Namibia Emphasis. We prayed. We publicized the apartheid regime's horrors in both countries. We wrote to international bodies and US pols seeking to put pressure on South Africa.
Namibia is now free and South Africa is democratic. The national reconciliation commission headed by Archbishop Tutu has ensured that there was not retrbution, but forgiveness.
I may be naive, but I believe in the power of prayerful, peaceful pressure.
PS: By no means did I mean to insinuate that you are naive. I've both read and experienced many fatalistic attitudes towards affairs in African politics, and have found those expressions discouraging. I hope Mugabe doesn't need to be removed by force, but it's certainly a better option than allowing him to continue to run rough-shod over his people.
Spencer: I didn't think you implied that I was naive. Don't worry about that.
Prayer often incites action in us, including the ones who think something is important enough to warrant action. But I also believe that God uses prayer as an invitation for action.
I appreciate the focus prayer can give us. It's like little post-it note on our soul that reminds us what we should be doing.
I think I've been infected by the mythology of Africa. It seems like another world in many ways: Exotic, unpredictable, dangerous. I can understand what drove Dr. Livingstone.
I hope everyone who read your post is motivated towards some kind of action.
6 comments:
Back in my seminary days, there were several African students doing their graduate work and I got to know them. Included were folks from South Africa and Namibia, back when the former exported its apartheid system to the latter, which it illegally dominated.
A Namibian pastor who I got to know went back to his country with his wife and three children. Several years later, his wife was killed when a bomb was set off in a bank by pro-South African terrorists.
I became a local contact person for a network within our denomination called Free Namibia Emphasis. We prayed. We publicized the apartheid regime's horrors in both countries. We wrote to international bodies and US pols seeking to put pressure on South Africa.
Namibia is now free and South Africa is democratic. The national reconciliation commission headed by Archbishop Tutu has ensured that there was not retrbution, but forgiveness.
I may be naive, but I believe in the power of prayerful, peaceful pressure.
God bless you and yours, Spencer.
I hope prayer is all we'll need.
PS: By no means did I mean to insinuate that you are naive. I've both read and experienced many fatalistic attitudes towards affairs in African politics, and have found those expressions discouraging. I hope Mugabe doesn't need to be removed by force, but it's certainly a better option than allowing him to continue to run rough-shod over his people.
Spencer:
I didn't think you implied that I was naive. Don't worry about that.
Prayer often incites action in us, including the ones who think something is important enough to warrant action. But I also believe that God uses prayer as an invitation for action.
I appreciate the focus prayer can give us. It's like little post-it note on our soul that reminds us what we should be doing.
I think I've been infected by the mythology of Africa. It seems like another world in many ways: Exotic, unpredictable, dangerous. I can understand what drove Dr. Livingstone.
I hope everyone who read your post is motivated towards some kind of action.
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