THERE ARE NO FORGOTTEN BIRTHDAYS

The humble one’s stories are too easily forgotten.    This morning as I checked my Facebook I had 37 friends whose birthday is January 1.     On an average day I should have 8 or 9 friends to wish a birthday.   (3,051 Facebook friends divided by 365 days in a year equals 8.35 friend’s birthdays per day.)    Today, there is a 411% increase in birthday averages.   What is up?

A couple of my Bazungu (white, or those who wander in circles) friends truly know that January 1 is their birthday.    A couple of my friends from Africa who were fortunate to have their mother deliver in a hospital during a day of relative peace truly know that January 1 is their birthday.

Yet, for the majority of my 37 Facebook friends today they were born during a season of absolute chaos.    They were born in places like remote villages, refugee camps, and urban slums.   Their mom was one of the world’s poorest of poor.    She was likely on the run.  Their mom was thankful to have lived through delivery, and today is exceptionally thankful the child born on that day is alive.

These friends of mine share a common past with my boss, Jesus of Nazareth.   He too was born in poverty (Luke 2:1-21).     Stables and mangers in church nativity scenes frequently miss this point.    If you can’t smell the manure your church has understated the chaos of Jesus’ birth.    Jesus was born in forced circumstance as his nation, Judah was under Roman occupation.    His parents were forced to travel near the end of his mom, Mary’s pregnancy just to register for a census and pay tax.    Forcing a pregnant woman to travel is the height of oppressive government policy.    

These friends of mine share another common past with my boss, Jesus of Nazareth.   His family too was forced to flee for their safety as refugees (Matthew 2:13-18.)    An evil despot intended to kill all rivals, and that included infant boys in a remote village.     Despots do the same things today.

Where is God in such circumstances?

Paul in describing the riches of knowing Christ tells an unfathomable truth (Ephesians 1.)    Before creation God in His infinite knowledge knew His creation would rebel.     God’s holiness could not dwell with rebellion.    Our rebellion would cause eternal separation from the God of infinite love.     The consequence was as horrific as an infant child abandoned and left to die in a field (Ezekiel 16:4-6.)    God chose to rescue us by sacrificing the life of His own Son.    In the process He took us rebels, and adopted us into His family.    Can you imagine?    He knew every sin we would commit.   He knew the horrific costs.   Yet, He chose to create what He would redeem though sacrifice.    Amazing.  Jesus is Emmanuel, God near and with us.

In the chaos that humanity lives God watches every movement of life.   In God’s eyes there are no forgotten birthdays.  His word states,

“Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast (Psalm 22:9.)”

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13.)”

“This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid… whom I have chosen (Isaiah 44:2.)”

“This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself… (Isaiah 44:24.)”

“Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. (Isaiah 49:1.)”

“And now the LORD says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant (Isaiah 49:4.)”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; (Jeremiah 1:5.)”

In eternity, God will redeem each one of these chaotic births.   In God’s eyes there are no forgotten birthdays.   Yet, we do live in the here and now.   Is there hope in this life for God to bring good out of chaos?

Absolutely.    God is sovereign.   He is good.    He is full of love.  His ways are mysterious.   Yet, His ways are just.    History is full of stories of God bringing good from chaos.

One of the privileges God gave me during my season in Rwanda was to be a facilitator in the Presidential Scholars program.   Facilitator sounds important.   All I did was pragmatically pastor.  I made friends.    I helped friends communicate to one another.    Sometimes it was rather mundane.   One of the mundane moments was filling out visa applications.    The applications required filling out a date of birth.    Many times we wrote in the application January 1, _______.

Most of those bright young Banyarwanda who wrote January 1, ______ were not born on January 1, ______.    Instead they were born during absolute chaos.     All their family can remember is a year filled with turmoil.    In some ways, God has helped them forgive the sources of the chaos, and in the process forget a few details that would even include the month of the birth.   

Rwanda Presidential Scholars at Hendrix College

Yet, something wonderful happened in the years following the traumatic birth.    Enough peace came that a family could survive.    They could put down a root somewhere.    The kids could go to school.    Many times the schools were barely functioning.    Yet, somehow learning happened.    The brightest students found a place of marginal stability and success.    They kept at it for years.    Then they sat their final secondary exam.   They scored near the top of all the students in the nation.     Then they received an opportunity to interview with the different universities offering scholarships.    For some of these bright Banyarwanda, this was the first time they had even been in the capital of Kigali.   If there was no God they would have had no chance.    Yet, there is a God.  He is good.   He enjoys showing His grace upon the most humble.   These kids whose families don’t remember their birthday were offered scholarships to attend prestigious universities in the United States.   God is good.

So today I ask that if you definitely know the day of your birth thank God.    Much of the world does not have that luxury.   If you’re one of those who wrote January 1, _____, but really don’t know; also thank God.   If you meet someone with a January 1, ____ birthday, listen to their story.   Thank God.   He is good.  There are no forgotten birthdays.

KIGALI NEEDS A NEW VISION OF CHURCH

Last week, my friend Shya­ka Kanuma wrote an edi­torial, Some Balokole churches and their question­able behavior. He had the cour­age to raise the issues in public that many of us whisper in pri­vate. What is going on with this Balokole movement? Are their churches rapidly growing? They seem everywhere. Or are they really growing? What is their true influence? He clearly was neither against church attendance nor spiritual hunger. Some of the issues that concerned Shyaka were noise, presumption, greed, division, deception, and exploitation. He believed that there must be honorable pastors somewhere in Kigali.

Joe Church, William Nagenda, Festo Kivengere.Claire Lise De Benoit

I agree. Yes, something has gone wrong with our Kilokole tradi­tions. Yet, I also believe there are honorable pastors and churches in Kigali. Shyaka wrote, “The Rwandan Balokole leaders seem a model of tranquility and good behaviour compared to some neighboring soci­eties.” We have something to offer. However, we cannot deny that few seem willing to take their place as culture’s prophets. In the same vein our community may not be ready to listen to proph­et’s voices. Kigali needs a new vision of church. It is time to relearn Rwanda’s Balokole history, honor the principles of our heritage, leave our current failings, and become a new community.

For those unfamiliar with the Balokole tradi­tion it grew out of a frustration with what some considered a dead Anglican Church of Uganda. Gahini, Rwanda was one of the founder’s places of discovery and refuge. From the beginnings in the 1930’s and 40’s the Balokole have gone against the grain of comfort. Kilokole at its best is a cul­ture opposed to segregation by denomination, nationality, race, and ethnicity. Yet, something went wrong. Kilokole culture was so “other worldly” that it became irrelevant. It shunned the world of politics and business. As time went on the fires that stirred in churches for personal renewal begin to seek personal en­richment. Thus we have our current situation that Shyaka addressed. (For further reading see The Balokole Revival in Uganda)

In Uganda and Kenya my impression is that a quick drive around town will give one the vision of Balokole churches everywhere. (For further reading on my reflections see past Focus column Can someone pick up the trash?) In Kam­pala and Nairobi the Balokole churches are as numerous as the Buvera and just as problematic. My impression of Kigali is that Ba­lokole Churches are common where Buvera clusters, but rare on the tops of Kigali’s beautiful hills. I have not seen research on the recent growth of Balokole churches. My impression is they are thriving among those who grew up attending a Balokole church. However, my impression is they are largely irrelevant to those outside of their social circle, particularly those who are educated, upwardly mobile, and who have found religion in Rwanda to be disappointing.

The Balokole irrelevancy is due to the factors Shyaka points out of noise, presumption, greed, division, deception, and exploitation. I am a Mulokole. Yet, I do not trust Balokole.

For instance, I have lectured on Ethics for years at local universi­ties. It seems each semester I discover an ethical failing of students. As I raise the issue frequently I find the students who shout the loud­est at Balokole events seem to have the greatest struggle conceptual­izing the ethical failings of both their reasoning and behavior. Yet, it is usually a Muslim and Agnostic student who is the first reasonable voice. I suspect my observations with university students are quite similar to other’s observation. When it is all said and done many Ba­lokole have shouted loudly while living poorly. It is time for a new vision of church.

It is time to rediscover our heritage ideals. We need a new prophet. The irrelevant Balokole love the language of prophets. They define a prophet as a person who predicts the future. The irrelevant Balokole love this man as he can bring predictions of the future that promote personal greed and comfort. A relevant definition of prophet is a person gifted with profound moral insight and exceptional powers of expression. Our new church vision must have prophets with profound moral insight and pow­ers of expression. As such these church prophets will confront the noise, presumption, greed, di­vision, deception, and exploitation.

An old prophet named Elijah pointed out that the loudness of one’s noise was a mark of one who did not know the Lord (1 Kings 18:27-29; 19:12, 13). Pointless noise and flamboyant show is a mark of a pagan; not a pastor.

Loud noise breeds another pagan fallacy – pre­sumption. The pseudo-pastor makes noise to persuade the crowd that he alone has a message from God. He dodges accountability that asks if his predictions come true. He presumes to be a god like figure. Today’s best prophets will call this paganism to account as they fathers did gen­erations ago (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

The Balokole problems of greed, division, deception, and exploitation are not new to our generation. Before Judas betrayed Jesus he ma­nipulated the disciples’ finances for personal gain (John 12:2-8). Our Kigali charlatans are no different. Some well live in the model of “What would Judas do?” Greed gives birth to division. As division moves past social manipulations it falls into the same pitfalls of the past. Thus Paul clearly communicated that no one who uses violence to solve church problems is qualified to lead (Titus 1:7). Sadly, paganism masquerading as pastoral care has his­torically deviated into sexual exploitation as Shyaka narrates (1 Peter 2). There is nothing new. The solutions are old. Prophets must speak against such abuse of people. Churches must model all that is best in humanity. Our dignity matters.

Kigali needs a new vision of church. We must rediscover the ide­als of the past, leave our failings, and build new communities. Our churches must be the leaders in the development of sustainable in­stitutions from schools to businesses. Only in church do we learn to love, trust, and triumph through weakness. Shyaka, you stated it well. There are honorable people in churches in Kigali. Kigali needs a new vision of church.

PASTORAL REFLECTIONS ON PROSTITUTES AND RELIGIOUS CONMEN

Prostitutes and religious conmen hear me well. I am not a loaf of bread. I am husband. I am a father. I am a pastor. I am a runner. I notice that some choose to follow me. Some are seekers. Some are children. Some are prostitutes. Some are religious conmen. I am amazed at the similarities between prostitutes and religious conmen. I see they suffer from the same root causes. For the seekers and children, I know where you can find life giving bread. I hope we can find a shared answer.

I live in Kimihurura between the Papyrus Restaurant and Cadillac Night Club. Between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights I see women who appear to be prostitutes outside my home. They are scantily dressed. My Saturday morning usually starts with a run. My Sunday morning usually starts with leaving home early to prepare for worship at CCR. Many times, I have short conversation with the women who appear to be prostitutes. They call me sweet names, try to initiate conversations, and some even try to touch me. I am 44 years old. I have never been described as handsome. I have a bad back, five kids, and a missionary salary. A young scantily dressed attractive woman who has a romantic interest in me is either mentally deranged or a prostitute. I am a husband. I am a father. I am a pastor. I am a runner. I am not a loaf of bread. When a prostitute calls me, I keep running. They leave me after less than 100 meters.

I am a Muzungu. I at times appear to have money. I sometimes attract religious conmen. They find me at all hours of the day and a multiple of times per week. Their dress is either immaculate or shabby. They try to make me either feel sorry for them, or be amazed by their spiritual power. I have learned not to trust them. However, some of my Bazungu friends will listen to their stories. They speak sweet Kilokole. However, like the prostitute they only see me as a loaf of bread. When the religious conman calls me I keep running. I am not a loaf of bread. They leave me after a few pastoral running strides.

On my morning runs sometimes the children of Kigali choose to join me. We run together. They make me laugh. They seem to know who I am. Sometimes, they chant, “Jesus,” or, “Imana ishimwe.” They follow me kilometer after kilometer. They make me a better runner. They enjoy my friendship and seem to know I seek the bread of life.

At Sunday mornings at CCR and throughout the week, seekers choose to join me. We pray together. We share. We laugh. We cry. Sometimes, we dance. They find my failings and still follow me kilometer after kilometer. They make me a better pastor. They enjoy my friendship and seem to know I seek the bread of life.

As the children join me on a run I notice some are girls. I wonder if the prostitutes who follow me for a few meters once were little girls who shared a run with me for kilometers. Something went terribly wrong.

As the seekers join me for prayer I notice some are hurting. I wonder if the religious conmen who follow me for a few meters were once honest seekers who shared life with me. Something went terribly wrong.

I don’t like prostitutes or religious conmen. I don’t like being treated like a loaf of bread. However, I find that both suffer from the same disease. Prostitutes and religious conmen thrive in a world of non-literacy and poverty. In a way they are victims.

I do enjoy children and seekers. I think they follow me for the much the same reasons. We both seek friendship and the bread of life. Life may have struggle, but we refuse to be victims. We thrive in a world full of love, hope, and joy.

Prostitutes economically thrive by finding those who are sexually unfulfilled. Religious conmen economically thrive by finding those who are emotionally unfilled. I find the prostitute’s and religious conmen’s clients to be more repulsive than the prostitutes or religious conmen. Some like to rant at prostitutes and religious conmen. Some intend to police them out of existence. However, let me propose a few solutions to make Kigali a more pleasant city. Let us build schools and businesses. Let us build a literate and wealthy population. There will always be a portion of our city that is poor. However, let us make the options of prostitution and religious conmen much less financially advantageous.

Next, let us find a way to police the financiers of prostitutes and religious conmen. If we dry up the money the prostitutes and religious conmen will go somewhere else. Maybe, we would be well served to run internet photos of both prostitute’s clients and religious conmen’s financier with a short story?

Prostitutes and religious conmen, I feel mercy for your situation. However, I am not a loaf of bread.

Children and seekers; let us continue to run. Together we can find the bread of life.

PASTORAL REFLECTIONS ON UGANDA’S HOMOSEXUALITY DEBATE

For the last year I’ve cautiously watched a debate in Uganda. She is a nation very dear to my heart. My family treasures the eleven years of grace we spent there. Three of my five children were born in Uganda. Two of my five children carry Ugandan passports. Uganda taught me some of my most difficult but treasured lessons of life. I truly can say, “I grew up in Uganda.”

The debate that I have watched concentrates on David Bahati’s introduction into the Parliament of Uganda legislation related to homosexuality. I pastored a small church in Uganda. I volunteered my service with both children’s organizations and media. I have many diverse friends in Uganda. My friendships range from Uganda’s political and media leaders to church members to children who are now the youth of Uganda. I’ve watched as some of my better Uganda friends have become adversaries in this debate. I’ve grieved at what appear to be a lessening of the bonds of friendship in a search for community solutions.

A year ago, I left the Great Lakes region to seek physical healing. While gone I have gone on a pastoral sabbatical. On occasion a friend who knows that I lived in Uganda and consider the protagonists in the debate my friends asks for my perspective. I have cautiously spoken. I’ve read a few stories of homosexual pornography being shown in church. I thought surely that was a media exaggeration. Several weeks ago I saw a television documentary and realized the media reports were true. The profane had entered the sacred. It seemed to me that hatred was overtaking love. When hatred overtakes love the consequence is that fear overtakes courage. In such an emotional climate ignorance overtakes understanding. Such a debate can create opportunity for humanity to fall into our most destructive nature. In such a season it is time for voices of reason and love to speak.

I do not speak under the banner of the church I pastor nor the organization that has sent me to Rwanda. My views do not represent those bodies. I gently asked friends of mine in the media if they would consider a column from me on the homosexuality debate. Though I on occasion do write for independent media outlets none has asked for me to write. In a way I breathed a sigh of relief. I would prefer to be quiet.

Yet on my sabbatical something stirs. Possibly, it is the Spirit of God. Maybe, He is asking for me to write just as a God seeker. This blog is a reflection of that spirit. On it I will not hide under any title, position, or relationship network. These are only the reflections of me as a Jesus follower seeking understanding.

Uganda’s history tells of homosexuality being introduced into her land of fairy tale kingdoms by outsiders. Her history tells of this introduction leading to violence being directed against faithful young Jesus followers. The Baganda found the practice of homosexuality abhorrent. Baganda faced competing interests between Muslim Arab traders, French Catholic missionaries, and Protestant missionaries from the United Kingdom in the early 1880’s. Many believe that Kabaka (King) Mwanga was influenced to become a homosexual practitioner by Arab Muslims. When his pages resisted his homosexual advances it led their martyrdom on June 3, 1886. I cannot imagine that these old stories do not impact today’s perceptions. What I now find ironic is that though Uganda’s early Christians were the victims of homosexual violence some Uganda Christians are now advocates of the death penalty for homosexuals. I believe history teaches that the path of grace and redemption bears the greatest fruit.

It is my perception that Uganda’s prevalent same gender affection is a mark of grace and community. Some of my better advisors have pointed out that Uganda’s tradition of same gender affection is one of the reason that homosexuality tends to be so rare in Uganda. Young men freely express their affection to one another and to the older men who mentor them. Young women also freely express their affection to one another and to the older woman who mentor them. There is no unmet affection need in Ugandan culture for same gender affection. Yet, I observe that one of the first uncomfortable moments Uganda’s visitors experience is watching same gender affection or even experiencing it firsthand. (To be clear for my Bazungu friends hand holding and close physical affection is widely practiced among Uganda friends of the same gender.) Many expatriates assume this same gender affection is a reflection of homosexuality. I believe that assumption is deeply flawed. Same gender affection is a mark of a healthy community.

As a pastor I have experienced some of what stirs our emotions so passionately. I wept several times as I listened to Ugandan youth tell me stories of being seduced by expatriate practitioners of homosexuality. The times when I heard these stories were times when Uganda’s cultural practice of same gender affection and poverty created an opportunity for exploitation. Since I only pastored a small church in Uganda I assume that those who pastor larger churches have more stories to tell than I. During these times my emotions have been full of anger and rage. Deep inside me I sensed the call of victims for justice.

I also have had the experience of being part of a poorly organized international organization that was unable to decisively deal with gross moral failure among its personnel. In those seasons I have argued against cover up, for justice for victims, and for the perpetrator to be removed from his position. I believed that removal and discipline of the perpetrator would actually lead to his personal healing and redemption.

I have also several times while on a ministry sabbatical received a phone call or e-mail from an expatriate friend or colleague crying out for help. My friends had become exploiters. They had removed themselves quietly from positions of influence and leadership, left Africa, and sought healing. I cried at the loss, wrestled with both compassion and anger, and prayed trusting in redemption.

Maybe, this is my biggest concern with Uganda’s debate on homosexuality. It seems that the debate has centered upon judgment and neglected redemption. For those in the daily political arena judgment is part of their responsibility. For those who pastor our responsibility is to explain God’s justice and pray for it. Yet, we entrust justice to God. Out of humanity’s self inflicted disasters we seek to be tools of redemption and healing.

Out of this seeking to be a tool of redemption I offer four suggestions upon Uganda’s debate of legislation related to homosexuality. The first suggestion is to respect the development of democratic institutions and practice. I was at this year’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. when United States President, Barak Obama and Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton chose to speak against Uganda’s legislation on homosexual practice. Afterwards, I apologized to my Ugandan and Rwandan friends with whom I shared breakfast. It was my understanding that the breakfast was for the purpose of prayer and that political banter was not to be practiced. It was also my understanding that remarks made at the Prayer Breakfast would not be reported in the media. However, it is now clear these remarks have been widely reported.

I believe that we live in a global community in which it is acceptable for friends to widely and graciously advise one another. However, I also believe that sometimes global advice can degenerate into the powerful manipulating those who have less global influence. I found it disturbing that though David Bahati was the author of Uganda’s legislation and Edward Ssekandi is the Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not mention a phone call to either of them. Instead, she clarified that she had called Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to voice her disapproval of the legislation. It seemed to me that a phone call to President Museveni communicates that the United States government is more comfortable with a developing nation where one individual personally influences national policy than one in which democratic practice is debated and decided in community. David Bahati saw a problem in Uganda. He introduced legislation that he saw as a solution. Now, Uganda debates his proposal. This is how parliamentary democracy functions. We in the west would be well served to allow Uganda to debate and decide without our manipulation. Those of us who are only visitors or friends to Uganda must allow Uganda to develop her own democratic institutions and practice.

My second suggestion is that the time has come for the repeal of capital punishment for sexual offenses. Ethicists around the world still are debating capital punishment. We will likely debate this issue until the end of time. For some it seems that their belief in the sanctity of human life calls them to conclude that punishment that includes the loss of human life falls into the pitfalls of revenge. This offers no communal or personal redemption. It perpetrates cycles of bitterness and resentment that lead to more violence. Others will argue that because human life is sacred the only acceptable means of justice is capital punishment. If life has been taken in anger it must be taken so that humanity’s call for justice is met. Both will quote extensively from the Bible. The pragmatic will debate if capital punishment actually creates a safer society. For my argument, I conclude that though humanity is capable of great evil capital punishment should only be considered when human life has been taken. It should be removed as a justice option for those who offend community sexual morals.

Those of us who observe the pragmatics of capital punishment threats in the face of offended sexual morals notice that frequently this threat is a tool of revenge. It is used as a means to remove offended family honor and elicit financial compensation for the loss. This practice must simply stop. It is time to remove capital punishment as a means of justice in face of offended community sexual morals.

My third suggestion is that legal and institutional means must be developed to protect children. Many of us have experienced the tragedy of Uganda youth being exploited by homosexual practitioners. At each one of those moments we ask ourselves, “How did this happen? What can be done to prevent such tragedy from happening again?” Most of us find the systems in Uganda that should protect children are weak. David Bahiti did see that there are legal holes in Uganda’s legislation. Others have noticed that Uganda’s government services to protect children are understaffed and underfunded. Again, I believe the answer lies in democratic debate, common sense legislation, the strengthening of institutions, and in developing a culture where community leaders are empowered to protect children.

My last suggestion may too strongly reflect my own experiences and wounds. If these are not the thoughts of Jesus follower I ask my community’s forgiveness. My suggestion is that international organizations serving Uganda must be held accountable for the behavior of their expatriate personnel. The incidents of homosexual practitioners exploiting African youth that I know all concern expatriates. Uganda’s Ministry of Internal Affairs should require all international organizations to clarify their mechanisms of international recruitment and screening. Background checks are almost uniformly required in US churches and ministries, but may be lacking in recruitment for international organizations. Though I’ve personally felt weary each time I must bring a police report when I renew my work permit I now see how this is a valuable practice that should continue. When an organization becomes aware that her personnel have been involved in illegal and exploitive relationships they should be required to report it to Ugandan authorities. Too frequently the knee jerk reaction is cover up and a quick exit of the perpetrator. If an international organization is found to have poor screening mechanisms and a culture of cover up I suggest they should leave Uganda and their property be given to another organization that is serious about caring for Uganda’s youth.

The debate concerning legislation on the practice of homosexuality in Uganda is a necessary one for a developing nation. After all a nations future is her youth. Such debates can at times degenerate into a loss of reason, love, and redemption. I am only a God seeker offering my limited wisdom. It seems to me that there are four vital components to this debates resolution. First, those of us from outside Uganda must respect the development of her democratic institutions and process. Second, the time has come to repeal capital punishment for sexual offenses. Third, we must further develop legal and institutional means to protect children. Lastly, international organizations must be held accountable for the behavior of their personnel. May Uganda continue to prosper and bless others as she has blessed me.