|
 I have been contemplating writing an update for over a month now. There are so many things that I have been trying to process since my return from the states, and my mind is still spinning a bit. After several failed attempts to arrange my thoughts into an organized, thought provoking article, I have resolved to invite you into a collage of my recent thought.
On Sunday I packed about 11 Ugandans into our car on the way to Kitukiro village. Along the way we picked up a few more who squeezed in or rode on top for a grand total of 15. I thought this was rather impressive until Ben pulled up to the Kitukiro church with at least 20 people crammed into every open spot in or on top of his Nissan Patrol. We went there for a “Super Sunday” where several churches (about 7) in a cluster (group of churches within a relatively close proximity) meet together to worship. In the service we started with worship and praise, proceeded to introductions of everyone there, we listened to 2 sermons, and shared communion, all in only 4 hours. In between the sermons we walked through the village about 20 minutes down to a water hole where about 8 people were baptized, one of whom is a woman named Susan who just lost her baby girl to pneumonia a month ago. On the way to and from this Sunday worship in Kitukiro our vehicle was shaking with the reverberations of praise.
“So, historically speaking, Christians have not had a ‘solution’ to the problem of evil. Rather, they have had a community of care that has made it possible for them to absorb the destructive terror of evil that constantly threatens all human relations.” - God, Suffering and Medicine, by Stanley Hauerwas p.53
God, Suffering and Medicine, by Stanley Hauerwas p.53 A couple of weeks ago Ben and I were sitting in a meeting of village church leaders trying to discern with them ways to support a minister for the new town church in Kamuli. Gabula Hunnington, from the Butaswa church of Christ has recently moved to Kamuli to minister to the members of the church, but he does not have land with which to support himself. While brainstorming on ways to support him one of the church leaders suggested to just write to America to get money. We had previously committed along with the Langfords and Manrys to pay 85% of the rent if the five main churches in Kamuli district would come up with the remaining 15%, which amounts to about $5 for each church over a 6 month period. With projects such as this, especially with new churches, we are asking questions concerning sustainability and interdependence. Whereas my first response to the suggestion that we “just ask America for the money” was that it seemed like a lack of desire on account of the churches to take responsibility for Gabula, I began to try and think culturally about the suggestion. From my time in college I have been learning and talking about “globalization” as we try and think ethically about America’s relationship to the rest of the world. Here in Uganda community is life, and those who have are always giving to those who have not. Of course this is an idealized blanket statement, but I believe it is one of the main reasons few Ugandans are able to get rich or even save money. I am not nearly convinced that this is a bad thing. Community relies on community. I assume that in the mind of my friend in the village the churches in America are perceived as members in his community of faith. I hope and pray that this is so. It seems a logical and culturally consistent response to assume that those who have will give to those who need. I feel that this is already happening on many levels with the churches in America- that is how we are able to live here. I guess what I am trying to say is that I feel that I was able to understand the term “globalization” in new light., from a new perspective. My prayer is that we will always be seeking to understand the nature of this complex relationship from new perspectives with a spirit of love, grace and humility. There are few, if any, easy answers, though I guess that is true of all life. We decided together that the three missionary families would take over full payment of rent for the church building if the five churches would commit to supporting Gabula. I think it is a wonderful sacrifice on their part and a pretty good idea.
“There are 1,198,500,000 people alive now in China. To get a feel for what this means, simply take yourself- in all your singularity, importance, complexity, and love- and multiply by 1,198,500,000. See? Nothing to it (For the Time Being, by Annie Dillard, p.47).” I suppose this works the same with the 2,400,000 million people in Busoga. At least I hope it does.
For a while now we have been having problems with electricity here in Uganda. Currently, we are on a schedule where the electricity is on for 24 hours and then off for 24 hours. There is talk that the situation may get worse, although we have also heard that is could be resolved in a matter of months. We have settled into a fairly consistent routine of lighting the kerosene lamps and candles around the house every other night for a romantic candlelight dinner for Emily and I and any guests that we might be hosting. It is amazing how the lack of electricity slows down time. On most days I return from a village around 6pm, and the electricity will come on or go off between 6 and 7, just as the sun is setting over the hills on the horizon. On the dark nights we often sit and talk, play a board game, read or just go to sleep early. The Ugandans think it is absolutely comical that we would plan our schedule around electricity.
“I suspect that if Christian convictions have any guidance to give us about how we are to understand as well as respond to suffering, it is by helping us discover that our lives are located in God’s narrative- the God who has not abandoned us even when we or someone we care deeply about is ill.” God, Suffering and Medicine, p.67
Spencer Bogle
|
