Another lesson in humility

Word arrived yesterday that the door to return to Beni is closed to me right now. My colleagues at UCBC have decided to postpone the General Assembly (Congolese board of CI-UCBC) which had been scheduled for next week. Continued insecurity thwarts human plans. It has been deemed unsafe for members of the board who live outside of Beni to travel to the city.

I confess disappointment and sadness. I confess selfishness. In the midst of other's suffering, and as the stories of fear, death, atrocities continue to mount, I think about my own disappointment. I want to be in Beni. I want to see and talk to and work, side-by-side, with my friends, colleagues, and family there. But, the story is not about me.

Last night as our CI-UCBC diaspora met for evening prayer (we are now 1 Canadian, 2 Congolese, and 5 Americans), we lamented the atrocities continuing around Beni and across DRC. Othy and Archip recounted Congo's recent history, punctuating the story of corruption and greed with claims of hope. "This evil will not last. We are a new generation. God will prevail. This is only a transition to something new." We also spoke of Congo's beauty and promise, of the love and creativity and joy of its people. We prayed and lamented the current atrocities, pleading with God for deliverance and protection for each and every person, for the country.

We concluded our prayer, and Archip apologized for his tears. He shared a story from his childhood--an experience that no 8-year-old should have, but an experience that too many children across Congo and the world share. Othy took his friend's hand. For the next 15 minutes we sat as Archip relived his memories, and Othy spoke words of promise and hope. "Yes, we suffer now. But God is with us. God has not forgotten us." Othy reminded us of the story of the Israelites who suffered Pharaoh's oppression until the time God ordained their release. Kate reminded us of the story of Paul who persecuted Christians only to be touched by God and transformed as one of the first great teachers of The Way.

Then the Psalm for this morning, Psalm 37 with its reminders:

Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land and enjoy security.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 

He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

Kaswera (L) and Rebecca (R)

Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices. 

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.  

Do not fret--it leads only to evil.... (vs. 1-8)

Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.... (vs. 23-24)

Victor (front) and Ndjabu (behind)

Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever;
For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his faithful ones.... (vs. 27-28)

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble;
The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (vs. 39-40)

Archip

My thoughts turned to Othy and Archip--two intelligent, eager young men who are examples of hope. They are examples of living a life of faith and hope even when everything around them demands despair.

Then the faces of so many Congolese sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons came to mind: David, Daniel, Kavira, Manassé, Honoré, Decky, Kaswera, Sifa Jolie, Faden, Rebecca, Nellie, Victor. The list is long.

Decky

In spite of challenges, even in spite of horrors, they continue to trust in the Lord and "do good." They "depart from evil and do
good." They are living witnesses to another Way.

Thanks be to God.

Hope

The Advent Hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel calls us to remember the hope of God’s promise to restore the world—all creation, all humanity, all relationships.

Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

This hope is not empty. The hope is fulfilled in large and small ways. Just this week Othy Vitswamba and Archip Lobo, UCBC graduates and current staff members, were examples of that hope. They put on "the armor of light" and "put to flight" dark shadows.

Othy and Archip were traveling from Beni to join the CI-UCBC International Staff in Kampala for a week of training with UCBC visiting researcher, Lise vanOverbeeke. At the border the DRC immigration officer demanded $20 to stamp Archip's brand new passport, even though there is no regulation on the books that a fee should be charged for this purpose. Othy and Archip recounted the story.

We spent twenty minutes explaining to the official that we were not going to pay the bribe. We told her, "No. This is wrong. There is no such law." She insisted, "This is how it always is." 

So we said, “And this is why our country is the way it is, because of corruption, because people do not want to do their jobs correctly. You are stealing from our people, from our country. 

The officer challenged us. “Ah! But this is how it is. This is how it was even before you were born. Do you think you can change that? Do you think you are the ones who can change this country? 

We told her, “Yes! We are the ones who will change this country! Our generation will change things." 

She said, “You have money. You are traveling to Uganda. You are with a university. You can pay. I have to do such things so I can get money and my children can go to school.” 

“If we continue like this and you do not do your job properly, then your kids will never have money. They will never be able to go to school. But if we change and do things differently, then you will profit and your kids will profit.” We saw a change in her eyes. She let us go! “OK,  we will see if you can change this country.” 

At the next office, the medical officer demanded $70 to verify our vaccinations.  We told him “No,” and explained that we were going to Kampala for training to help our country, so he should help us. He asked, “If you think you can change this country then you live in a fantasy!” 

We told him, “No, this is a reality. We are leaders of this country. Nothing will take this hope from us.” 

Then he stood up to shake our hands. “We never meet people who speak like you. We will encourage you. Did you train in social science?”

We laughed. “No! I am a computer engineer and my friend here studied communications!”

Othy (L) and Archip (R)

After relaying their story, Archip commented, “I was shocked that all these people have lost hope. They are the ones who should show us the good way. They should be setting a good example for us. Congo is the way it is because most people have lost hope. There were other workers in those offices, and they all heard us. Five people heard our message of hope. We have already done part of the work. If each one of us from UCBC shares this message with just five people, can you imagine what we will do?”

Yes, even in the midst of darkness, God's promise to restore an redeem shines. Our "Dayspring from on high" attends even now.

Thanks be to God.

Christ the King Sunday

I stayed home from church today.  It’s Christ the King Sunday, a feast day in the Roman Catholic Church and an unofficial day of celebration in the Episcopal Church. This is the day to remember and celebrate Jesus’ lordship over all—all of creation, all of us, all of our efforts and institutions and systems. We Episcopalians should get on board with the Catholics here and make this a feast day.

My heart has been heavy. Death, sickness, poverty, cruelty, and selfishness persist. Syria. Ukraine. Libya. Israel. The US Congress.

Sad news from Beni continues to roll in. Friends, family, and colleagues in Beni soldier on. Our tiny band of international staff waits, prays, and works in Uganda. CI leadership wrestles with the normal challenges of organizational life and leadership in a not-so-normal environment. What does Stephen Covey have to say about insecurity and unrest in Seven Habits?

Today I needed to sit with prayer, scripture, and God. 

The collect for the day (Episcopal BCP, p. 236):

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and lord of lords; Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The readings for today reference a kingly God and a God of power:

• Worship the Lord…come into his presence...
• Enter his gates with thanksgiving
• ….immeasurable greatness of his power…
• God put this power to work in Christ…and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion… 

Ezekiel references God as a shepherd (a rather lowly occupation in the day) of an unruly and doltish flock (adjectives mine, not Ezekiel's). 

Then there is the Matthew 25 passage. Jesus, God made flesh, Emmanuel, was and is hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned. He was and is a stranger—someone from somewhere else. Jesus the King is broken and in need. King Jesus, broken and in need, asks us for help. King Jesus asks us for some food, a cup of water, clothing and shelter, care and presence, and a warm welcome.

This is where my heart opened up. Something inside said, "Love." I don't know how or why or where that word came from. The word love isn't in today's readings, per se. But it is implied in the actions. God loves us. God doesn't reign imperially and imperiously. God reigns with love and gentleness. God's desire is for our complete restoration—a healthy planet, healthy families, good relationships, people at peace. 

I do not love the people wreaking havoc in Beni and other places in the world. But God does. And while I am not physically able to give the cup of water, I can pray for that cup of water. I can pray that God's love would pour down on each one, just as today's rainstorm drenched us here in Kampala. 

Dear God, King of All, yes, please restore all things and bring all people together—all of us separated and divided and hating and hurting each other. Bring us each and all to freedom and peace. May we do our part. May we love each other across those divides and separations. Help me to pray your love on those whom I do not want to love.

A new story

There are no simple explanations for the recent outbreaks of violence in and around Beni. The region owns a complex history of proxy wars, rebel groups with ill-defined agendas and fluid memberships, political maneuvering, and shifting regional alliances.  Add to the mix human capacity for violence and selfish ambition, and the various narratives soon tangle on themselves.

Since early October outbreaks of violence have battered the city of Beni and its surrounding region. Rebel groups are blamed for random attacks and the murder of more than 120 people. Several thousand civilians have fled their homes in outlying areas to seek refuge in town. Households have tripled and quadrupled in size as families seek safety in numbers. A 6-hour gunfight on November 2 held the town hostage, and residents of one quartier were evacuated after the discovery of two bombs on November 6. Angry mobs have destroyed private and public property. Flyers announcing imminent attacks have fueled fear, and rapid-fire rumors wrestle with the truth. Shambas (small-hold farms) sit unattended as farmers fear leaving town to cultivate their fields. Food prices are rising.

But there’s a better story—a  story of light and life, a story of faith and hope.

UCBC classes were scheduled to begin on October 30. But beginning on October 28, and for the next 8 days, violence and tensions increased. These events prompted UCBC staff and leadership to take precautionary, practical, and prayerful measures. Staff and leadership decided to delay the opening of classes by a few days so things could settle down. They also decided to shorten the school day so students and staff could return home well before dark. A local business formed by recent UCBC graduates began work with UCBC staff to develop an SMS (short message service—i.e., text message) app so university administration could send news, info, and updates to the entire student body. And the community continued to pray. 

An email from Daniel Masumbuko (UCBC Chaplain and Finance Administrator) on November 3 recalled the new story.

Let us hold strong our holy Hope—Christ in us, the Hope of glory! He will never fail us with regards to His Kingdom that's among us, with us, in us and through us. He's been faithful. He usually lays His head for rest on the storm amidst a highly troubled sea. What's happening may actually be a continuation of the devil's anger against the light shining from Beni…, bringing back Shekinah in DRC by contributing to the renewal of His Church…. I think of Psalm 2: "Why do the nations conspire... kings of the earth rise up... AGAINST HIS ANOINTED...let us break their chains and throw off their shackles...THE ONE ENTHRONED IN HEAVEN LAUGHS..." Let us remember that with all that happening and all the emerging universities in Beni, 150 new students enrolled at UCBC!

The next day Honoré Bunduki Kwany (UCBC Academic Dean and Acting Interim Rector ) confirmed,

I am very much encouraged by the attitude of our staff. Despite the situation, all are strong and continue to serve. … Our biggest challenge is that we are a bit far from the center town. But this should not bring us to let the enemy dishearten us. For in Isaiah 41:10 the Lord tells us five things. (1) He is with us, so we should not fear, (2) He is our God, so we should not be dismayed. (3) He promises to  strengthen us, (4) to help us and (5) to hold us with the right hand of his righteousness. He is more than able and he proved it for Israel, Elisha and his Servant when they were surrounded by their enemies (2 Kings 6:8-23).

On Wednesday, November 5, UCBC launched the academic year with a community-wide chapel service and orientation sessions. That the year began a week later than originally planned does not matter. What does matter is that—

Students at work

• 150 new students have enrolled at UCBC, despite the current, local insecurity
• faculty, staff, and students have pulled together to assist with security and communication an committed to abiding by safety guidelines
• student groups such as Women’s Voices and Creation Care Volunteers are meeting, planning the year’s activities, and getting to work
• Service Learning is in full swing with three projects underway
• UCBC's Climate Action Fellows, Sifa Jolie and Faden Sibamtaki, lead students in implementing action plans
• 300 students attend the two primary schools under the auspices of UCBC 

We thank God for this new story, and are reminded of UCBC's guiding verse (Isaiah 43:18-19):

Thus says the Lord,…”Do not remember the former  things; or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Thanks be to God.

A new story: UCBC
Aerial view of campus (red roofs on L), 2010

Still waiting in Uganda

The CI-UCBC International Staff received word this week that we are to delay our return to Beni for another several days, perhaps a week. The situation in Beni is stabilizing. The 6:30pm – 6:00am curfew remains in place and the city has been spared large-scale events. A few days ago an attack on a village just north of the UCBC campus was repulsed without casualties. Two arrests were made the following day. They resulted in the confession of an a FARDC (DRC army) soldier to complicity in that and previous attacks. The resulting investigations have given citizens some assurance that authorities are taking action. CI-UCBC leadership and staff remain in close and consistent contact with a variety of security sources, local government, and NGOs. 

But the verdict for us is, “Wait.”

Waiting is work. It isn’t easy work. We Americans like to do. We like outcomes and evidence. We like completed reports and PowerPoint presentations, painted fences and repaired plumbing, the kitchen cleaned and the trash emptied. But sometimes the work we are called to do is to wait, to sit in the middle of our powerlessness. We are, after all, powerless over people, places, and circumstances. The only real power any of us has is power over ourselves and our responses to people, places, and circumstances. The rest is illusion.

Waiting is an opportunity to sit in the silences, to listen, to feel breath and heartbeat. Waiting is time to open our eyes and see what we miss when we are busy with our doing.

So what are some of the things my eyes have opened to during waiting time? Here are a few: 

• My character defects. In spite of my best efforts to be self-aware, my impatience and desire to be in charge slip in through the cracks in the day. 
• Memories in need of healing. Some very old and not-so-old memories have stepped out of the closet and into my heart. This waiting time gave them permission to reveal themselves. This waiting time offered space for them to breathe and heal. 
• Smiling. I want to smile more. I will smile more.
• Answers to prayer. God continues to strengthen, heal, and protect loved ones in Beni, in the US, and elsewhere. Two UCBC staff members are brand new parents, and we rejoice in the safe deliveries of their babies. People who were sick are now well. Loved ones who have been struggling know respite.
• Young leaders at UCBC living into their responsibilities. Service learning interns have been meeting with faculty to advise on curriculum. The YECA Fellows and Creation Care Committee have introduced their plans to the UCBC community and welcomed new members into their ranks. 

O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength; By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BCP, Prayer for Quiet Confidence, p. 832

Waiting in Uganda: A summary update

On October 22, upon the counsel of CI leadership, the International Staff team of Jon and Kate Shaw, Jessica Shewan, Lise vanOverbeeke, and Lauren Haylo, along with Jon and Kate’s two boys, moved from Beni to Ft. Portal, Uganda for a brief hiatus. During the previous two weeks, tensions had been building in the region as armed rebels attacked innocent civilians during night-time raids in areas just north of Beni. In the following days, the violence seemed to subside. I was to join the team upon my arrival from the US, en route to DRC. We planned to travel to Beni together on October 28.

But new attacks occurred, this time closer to Beni. We were asked to delay our trip by two days. As things heated up, CI leadership asked us to delay our return for two weeks. The situation in Beni was so dynamic that predictions about security were untenable. UCBC staff and leadership already had their hands full addressing safety of local staff and students, opening the academic year, and caring for their own families.

We stayed at the Golf Course View Guesthouse in Ft. Portal, Uganda, where the team had already set up temporary home. I’m not sure where the golf course was. The staff were kind and attentive. We had a safe place to stay, running water (even hot!), good food, and easy access to markets and affordable restaurants. Knowing that we would be gone from Beni for at least one more week, we decided to research alternative, more relaxed and affordable housing. Two bathrooms served us and the other 2-3 nightly guests. Also, Jon, Kate and their two boys shared one room; and Jessica, Lise, and Lauren shared another. I was the fortunate one with my own room.

Those with Ugandan and Kenyan connections reached out to their networks. By midweek we found a place in Port Bell, Kampala, Uganda. Yesterday, Friday, November 7, we traveled east to Kampala to settle into a pleasant house in a lush, quiet neighborhood.

We are pleased to have more room, including a separate little guesthouse for Kate, Jon, and their boys; a well-equipped kitchen; three bedrooms and four beds for the rest of us. And all of it for about the quarter of the cost of our lodgings in Ft. Portal.

L-R (front): Jessica, Lise;
(back): Lauren, guesthouse staff Charles and Charles,
Jon and Graham, Kate, guesthouse manager Paul with Eliot, me

Names

Billy Graham, George Beverly Shea, and Ethel Waters visited my childhood home through the "magic" of televised broadcasts of the Billy Graham Crusades. Ethel Waters singing "His Eye is on the Sparrow" punctuate my memory with her alto voice and deep pauses. The gospel song references Jesus' words in Matthew:

God's eye is on the weaverbird

Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father [and Mother] feed them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matt. 6:26)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's [and Mother's] will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matt. 10:29-31) 

Yes, I am comforted by the knowledge that God cares for the birds He and She have created. I am comforted that God knows me so well as to know how many hairs are on my head.

But lately I have found comfort in the lists of people. Today's reading (September 9) in The One Year Chronological Bible listed the names of the families returning to Jerusalem from the exile. The book of Ezra boasts fifty-five verses of names: "The family of Parosh; The family of Shephatiah; The family or Arah..."

That took me back to Genesis 10 and 11 and listing of Noah's descendants ("The descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal..."). After the escape from Egypt, Moses directs a census of the people. Names and numbers of family members spill across the pages of the book of Numbers, beginning in chapter 1: "...From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai...." God instructs Moses to take a second census (Numbers 26), and names march across the next 63 verses.

Names fill the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles. The writer records name upon name with only an occasional hint of story ("Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the matter of the devoted thing," and "Caleb the son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons..."). Priests and musicians each get their own chapters in 2 Chronicles while the gatekeepers and civil servants share chapters 26 and 27.

Names. Name upon name. There are plenty of historical, anthropological, and theological explanations for these lists. But I find it comforting that God considers each of these specific families and each of the these names to be so important. God considers each of these people to be so important to inspire human beings to include these names in holy scriptures.

I used to skim over these lists of names whenever I came upon them. Now I discipline myself to read each name as an individual, as if I were reading names of my own parents and grandparents, family members and friends. Each name breathes into our shared story. Each name confirms that God's eye is on the sparrow.

God's eye is on "Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, "the daughters of Zeolphehad, the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh" (Numbers 27: 1:1). And God's eye is on Ann, Anneli, Amy,... Ben, Brian, Butoto,... Calvin, Carl, Corin,...  Darrah, Dick, Donna,... Elsa, Eric, Esther,... Faustin, Faden, Frank,...  Jensi, Jon, Josias,... Heather, Henry, Heretier,... Jensi, Jessica, Jolie,...  Katsongo, Kavira, Kinangani,... Lindsday, Lisa, Louann,... Manassé, Meredith, Molly, ... and me.

Thanks be to God.



Video from 1957 Billy Graham Crusade. Ethel Waters introduced and begins singing at 9:21.

Ethel Waters sings "His Eye is on the Sparrow" in 1975.