REPORTS from RWANDA

Dream a little dream...

2012-02-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

Messy Christianity; messy, unboxable life

2011-12-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

There is something especially precious about things learned from your own children, and I am grateful for so much learned from my sons. Among their many lessons has been that caution is required in embracing anybody and anything that purports to have it ALL figured out and neatly boxed up. Upon careful analysis, the “absurd” is ultimately discovered and mystery and more questions always bubble up. As a result, I have long had to honestly confess what I suppose is my “Christian existentialism.” You should neither recoil nor be impressed by the term. The most brilliant existentialists, Christian and otherwise, cannot seem to agree on a working, tidy definition of the term, and thus I dare not even try. But I can offer a passage from one of the most solid living Christian thinkers and writers, and ask if it resonates with you. I do not know if Eugene Peterson would place himself within light years of the term “Christian existentialism” (and it probably does not matter), but as Dale Dawson teaches the Bridge2Rwanda team, he certainly seems to encourage us to accept and celebrate “the edginess of uncertainty”:

“Far too many people choose to live in Egypt instead of by faith. They go to religion the way I go to a baseball game—to escape the muddle, to have everything clear, to find a good seat from which they can see the whole scene at a glance, evaluate everyone’s performance easily and see people get what they deserve. Moral box scores are carefully penciled in. Statistics are obsessively kept. Many religious meetings are designed to meet just such desires. The world is reduced to what can be organized and regulated; every person is clearly labeled as being on your side or on the other side; there is never any doubt about what is good and what is bad.

The only problem with such “Egyptian” religion is that the clarity lasts only as long as the meeting. It is not a deepening of reality but a vacation from it. During that protected time and space, heroic performances are applauded and villains booed. There is a clear-cut opposition to hate. But back at work, at play, at home, the labels don’t stick. Life outside the meeting is then resented as being hopelessly contaminated. It is understandable that people who embrace this kind of religious life go to as many meetings as possible in order to have the experience of clear and controlled order as frequently as possible.

Neither shot nor married . . .

Flannery O’Connor once remarked that she had an aunt who thought that nothing happened in a story unless somebody got married or shot at the end of it. But life seldom provides such definitive endings. As a consequence, the best stories, the stories that show us our true condition by immersing us in reality, don’t provide them either. Life is ambiguous. There are loose ends. It takes maturity to live with the ambiguity and the chaos, the absurdity and the untidiness. If we refuse to live with it, we exclude something, and what we exclude may very well be the essential and the dear—the hazards of faith, the mysteries of God. [Emphasis mine.]

Jeremiah ends inconclusively. We want to know the end, but there is no end. The last scene of Jeremiah’s life shows him, as he had spent so much of his life, preaching God’s word to a contemptuous people (Jeremiah 44). We want to know that he was finally successful. Or we want to know that he was finally unsuccessful so that, since a life of faith and integrity doesn’t pay off, we can get on with finding another means by which to live. We get neither in Jeremiah. He doesn’t get married and he doesn’t get shot. In Egypt, the place he doesn’t want to be, with people who treat him badly, he continues determinedly faithful, magnificently courageous, heartlessly rejected—a towering life terrifically lived.

Run With The Horses

By Eugene Peterson

Could it be that this woman has peeled off a few more layers covering God's reality than have we?

I am grateful for Tommy, and Nathan, and Wesley,... and Eugene Peterson,... and Flannery O'Connor, and other honest folks who keep it real.

Green Protein!

2011-11-30T01:50:00.000-08:00

John Lambert explains that those who bemoan the lack of protein at the base of the pyramid apparently have never tasted fresh grasshoppers.

They are actually most tasty at night with ample banana beer chasers.

Where is God to be readily found?

2011-11-27T05:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, of course, God is to be found everywhere. As we taught our children,“There is no spot where God is not.” He is omnipresent. But that was not my question.

In a passage within one of her much longer devotional writings, Mother Teresa wrote:
Is not our mission
to give God to the poor?
Not a dead God, but a living, loving God.

I am inspired and moved by these words, fully recognizing that they present a deep mine to be explored for great hidden treasures. Among the obvious to be searched is "Who are the poor?" (I give considerable credence to the thoughts that “Loneliness is the greatest cause of the most desperate poverty"... and, of course, that "We are all spiritually poor, indeed, bankrupt apart from God.") I want to take great care to avoid any qualitative or value judgement concerning "the poor," recognizing that we are all impoverished.

Upon reading Mother Teresa's words, and without a trace of pushback, I could not resist stealing them (Stealing from Mother Teresa?!?) and adding to them to reflect my experience of the calling of God and him at work:

Is not our mission

to meet up with God living among the poor?

Not a dead God, but a living, loving God.

To be awestruck by his great presence among the poor,
And to humbly join him in his work,
To serve and bless the poor, and
To be blessed by him and by his beloved poor.

.....

I similarily journaled long ago before coming to Africa:

"Perhaps my greatest sin is the sin of indifference,... indifference to the deprivation and suffering of the poor in our sin-plagued world, even deluding myself with the repugnant belief that in my indifference I am aligned with Christ, who said “The poor will always be with you”. (What a perversion of Scripture!) We know from other very clear passages of Scripture that Christ was not indifferent to the poor, but rather cared so very much for them, and was filled with compassion for them,... and directed us to respond.

So why does God allow poverty? Does he? Or do we, the gluttonous rich? An all encompassing, definitive explanation is far beyong my grasp, but I do believe that poverty creates an opportunity to reveal what is in our hearts and souls: If something good (love, compassion, mercy, charity), and we respond as God has intended, then God is glorified (and we experience true joy). If something shameful (a miserly, selfish, hardened heart that neither fears nor trusts God), then we might ulitimately be convicted by the sight of the poor who surround us, and repent and be moved to action. In this marvelous dynamic, God is surely pleased by ministry to the poor and suffering, and also by the softening and transformation of hardened hearts which have been spurred to minster. A double blessing. A double measure of God’s grace to both the materially poor and the so-called rich."

Chillin' at home

2011-11-18T04:44:00.000-08:00

Just chillin' at home with a couple of children from the neighborhood.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

2011-11-16T04:38:00.000-08:00

This is on the land upon which I am building a home,... and where beautiful and curious childen seem to mysteriously materialize from the elephant grass.

Peace Like a River, Leif Enger

2011-11-05T02:51:00.000-07:00

I have never before read a book that I could not put down,… a story that I did not want to end,… with characters who I did not want to utter “goodbye.” Frankly, I do not know why I ever picked it up, but if you read it perhaps that question will be answered within its pages. It was a gift from my friend Tricia Crisafulli, a random gift received with gratitude but was surely destined to gather dust alongside my many other unread books. But in a rare leisure moment I picked up Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, could not set it back down, and I have been profoundly moved, confused and inspired. I dare not attempt to describe it except to tell you that it is NOT a Paul Simon tune nor a sugar coated Daily Devotional as the title might suggest; it is a tightly knit story with lovable, hateable, struggling characters. It is filled with fresh phrases, metaphors, and literary references more delicious than perfectly shapened, sun-ripened strawberries. But you have to believe in miracles to like this book. I loved it!

Radio Kills!

2011-10-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

I know that “Radios don't kill people; People kill people"... but I also know that radio certainly can be lethal if mishandled, and that we must all be vigilant.

I used to be addicted to conservative “Talk Radio." I cannot estimate how many hours I listened to Rush Limbaugh and the others. I fed upon the “information" that they provided. Even after I became suspicious of the quality of the “information,” I continued to listen for the entertainment value. Then I became thoroughly bored, was no longer entertained, and I stopped listening.

I now live in Rwanda where “Hate Radio” played a critical role in organizing, igniting and directing the genocide of 1 million people in 100 days in 1994. Subsequently and quite justifiably, demagoguery and hate speech has been prohibited. I now look upon “Hate Radio” in the US and realize that hate is dangerously contagious. It has great appeal to the fear, selfishness, and darkness that lurks within each of us. If good people are unwittingly drawn and indulge, anyone can become dangerous. Let us not make the mistake of thinking that the distinctions between Rwanda and the US are so great that such a frenzied outbreak of violent hate could never be fomented in the US. It happened among educated Germans, so why could it not happen in US if we are not vigilant about the truth?

Rush Limbaugh recently made shocking statements about certain persons and events in East Africa (where I reside) that could not be further from the truth. Yes, the statements were mind bogglingly ignorant. But worse yet, they were provocative and dangerous,... and presumably millions of Americans believe them.

Joseph Kony is surely one of the most evil men on earth. Saddam Hussein was a gentleman compared to Joseph Kony, who regularly kidnaps and kills children, compels children to kill children, rapes and mutilates women, as he leads his “Lord's Resistance Army,” a band of psychopathic killers that Kony skillfully fashioned of the children that he kidnapped over the past 20 years. Joseph Kony is the scourge of Uganda, Eastern Congo, and Southern Sudan, where he delivers indiscriminate death and unspeakable savagery. He has long been hunted for his heinous crimes against humanity, but he has eluded capture. Not wanting to make the same regrettable mistake we made in Rwanda, President Obama recently decided to send 100 US military personnel to assist in the capture of this international criminal.

All of this is indisputable and very easy to confirm. Google away. Everybody knows it. But Rush Limbaugh announced to America that Joseph Kony and his Lords Resistance Army "are Christians" who are fighting Muslims, and that President Obama has sent US troops to invade Uganda and kill these Christians. In context, we should also acknowledge that many of Rush's listeners actually believe the nonsense that President Obama is a “closet Muslim" who is secretly working on behalf of Al Qaeda to destroy America from the inside.

Read the following transcript from Rush Limbaugh's own website:

Obama Invades Uganda, Targets Christians
October 14, 2011

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: President Obama has deployed troops to another war, in Africa, ladies and gentlemen. Jacob Tapper, ABC News, is reporting that Obama has sent 100 US troops to Uganda to help combat Lord's Resistance Army. Tapper reporting today: "Two days ago President Obama authorized the deployment to Uganda of approximately 100 combat-equipped U.S. forces to help regional forces 'remove from the battlefield' -- meaning capture or kill -- Lord’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony and senior leaders of the LRA." I wonder how the Wall Street crowd is gonna react when they find out that Obama has sent troops to another war? "Mr. Limbaugh, it's just 100 peacekeepers." Yep, yep, yep, that's how Libya started, and, by the way, there's no end in sight for Libya.

"The forces will deploy beginning with a small group and grow over the next month to 100. They will ultimately go to Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo." A hundred people are gonna go to all those places? "The president made this announcement in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Friday afternoon, saying that 'deploying these U.S. Armed Forces furthers U.S. national security interests and foreign policy and will be a significant contribution toward counter-LRA efforts in central Africa.'" LRA is Lord's Resistance Army. And it doesn't mean God's resistance army. Lord is some Lord, some guy. A "Defense Department official tells ABC’s Luis Martinez at the Pentagon that the U.S. troops will be in Africa 'for a few months in an advisory role.'" One hundred troops in an advisory role.

So nothing to worry about here, folks, only gonna be for a few months. Now, up until today, most Americans have never heard of the combat Lord's Resistance Army. And here we are at war with them. Have you ever heard of Lord's Resistance Army, Dawn? How about you, Brian? Snerdley, have you? You never heard of Lord's Resistance Army? Well, proves my contention, most Americans have never heard of it, and here we are at war with them. Lord's Resistance Army are Christians. It means God. I was only kidding. Lord's Resistance Army are Christians. They are fighting the Muslims in Sudan. And Obama has sent troops, United States troops to remove them from the battlefield, which means kill them. That's what the lingo means, "to help regional forces remove from the battlefield," meaning capture or kill.

So that's a new war, a hundred troops to wipe out Christians in Sudan, Uganda, and -- (interruption) no, I'm not kidding. Jacob Tapper just reported it. Now, are we gonna help the Egyptians wipe out the Christians? Wouldn't you say that we are? I mean the Coptic Christians are being wiped out, but it wasn't just Obama that supported that. The conservative intelligentsia thought it was an outbreak of democracy. Now they've done a 180 on that, but they forgot that they supported it in the first place. Now they're criticizing it.

Lord's Resistance Army objectives. I have them here. "To remove dictatorship and stop the oppression of our people." Now, again Lord's Resistance Army is who Obama sent troops to help nations wipe out. The objectives of the Lord's Resistance Army, what they're trying to accomplish with their military action in these countries is the following: "To remove dictatorship and stop the oppression of our people; to fight for the immediate restoration of the competitive multiparty democracy in Uganda; to see an end to gross violation of human rights and dignity of Ugandans; to ensure the restoration of peace and security in Uganda, to ensure unity, sovereignty, and economic prosperity beneficial to all Ugandans, and to bring to an end the repressive policy of deliberate marginalization of groups of people who may not agree with the LRA ideology." Those are the objectives of the group that we are fighting, or who are being fought and we are joining in the effort to remove them from the battlefield.

The government of Uganda claims that Lord's Resistance Army only has 500 or a thousand soldiers in total. So what's the threat? If that's the maximum size of their army, what's the threat? A thousand soldiers? Now, 1100 soldiers because we have sent a hundred. I'm not making this up. This is Jacob Tapper. ABC News had reported that Obama got a letter off to John Boehner a couple days ago announcing this. It's just for a few months until the Lord's Resistance Army is eradicated. That's all. Just a few months. Not much of a threat.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Here's Mike in Youngsville, North Carolina. Welcome to the EIB Network. Hello.

CALLER: Rush, this is Mike. How you doing?

RUSH: Very well, sir. Thank you.

CALLER: Let me just say thank you so much for your dedication and teaching the principles and the truths of current events today, and I'm a longtime listener, first-time caller.

RUSH: Thank you, sir, very much. I sincerely appreciate it.

CALLER: Yeah, I told Snerdley I want to get to my point quickly --

RUSH: Yeah.

CALLER: -- but just the difference between the Tea Party and the occupation (sic) Wall Street crowd, and that is that, you know, I'm gonna be 60 years old this year in just a few weeks.

RUSH: You don't sound that old.

CALLER: Yeah, I'm gonna be 60 and I've got four children, 32, 30, 29, and 27. I just thank God for this country. I thank God for all the military people that are listening right now serving our country presently and in the past. My parents, both my mum and dad served in World War II. They met on a blind date, my dad passed away in 2003, they would have been married 65 years this year.

RUSH: Whoa. That's something I can't even imagine.

CALLER: Yeah. And, Rush, you know what? I went to a Tea Party rally in Raleigh last year, and the clientele of people that were there were older, you know, I was 59 at the time, and there were a lot of people my age, there were a lot of people right up until that World War II generation that had served. They were polite; they were kind; they were orderly; they were clean. I mean, we left the capitol and you coulda eaten off the ground.

RUSH: Yeah, I know.

CALLER: Yeah. And, you know, Rush, I grew up, I was privileged and my parents sent me to a parochial school. And, you know, this ADD that they talk about, you know, people say ADD, ADD, everybody ADHD, whatever.

RUSH: Yeah.

CALLER: You know what I call that? ADD?

RUSH: Being a kid.

CALLER: Yeah. Absence of discipline disorder.

RUSH: Well.

CALLER: That's what it is.

RUSH: I like it.

CALLER: I had it when I was young. But the nuns beat it out of me in about two weeks, along with all the other kids that were unruly in the class. And we were taught to be obedient. We were taught to respect our elders. Rush, I went to high school when you did. I had to wear a suit coat and tie at a public school and have my hair cropped so it didn't go over the collar and didn't go over the ears, and these kids today, I've seen it for 30 years since I started having children of my own, and my wife and I would take our kids out to public restaurants and public places, and we made our children obey, we made them, they knew --

RUSH: Well, you know, that's the old days. Now parents want to be friends.

CALLER: Yeah, they want to be their friends.

RUSH: Yeah.

CALLER: They want to be their friends and this is the result of it. We have these kids that think they're entitled to everything, you know, and we've seen it for 30 years. To this day, you go into any shopping center or store or restaurant and these young children are so unruly, they're crying, they're screaming, and it just reminds me, I knew there was gonna be a payback, and this is it, this is the payback --

RUSH: You knew there was -- (laughing)

CALLER: This is it. We're seeing it.

RUSH: Well, there is a lot of spoiled bratness --

CALLER: Yes, exactly.

RUSH: -- no question. How do you feel about the news? I want to go back, your extensive military background, how do you react to the news that Obama has dispatched a hundred soldiers to fight radical Christians in Africa?

CALLER: That's amazing. I can't believe he's doing that.

RUSH: You can't?

CALLER: You know, Rush, our parents, my mum and dad both served in World War II. I forget how many million soldiers that we sent overseas, and we lost 450,000 lives in 44 months, you know. And they came back, they didn't complain, they went, they served their country, we kept our freedom, we freed all those people that were in those camps of many nationalities --

RUSH: There's no question that times are different, and child rearing has changed. Not everywhere, though. Anyway, Mike, I'm grateful you're in the audience. I'm glad you called. Thanks very much.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: On sending the soldiers to fight the Christians in Africa, here is how Obama ends his letter to John Boehner justifying sending troops to Uganda: "I have directed this deployment, which is in the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct US foreign relations and as commander-in-chief and chief executive." Would somebody explain to me what you think our "national security interests" are in Uganda. Now, keep in mind, folks, this is the same Barack Obama who said that we had no national security interests in attacking Iraq. After they were shooting at our planes and trying to kill our president and Allah knows what else, Obama said, "We got no national security interests in Iraq! They don't threaten us! What are we doing?" We've got 500 to a thousand soldiers in the Lord's Resistance Army and Uganda trying to wipe them out, and we're sending a hundred soldiers to help them.

Vital national interests are at stake, according to Obama.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: I wonder when the Nobel Committee is gonna call Obama and ask for the Peace Prize back. You think this is what they had in mind when he got the Peace Prize? Remember, he got that prize on the come. He hadn't done anything for peace, and since then, how many wars are we in now, five? And he hasn't gotten us out of any of these wars? I know, isn't gonna happen.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

Is that right? The Lord's Resistance Army is being accused of really bad stuff? Child kidnapping, torture, murder, that kind of stuff? Well, we just found out about this today. We're gonna do, of course, our due diligence research on it. But nevertheless we got a hundred troops being sent over there to fight these guys -- and they claim to be Christians.
END TRANSCRIPT

Hands Off Cain (Genesis 4:15)

2011-10-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

A good humbling can do a heart good, and today was a very good day for my heart.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, invited me to attend the Conference on the Abolition Or Moratorium on Execution of the Death Penalty. It was opened with a speech by President Paul Kagame, and was attended by 200 representatives of African nations, including many high-ranking leaders, who came together to call upon all people of the world to abolish the death penalty, as had most of these represented nations, including Rwanda.

These African leaders spoke with calm voices of impeccable reason, supported by research and data. As I sat and listened, I was indeed humbled yet again by the reminder that it is much more probable that I was sent to Africa to learn, not to teach,… that as much as I want to believe and be inspired by Rick Warren’s opening first line “It’s not about you!” it may, in fact, be “All about me” and the learning and growing that remains quite unfinished. There I was an American, from the most developed nation that seemingly has and knows everything, sitting in the heart of Central Africa, being taught and enlightened by African voices of profound reason and grace.

I encourage us to pause and reflect upon some of my conference notes and random thoughts of my own:

The death penalty was not normally part of traditional African systems of justice, but was generally introduced by colonial powers.

There is presently no capital punishment in 37 African countries, 17 of which have abolished the death penalty, and 20 more of which have moratoriums that constitute “de facto abolition.”

Every European country has abolished the death penalty, as have our neighbors Canada, Mexico, and most of Latin America.

The United States continues to execute its citizens in considerable numbers. Last year we ranked number five in the world, behind China, Iran, North Korea, and Yemen, but ahead of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

I was very privileged to sit with Yvonne Mokgoro, the Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa who delivered the ruling that abolished the death penalty in South Africa. I also sat with Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis, the former Prime Minister of Haiti, which abolished the death penalty immediately upon the fall of “Baby Doc’s” oppressive dictatorship. Both women demonstrated spellbinding wisdom and grace.

I was reminded that in a different context (the Libyan issue) President Kagame broke ranks and declared that “Any government that kills its own people loses its legitimacy,” and it seemed to me that statement is worthy of consideration in the death penalty debate. Once you start allowing for exceptions (in the U.S. we call them “special circumstances”) where do you draw the line, and WHO will draw the line? We can be certain that the lines will not be drawn by the disenfranchised, but rather the privileged. And the most frightening “special circumstance” is the allegation of treason. The threat of the oppressive abuse of the death penalty far outweighs any value it could possibly have.

The greatest wisdom Ronald Reagan taught us was that government is to be distrusted and feared. Government is never so fearsome as when it is holding the implements of death that we have authorized it to use,… “but please, not against me or my loved ones.” So why would I authorize fallible, politically-driven government to decide matters of life and death of one of my fellow citizens?

The research clearly establishes that the death penalty is not a deterrent, one of those inconvenient facts that many choose to ignore or deny, but without any basis.

In every nation, the judicial process is fallible. Judges are fallible. Lawyers are fallible. Juries are fallible. We hope that “justice will be done,” and when we miss the mark, we then expect the error to ultimately be remedied. But execution of the death penalty is irreversible. Our inevitable mistakes cannot be corrected.

Imposition of the death penalty is notoriously inequitable, with the weight of it falling quite disproportionately upon minorities and the poor (with ineffective lawyers).

The death penalty imposes enormous pain upon those who are innocent, e.g., the terrified, heartbroken, grieving mother and father and siblings of the condemned.

In America, the death penalty also constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” of the survivors of the victim who may suffer 20 years of anxious suspense before the legal process concludes and they can finally focus on getting their lives back on track.

Yes, one might understandably exclaim: “But the condemned DESERVES it!” Perhaps he does. But our society does not deserve it,… the refutation of our values and the denigration of human life.

How/what do we teach by our position on the death penalty? What teaching opportunities do we forsake?

Consider the irony of indulging our “bloodlust” and thereby relieving the condemned of his sustained punishment. Who wins and who loses as a result of this exercise? Would we not have the perpetrator reflect upon his heinous act as long as possible?

Imposition of the death penalty certainly does not demonstrate anything at all to the departed defendant (who is no longer giving it any thought), nor to the homicide victim who was not present at the trial or the execution. The only thing it demonstrates to the survivors of the victim and the rest of us is a devaluation, not an affirmation, of human life.

A recent study in California revealed that maintaining the death penalty costs taxpayers $184 million a year more than if the state's condemned killers were kept in prison for life.

Many of us seem to believe that upright, “good citizenship” compels us to support the death penalty. That puts us on the team of good guys, against the bad guys. But it is never good citizenship to ignore inconvenient truth and facts. It is never good citizenship to squander public resources. It is never good citizenship to join the ranks of the oppressors, rather than those who would use sound reason to examine and address civic challenges and social ills. It is never good citizenship to desire death over compassion.

The United States suffers a tremendous loss of political goodwill with each execution, none of which go unnoticed. (Africans at this conference know much more about recent executions in U.S. than do Americans.) Yes, the world watches in disbelief and horror. “The land of the free” is viewed as a land of barbarians. Today in the United States, we still allow for executions by hanging, firing squad, and frying in the electric chair. With each execution America undermines its legitimacy and its voice. We cannot preach the merits of democracy to less democratic nations and continue such highly visible atrocious behavior. Rwanda provides a very good illustration: American interests, including our State Department, attempt to apply pressure upon the Government of Rwanda to advance our version of First Amendment Rights. But our voice lacks credibility when our behavior associates us with Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Zimbabwe, etc.

The death penalty in the United States actually prevents us from bringing perpetrators to justice, as many countries will not extradite suspects to the U.S. to stand trial if they might face the death penalty.

We must imagine the harm we cause to our fellow citizens (prison workers) who are directed to actually carry out the death penalty. No healthy person can kill another person, then go home, crack open a beer, and figure that “It’s all in a days work.” Some of the humanity of the executioner necessarily dies along with the one executed, no less than the desensitized child soldier or the gang member who is required to kill as part of their orientation into the organization.

The representative of one African nation explained that his country still has the death penalty, but their executioner died two years ago. They have advertised the “Job Available,” but no one is willing to accept the position, thus reminding me of the 1960’s bumper sticker: “What If They Gave a War, And Nobody Came?”

Please note that I do not lean heavily on the various arguments of “ fundamental human rights” and a “violation human rights.” I am comfortable with the notion that the serial killer has forfeited and lost his rights. My plea is not so much for him, as it is for us. What will his acts evoke from us? Will his killing, turn us into killers? The crisis presents an opportunity for us to demonstrate repugnant revenge or calm, reasoned, noble values that we would like to demonstrate to our children.

And do not misunderstand: Abolitionists do not advocate impunity, “free passes,” no justice for the victims. They merely advocate alternative forms of punishment which might include life imprisonment without possibility of parole, restitution to the victims and the community, and other forms of punishment that may constitute a very “heavy sentence.”

If Rwanda could find its way to the abolition of the death penalty following the 1994 genocide of 1 million people, then surely any country can. If any country “needed” the death penalty to bring necessary civil order, it was Rwanda. But instead Rwanda abolished the death penalty. With no death penalty to deter serious crime, why are the streets of Rwanda (all the streets, everywhere, day or night) so much safer than the streets in America?

Public opinion is not trustworthy on this issue of the death penalty, just as it was not trustworthy as Pilate and Jesus stood before the angry mob. This is an issue for courageous, informed leadership, not for demagogues or wimpy politicians. We might respect a political leader who recognizes the need to teach and lead. But we should have contempt for present-day Pilates and the politicians who stir a cheering crowd with “I am proud to tell you that I am a strong supporter of the death penalty.”

A Muslim from Morocco explained that sharia (Islamic canonical law) has a tradition whereby the individual victim might choose between death for the perpetrator, compensation, or forgiveness,… and the greatest of these is forgiveness. (Islamic nations are split on capital punishment, just as our Christian nations.)

I paused and reflected when a delegate urged that this matter be reasoned through and decided without religious language or references. Interesting. Sensible,… but not possible. My Muslim colleague and I agree that no person of faith can be asked to consider matters of life and death without referencing the spiritual reality in which we live. We cannot check at the door everything that we know to be true, and then enter the room with anything to contribute to the conversation. HOWEVER, my Muslim colleague and I both believe that our respective faiths and understanding of the revealed truth of God lead us (and can lead others) to a position against capital punishment.

Although my list, below, was hastily compiled and is quite incomplete, Christians might carefully consider the following as we seek to discover the mind and heart of God:

With the execution of that death penalty, we terminate any possibility of confession, repentance, redemption and reconciliation. An execution is a repudiation of our desire and our hope in God’s power to redeem the lost.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,”… and there are no exceptions or “special circumstances.”

As for the previously stated sentiment: “But this murderer DESERVES it!” Yes, he does,… and so do I,… and so do you, in the eyes of the Holy and Righteous Judge. I think it was CS Lewis who observed that “There is no man on Death Row who has committed an act as heinous as I am capable of.” That is the condition of my dark, corrupt heart. And do we remember somebody once saying something about “Anyone who looks upon a woman with lust in his heart has already committed adultery”? His initials are J.C., and I don’t mean Jimmy Carter, although President Carter was indeed self-condemned on this matter. (Matthew 5:28)

But the Lord said “All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Genesis 4:15

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:19

“All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” John 8:7

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. Matthew 5:38

Human life is a miraculous creation of God. It is sacred, “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Christians must demonstrate harmony and consistency in our position on the sanctity human life. One of my sons did considerable research on the death penalty, and in doing so he was moved to reconsider his position on abortion. It appears quite foolish, or at least inconsistent, for one to crusade against abortion and be in support of the death penalty,… or crusade against the death penalty can be in favor of abortion.

When we chant “Death! Death!” we are crying out for “Justice!” In truth, however, what I most want, what I most desperately need, is mercy and grace. If justice were to rain down upon us in its purest, infallible form, that would not be good news for me. And the Bible tells me that I have a choice to receive one or the other, judgement or grace, according to what I demonstrate:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1

*************************

So these African voices (and the voice of Jesus) overwhelmed me today with both reason and with grace. It was powerful, and then I had an appointment with real-life that was even more powerful:

At the conclusion of today’s session one of the speakers encouraged me to introduce myself and meet a rather motley looking crew, mostly from America, in T-shirts branded “Journey of Hope.” I did as suggested.

I met Edward Mpagi, a Ugandan who spent 18 ½ years on Death Row,… until it was discovered that his “murder victim” was very much alive. Unfortunately, his cousin who was also condemned to die for the same murder that never happened did not survive Death Row. Death Row was not kind to Edward, who now requires assistance to walk. Imagine: I was not just reading words such as you are now. We were face-to-face. What do you say to a brother who wasted away on Death Row for a crime that he did not commit, and whose cousin died on Death Row for the same crime that never happened? “Uh,… Sorry.” That was pretty much it, for I was dumbfounded. He was very tender-hearted and soft-spoken, and recognizing my sorrow, he seemed to graciously communicate “Hey, forget about it.” But I don’t think he really wants us to forget about it, for he traveled to this conference so that others might understand.

Edward was assisted by Bill Babbitt of California, who himself uses a cane to walk. (They were quite a beautiful sight of loving brothers caring for one another.) Bill was never a death row inmate, but wishes that he could trade places with his brother, Manny (Manuel Babbitt), who was:

Manny, an African-American, was a U.S. Marine, who fought five major battles in Vietnam, including the siege of Khe Sanh. He took shrapnel through his skull and was believed to be dead. His lifeless body was piled into a helicopter with other corpses. He ultimately received a citation from President Johnson and was decorated with numerous medals.

But Manny brought demons home with him from the battlefield. He suffered serious PTSD and schizophrenia, and spent time in psychiatric hospitals in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He attempted suicide three times.

In 1980, while under the influence of alcohol and PCP, Manny perpetrated a home invasion and killed elderly Leah Schendel. His brother, Bill (who told me the story) turned Manny into the police after being assured that Manny would be sent back to an appropriate psychiatric hospital. But instead Manny was tried for murder and sentenced to death. Bill assured their mother that “Manny will not be executed. It is not possible. They promised me.”

While sitting on death row, Manny was awarded the Purple Heart for his sacrificial and courageous service to the United States and his Band of Brothers,… and then he was executed. He refused his last meal so that the $50 allotted would be given to homeless Vietnam veterans. Bill, who turned in his brother in exchange for “ false promises” and was present at the execution, sighed as he explained to me that “My brother’s blood is on my hands.”

Then I turned to the Randy Gardner, whose brother Ronnie Lee Gardner was executed last year in Utah, by FIRING SQUAD! (My subsequent Google research reveals that Ronnie chose death by firing squad, but why would we allow the condemned to make barbarians of us before a watching world?) Although the daughter of the condemned had spent many, many years preparing for the day, and she believed that she was indeed prepared, it proved to be too much to bear and she attempted suicide.

And then the coup de grace:

Soft-spoken Bill Pelke told me the story of his grandmother, Ruth Pelke, and how her story ultimately became HIS story.

Ruth was a Christ follower, who loved to give Bible lessons to anyone who desired to learn about Jesus. One day four girls, aged 14 to 16, skipped school, drank alcohol and smoked pot, and knocked on Ruth’s door, ostensibly for a Bible lesson, which turned into a robbery and Ruth’s Homecoming. It was pretty brutal. Ruth was stabbed 33 times, and 15-year-old Paula Cooper was sentenced to die in the electric chair. (In telling the story, caucasian Bill Pelke will never mention that the four girls were African-American, but African-American Bill Babbitt added that detail when Bill Pelke was not present, for he wanted me to fully understand depth of Pelke’s current kindness, fairness, and grace.)

Bill Pelke supported the death penalty. It was simply “justice” for the brutal death of his beloved grandmother. He intended to be present at Paula’s execution. “But then I experienced a spiritual transformation. I recognized that my grandmother died because she wanted to share the love of Jesus. I did not have what my grandmother had, but I wanted it, and I called out to God to give me what she had,… the love, the compassion, the ability and strength to forgive, the healing, and God indeed transformed me. I stopped focusing on how my grandmother died, and instead I focused on how she lived. And so I campaigned to have Paula’s sentence commuted. During this time, Paula earned her GED and a college degree. We were ultimately successful, and after 28 years in prison, Paula will be released from prison on July 13, 2013. I will be standing outside the prison gate to receive her with open arms. Revenge is never, NEVER the answer. The killing of another human being could never have healed me.

This conversation took place in a crowded 5 star hotel, the only 5 star hotel in Rwanda. Toward the end, Bill’s voice cracked slightly with the emotion of a tender, broken heart, mended by grace. When it did, I experienced a very unfortunate combination of a tough guy trying to carefully guard and control his emotions, coupled with an unexpected surge of emotion, coupled with swallowing wrong while gasping at the same time,… the perfect storm: I choked and my trachea totally seized and clamped down. I could NOT breathe in AT ALL. I stood up. I crouched down. I made animal noises that I cannot even attempt to describe. I became the center of attention, a shocking spectacle that brought the entire hotel congregation to a standstill. I wondered if I would actually die, or if my trachea would relax once I passed out.

So, I will end as I began: A good humbling can do a heart good, and today was a very good day for my heart. I was indeed humbled and my heart was thereby greatly enriched. I too desire to be like Ruth Pelke. Although I became quite an embarrassing spectacle, God’s love, wisdom, forgiveness, and redemptive grace was a much greater spectacle.

A Double Standard

2011-10-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

I delighted in purchasing Persian carpets to furnish our California home. They are beautiful, functional, and in some curious (specious) way seem to demonstrate that “all is well.” A Persian carpet was to me what a cow is to a Rwandan. I stayed pretty close to the local Persian carpet dealers, knew them by name, and was quite amused by the fact that most of them had been conducting a “Going Out of Business Closeout Sale” for more than 10 years. Their “Going Out Of Business” sign was so faded that a passerby might misunderstand and think that the store had GONE out of business. In fact, business was thriving, and I am quite confident that it still is.

Today on a run (okay, more like a very brisk walk) I was again amused by this phenomenon as my eyes fell upon this permanent sign in Kigali:

Andrea Redmond and Tricia Crisafulli are accomplished authors who are in Kigali writing a new book on Rwanda and its leadership. The working title of the book is “Rwanda Inc." … look for it in fine bookstores everywhere commencing October 2012. Andrea and Tricia are extraordinarily bright, insightful, and articulate,… and have become my new “Life Coaches.” As they “go deep” into Rwanda and the people that lead its phenomenal rise from ashes, they uncover much. They talk to everyone, putting forth broad, open questions, and then they listen very attentively. Nobody and no place is without flaws and struggles, and of course sometimes we hear of the challenges, problems, struggles, and flaws unique to Rwanda. Later, in private discussion, Andrea and Tricia point out that the issue discussed is NOT unique to Rwanda, but is rather quite universal. On point is a very interesting piece by Tim Gallimore which I read today in the newspaper:

Tim Gallimore

5 October 2011

As a U.S. State Department consultant, I was among the first Americans who went to Rwanda in 1997 to assist the country in rebuilding the journalistic corps and establishing a private media system. During that visit I had a chance to discuss with Ambassador Charles Staples what expectations the Untied States had for the development of democracy and conducting elections in Rwanda. He assured me that the State Department would view Rwanda as a special case because of the devastation that the genocide caused in the society. He said that the U.S. would not push Rwanda to conduct elections and do all the other things that we in the West consider to be measures of Democracy.

It is unfortunate that the promise of Ambassador Staples and the goodwill of others, including human rights organizations, have not prevailed with respect to Rwanda's recovery and political development.

Over the years, I have noticed that there is a double standard when it comes to assessments of democracy in Rwanda, justice in Rwanda, freedom of expression in Rwanda and human rights in Rwanda. No other country, not even the United States, is being held to the standards and expectations that are being imposed on Rwanda in many crucial domains.

The fact that we are having this panel discussion, titled and advertised as it was, and laced with the poisonous rhetorical questions that were posed to guide the discussion, is evidence that there is a double standard being applied when it comes to Rwanda and to President Kagame. [WOW! This guy is Nathan confronting King David!]

It is hard to imagine that a similar panel would be assembled to examine the "myth" of President Obama, the Prime Minister of Israel, or any other world leader, or to explore in serious public debate the unsubstantiated charges and allegations of serious crime that have been made against Paul Kagame.

We are not here to debate the wisdom or appropriateness of the U.S. trying to make the world over in its own image. But it is necessary to examine the double standard that is being applied to Rwanda, especially in the area of freedom of expression and particularly when it comes to laws against denying the genocide of the Tutsi that took place in 1994.

Yes, freedom of expression is an important component of a free society and for ensuring the human rights of individuals. But freedom of expression is not absolute. It has its limitations. It always has and it always will in every society.

The history of freedom of expression in the United States contains many chapters about the suppression of dissidents, Aliens legal and otherwise, Communists and Socialists of every stripe, of unpopular religious groups such as the Jehovah Witnesses, and the silencing of other critical voices and vulnerable minorities who questioned the orthodoxy of their day and expressed political views that the majority found intolerable and offensive. These groups and their ideas were characterized as "Threats foreign and domestic" and the government found it necessary to guard against.

The U.S. government has exercised prior restraint (silencing expression) to preserve national security, the lives of war troops, public peace, public decency and morals, as well as fair trials for the accused as important societal values when weighed against the individual's right to free expression and freedom of the press. It is dishonest to pretend that these practices were not a part of the American experiment in freedom and democracy.

It is also hypocritical for human rights organizations in the U.S. and elsewhere to act as if these practices do not still exist in the democratic countries that they point to as paragons of virtue when it comes to freedom of expression and respect for human rights.

American journalists are still obligated to obey court injunctions and gag rules that put a prior restraint on their right to broadcast and publish what they please. Libel and invasion of privacy are recognized civil offenses for which journalists and private parties are still accountable under U.S. law.

It is at their peril that Americans exercise freedom of expression in 2011 if they choose to threaten the life or limb of the U.S. president or anyone in the line of succession to the presidency.

Threatening the President of the United States is a class D felony under United States Code Title 18, Section 871. In fact, the prototype for Section 871 was the British Treason Act of 1351.

(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Perhaps the most well-known and long-prevailing restriction on freedom of expression in the United States is that of "Falsely shouting Fire in a crowded theater and causing a panic." Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. wrote the infamous line in a unanimous Supreme Court decision upholding the conviction of Socialist Party Secretary Charles Schenck because he advocated opposition to the draft during World War I. The Court found that The First Amendment did not protect Schenk's speech encouraging insubordination during times of war because such political advocacy was a "clear and present danger" to the nation.

The clear and present danger test for punishing harmful speech has evolved over time but what has remained constant are the limitations on communicating falsehood and causing public harm. Even today, freedom of expression is prohibited if it will result in "Imminent lawless action." America still finds it necessary to punish speech in order to guard against evils.

Rwanda must also be vigilant against the clear and ever-present danger of genocide as manifested in the ideology and actions of those who have vowed to finish the job they started in 1994. They have expressed it in church houses and schoolrooms across the country. They have expressed it to UN Tribunal staff and publicly on a Rwandan radio station. The history of such expression in Rwanda testifies definitively that there is no greater threat to the nation than the imminent lawless action promised by these would-be perpetrators.

So in response to this documented danger, the government of Rwanda conducted studies, held parliamentary debates and promulgated laws prohibiting genocide ideology; denying, negating, minimizing, justifying or approving of genocide; and prohibiting discrimination and sectarianism. Instead of applauding these measures as prudent actions of a responsible government, Rwanda has been severely criticized and accused of suppressing political dissent, media censorship, and denying human rights.

The double standard is even more obvious when you consider that laws against Holocaust and genocide denial exist in more than 15 countries--including Rwanda. No other country with similar laws is criticized as Rwanda is.

Rwandans are free to say what they want to say. There is no prior restraint exercised by the government. However, genocide deniers, minimizers, trivializers and sympathizers must face the consequences of their expressions and pay the price for their illegal actions.

It took more than 150 years for freedom of expression to mature to the level where it is now in the Untied Stated. Rwanda is being asked to reach the same level of tolerance just 17 years after the devastating genocide. That ladies and gentlemen is an unfair and vicious double standard.

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world. At the end of 2009 there were 743 adults incarcerated per 100,000 people. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) 2,292,133 adults were incarcerated in U.S. federal and state prisons, and in county jails in 2009 -- about 1% of the adult population in the U.S.

The United States has 4% of the world's population and 25% of the world's incarcerated population.[9]

In 2009, the American penal system held about 2.3 million adults. China was second, with 1.5 million people behind bars.

Another 4.9 million adults were either on probation or parole. In total, 7.2 million adults were under correctional supervision (probation, parole, jail, or prison) in 2009 -- about 3.1% of the U.S. resident adult population."[1][2][9]

The United States is 5th among the nations with the death penalty that still executes prisoners. In 2010, the U.S. executed 46 people.

America's record on the use of torture and extraordinary rendition of suspects to countries like Libya is well known.

The systemic discrimination against ethnic minorities is a continuing and pervasive practice in American society as is racial profiling by law enforcement agencies. In fact, the courts stepped in last week in an attempt to halt the execution of an African-American man in Texas because of racial bias in the judicial system and racist comments that were made by an expert witness during the trial proceedings.

Two wrongs never justify any wrongdoer, but the U.S. and members of this panel are hardly in a position to be lecturing anyone about human rights, never mind lecturing Rwanda which has made remarkable progress in dispensing justice and reestablishing the rule of law after the genocide against the Tutsi minority in 1994.

I also question the motives and agenda of detractors, critics and defectors who represented the Government of Rwanda and worked side-by-side with President Paul Kagame for years before denouncing the very same government and president for crimes that, if we believe their accusations, they themselves would have been complicit in committing against the Rwandan people.

The reasonable person of ordinary common sense would require explanation of how it is that these critics and defectors have just suddenly come to see so clearly the wrongdoing of their colleagues and compatriots after being blind to these infractions for such a long time. Why is it that they have waited until they are no longer enjoying the benefits of their position with the Rwandan government to denounce and decry it as criminal and repressive?

Tim Gallimore is an international communication consultant and mass media trainer. From 2004 to 2008 he acted as spokesperson for the prosecutor of the ICTR. Tim has a Ph.D. in mass communications from Indiana University- Bloomington.

The above is a speech the author presented at and Open Society Institute conference on September 19 entitled, "Revising Paul Kagame: Myth and Reality After the Genocide in Rwanda."

A Bridge2Rwanda

2011-09-15T23:15:00.000-07:00

Bridge2Rwanda has morphed and matured over the past four years. Like Rwanda itself, it continues to develop into something it has yet to become. But also like Rwanda, the progress already achieved is quite remarkable in light of where we began:

Bridge2Rwanda 1.0, circa 2007

New meaning of "Piggy Bank"

2011-09-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last week I delivered eggs for the One Egg Preschool Program for my first time. Please see oneegg.org.

We drove far out on a purported road that became something less than a goat trail. I proceeded only because I believed that others before me had driven this route for the weekly egg delivery. They had not. They had always hiked the eggs in. But my Rwandan companions who rode along with me apparently thought: “If Tom is foolish enough to try this, I wanna see it. It should be VERY exciting.” There may have also been an element of that problemsome misconception: “Muzungus [white guys] can do anything.”

Well, I TWICE drove us within a gnat’s eyelash of losing the truck over a cliff. In truth, I didn’t really drive us to the point of such peril; the truck just slid there, out of control. And yes, we ultimately got stuck and stranded for a very long time, one wheel over the edge, all to the great amusement of the villagers, some of whom seemed to be thinking: “We haven’t had this much fun since the pig ate our little brother.” But I don’t want to tell you about the truck. I don’t want to even think about the little brother. I want to tell you about the pig:

Before I had any idea how much trouble I was in, early on this excursion I met a lady who had a pig,… a pig in a pig pen.

As always, I asked many questions:

What do you feed this pig? [A question only a city slicker could ask.)

Anything. Everything.

Will you butcher this pig for your family and friends to eat? [I knew that lack of refrigeration required that the entire pig be consumed within a day or two, and that no single family would enjoy this much meat in an entire year. Thus, I included “friends” in my question.]

No, of course not. I will sell it.

How much did you pay for it as a piglet?

15,000 Rwandan francs. [$25]

How much will you sell it for?

It depends on how big it is.

If you were to sell it right now, much could you get?

30,000 Rwf [$50]

How much could you get for it if it grew to an enormous size?

150,000 to 200,000 Rwf [$250 – $333]

How long will you keep it before you sell it?

It depends.

What does it depend on? When will you sell it?

We will keep and grow the pig until we have a problem that requires us to sell it.

[Then I understood the true meaning of the term “piggy bank”: Wilbur, here, is quite literally a piggy bank, the embodiment of the family’s financial security and safety net. When a family problem requires a major “bank withdrawal,” this little piggy goes to market. “Family problems” are a certainty: School fees now due; low crop yield; injury or illness. The entire financial security of the family eats and sleeps outside in a pigpen.]

And now I know how pigs CAN fly!

Send me

2011-09-05T01:17:00.000-07:00

A large crowd surrounded Him.
I sat up in a tree to get a better view.
He concluded by asking: "Whom shall I send?"
(I had heard Him ask this question on other occasions,
but others spoke up and went forward
as I sat mute and passively observed.)
But this day was different.
Surprising myself, and not knowing from where the words came,
I spoke out boldly (and that made all the difference):
"I will go. Send me!"
As I did so, He smiled. It was clear that was all He really wanted of me:
A simple "yes,"... a surrender to His trustworthy call and leadership.
He will handle all the details and provide the power.

The journey to faith

2011-09-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

The journey to steadfast faith is long,

with many dangerous detours, turnouts,

and opportunities to terminate travel

before reaching the destination

from which eternal joy and peace beckon.

The sojourner must depart from prideful denial,

and proceed from denial to doubt;

from doubt to wondering;

from wondering to hoping;

from hoping to believing; and

from believing to knowing.

And with that knowing

comes ineffable joy and peace...

as well as humble and fond reflection upon the journey.

Imagine

2011-08-27T03:51:00.000-07:00

Imagine: Living life in such a way, so delighting in God and having such an ever-present intimate relationship with him, that with physical death there is little change. Same God. Same Kingdom. Same intimate love. Same passion. Same awe. Just a bit more clarity and a few thorny questions finally answered. I can only try to imagine, but the life of Stanley Reed made it a little easier. Thank you, Stanley.

A negative is not a positive

2011-08-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

The elder brother of the prodigal son (Luke 15)...

and the Pharisee who prayed proudly in the Temple (Luke 18)...

... they were both quite content to boast of what they were not,

which they each communicated by smugly judging and condemning another.

I must not be satisfied by what I am not:

I’m not a murderer.

I’m not an adulterer.

I’m not a drug user.

I’m not an alcoholic.

I’m not even a smoker.

I’m not a viewer of pornography.

I don’t eat veal.

I never vote Democrat.

I’m not a liar…

(… except when I say that I don’t eat veal and I never vote Democrat).

Can one merely be what they are not?

I desire to be defined by what I am,…

NOT what I am not.

And that requires stepping out with affirmative action,

… and doing and not merely hearing. (James 1:22)

Come, let us reason (and work) together.

2011-08-10T02:24:00.000-07:00

Pulitzer Prize winning Nicholas Kristoff is well known to all Americans living in East Africa. As you read his piece republished below, keep in mind that (1) it was published in the New York Times, (2) Mr. Kristoff himself “is not particularly religious” (I have never read or heard any suggestion that he is either Christian or “faith driven”), and (3) his observations are, I submit, undeniably fair and objective, profound, and communicated with grace, compassion, and respect that surpasses that of many evangelicals. Whether you operate in “liberal circles” or among “evangelical Christians,” let us ponder his words carefully and question why there should always be two separate, distinct camps without some cooperation and appreciation for shared values and objectives.

Evangelicals Without Blowhards

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: July 30, 2011, Damon Winter/The New York Times

In these polarized times, few words conjure as much distaste in liberal circles as “evangelical Christian.”

That’s partly because evangelicals came to be associated over the last 25 years with blowhard scolds. When the Rev. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson discussed on television whether the 9/11 attacks were God’s punishment on feminists, gays and secularists, God should have sued them for defamation.

Earlier, Mr. Falwell opined that AIDS was “God’s judgment on promiscuity.” That kind of religious smugness allowed the AIDS virus to spread and constituted a greater immorality than anything that occurred in gay bathhouses.

Partly because of such self-righteousness, the entire evangelical movement often has been pilloried among progressives as reactionary, myopic, anti-intellectual and, if anything, immoral.

Yet that casual dismissal is profoundly unfair of the movement as a whole. It reflects a kind of reverse intolerance, sometimes a reverse bigotry, directed at tens of millions of people who have actually become increasingly engaged in issues of global poverty and justice.

This compassionate strain of evangelicalism was powerfully shaped by the Rev. John Stott, a gentle British scholar who had far more impact on Christianity than media stars like Mr. Robertson or Mr. Falwell. Mr. Stott, who died a few days ago at the age of 90, was named one of the globe’s 100 most influential people by Time, and in stature he was sometimes described as the equivalent of the pope among the world’s evangelicals.

Mr. Stott didn’t preach fire and brimstone on a Christian television network. He was a humble scholar whose 50-odd books counseled Christians to emulate the life of Jesus — especially his concern for the poor and oppressed — and confront social ills like racial oppression and environmental pollution.

“Good Samaritans will always be needed to succor those who are assaulted and robbed; yet it would be even better to rid the Jerusalem-Jericho road of brigands,” Mr. Stott wrote in his book “The Cross of Christ.” “Just so Christian philanthropy in terms of relief and aid is necessary, but long-term development is better, and we cannot evade our political responsibility to share in changing the structures that inhibit development. Christians cannot regard with equanimity the injustices that spoil God’s world and demean his creatures.”

Mr. Stott then gave examples of the injustices that Christians should confront: “the traumas of poverty and unemployment,” “the oppression of women,” and in education “the denial of equal opportunity for all.”

For many evangelicals who winced whenever a televangelist made the headlines, Mr. Stott was an intellectual guru and an inspiration. Richard Cizik, president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, who has worked heroically to combat everything from genocide to climate change, told me: “Against the quackery and anti-intellectualism of our movement, Stott made it possible to say you are ‘evangelical’ and not be apologetic.”

The Rev. Jim Wallis, head of a Christian organization called Sojourners that focuses on social justice, added: “John Stott was the very first important evangelical leader to support our work at Sojourners.”

Mr. Stott, who was a brilliant student at Cambridge, also underscored that faith and intellect needn’t be at odds.

Centuries ago, serious religious study was extraordinarily demanding and rigorous; in contrast, anyone could declare himself a scientist and go in the business of, say, alchemy. These days, it’s the reverse. A Ph.D. in chemistry is a rigorous degree, while a preacher can explain the Bible on television without mastering Hebrew or Greek — or even showing interest in the nuances of the original texts.

Those self-appointed evangelical leaders come across as hypocrites, monetizing Jesus rather than emulating him. Some seem homophobic, and many who claim to be “pro-life” seem little concerned with human life post-uterus. Those are the preachers who won headlines and disdain.

But in reporting on poverty, disease and oppression, I’ve seen so many others. Evangelicals are disproportionately likely to donate 10 percent of their incomes to charities, mostly church-related. More important, go to the front lines, at home or abroad, in the battles against hunger, malaria, prison rape, obstetric fistula, human trafficking or genocide, and some of the bravest people you meet are evangelical Christians (or conservative Catholics, similar in many ways) who truly live their faith.

I’m not particularly religious myself, but I stand in awe of those I’ve seen risking their lives in this way — and it sickens me to see that faith mocked at New York cocktail parties.

Why does all this matter?

Because religious people and secular people alike do fantastic work on humanitarian issues — but they often don’t work together because of mutual suspicions. If we could bridge this “God gulf,” we would make far more progress on the world’s ills.

And that would be, well, a godsend.

********************
To which I say “AMEN!”

(... as I further reflect on the fact that it was the reasoned, loving, tender voice and heart of John Stott that reached a NYT Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and caused him to pause and reflect upon what is right about evangelical Christianity, not the condemning "us vs. them" shrill voice of others.

Africa: Full afternoon; full afternoon moonrise

2011-06-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

What does the Lord require of you?

2011-06-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do something I can do.

Helen Keller

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

Theodore Roosevelt

Tom Phillips, Social Entrepreneur (not Tom Allen)

Edmund Burke described differently this challenge that is so convicting and motivating: "Nobody made a greater mistake than they who did nothing because they thought they could do only a little."

He has told you, O man, what is good;

What does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness

and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6

We are to be and to do what we were created for,… “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jesus does not ask us to bear more than we are able,… just to do and be what we were created to be.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

Jesus

The African Lion

2011-06-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

One of my privileges here in Rwanda is to dialogue with the world’s great “development minds,” some of whom are just passing through and others who join me in calling Rwanda "home."

These experts often use their “development-speak” and reference “the Asian Tigers,” “the Singapore model,” “the South Korean model,” “the Irish model” (or “Celtic Tiger”) and other such shorthand code. I was fascinated to learn from such experts that development scholars are now referencing with great interest the successes of “the Rwandan model.” Even though I could have easily speculated, I have expressly asked others to detail exactly what they mean by the term “the Rwandan model,” and this is a composite answer:

1) Leadership: strong, self-sacrificing, results-oriented leadership, with a clearly articulated vision and accountability.

2) A sense of purpose and responsibility to define, shape, and build Rwanda’s own future. Rwanda is the first (and perhaps still the only) country to be declared “a Purpose-Driven Nation.” Rwanda will gratefully receive desired assistance, but it refuses to delegate its destiny into the hands of others. Purposeful, principled leadership gives due consideration to criticism, but will not kowtow to either the West or to Africa.

3) Peace and security, established and maintained as the essential foundation upon which development and prosperity are constructed; a safe environment that allows the citizenry to work and encourages foreign investors to invest and engage.

4) Zero tolerance of corruption; a business environment built upon sound principles, not a spoils system built upon personal relationships; an environment in which investors, entrepreneurs, and development organizations can “do business” without ever paying a bribe.

5) A culture of unity and inclusiveness, where women hold more than 50% of the seats in Parliament and many cabinet posts; where opposition parties are guaranteed strategic positions in government, including President of the Senate; where divisionism, genocide ideology, and ethnic bigotry are considered criminal.

6) Investment in infrastructure, building first things first: roads, a healthcare system, schools, safe water, an electric grid, telecommunications, and now fiber-optic cable.

7) An unequaled commitment to education, recently expanding to nine-year basic education for all (9YBE) which required the entire nation (most importantly, local communities) to construct 3,000 new classrooms within a few months.

8) An hospitable, favorable business climate, believing that the most certain, efficient way to build the country is to unleash the innate energy of entrepreneurs; a leadership which believes that limited government under a rule of law liberates the private sector to do things that government cannot. (If he were alive, Ronald Reagan would probably reside in Rwanda.) However, Rwanda seeks to attract “slow money” for the long term, not exploiters and extractors.

9) Respect for the environment and natural resources. Merely as a single example, Rwanda has outlawed plastic bags, a very progressive move forward that the entire world should follow.

10) Last but not least, a surprise: Restrictions a guarded view toward NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations / non-profit charities), recognizing that “unintended consequences” often result in those with the very best intentions doing more harm than good. Even before the earthquake, Haiti had long been the NGO / charity capital of the world – 10,000 officially registered – with modest favorable results and many negative results. For example, when well-funded charities enter such an environment they employ the community’s “best and brightest” who would otherwise be building businesses and employing others in their communities, or perhaps serving as a capable leaders in government. Non-profits thereby remove much of the best talent from the marketplace. Moreover, “charity” is often dispensed recklessly, creating dependency and undermining the natural determination to be self-sufficient and provide for one’s own family. Thus, there is “no exit” for the charitable organizations, as they must forever provide for those whom they made dependent. Rwanda, on the other hand, strongly discourages initiatives and strategies that undermine self-sufficiency. President Kagame expressly exhorts: “Do NOT make beggars of Rwandans!”

The Rwandan model remains “under construction,” a “work in progress” that continues to be refined. However, what happens in Rwanda does not stay in Rwanda. The results achieved by the model are so impressive that Harvard, MIT, and various developing countries, including Haiti, have sent representatives to Rwanda to ask: “Show us HOW you did that!”… as if it were magic. Rwandans respond that they simply did and continue to do that which must be done, without depending on others.

What is the greatest threat to the Rwandan model? Perhaps its success,… success which causes expectations to rise faster than is reasonable. Westerners are particularly susceptible to this error, as they now expect Rwanda to act like a 250-year-old democracy, when it is only 17 years post-genocide. Rwanda is moving in the right direction at a spectacular pace. And Rwandans will be the first to acknowledge: “There is still much ground to cover, much progress still to be made.”

Tubby Time

2011-05-29T01:33:00.000-07:00

Who finds whom most fascinating?

2011-05-26T02:44:00.000-07:00

Does Evil Exist?

2011-05-22T01:43:00.000-07:00

Does evil exist?

Ensconced in a luxurious Southern California cocoon, sipping wine from Waterford crystal, my community of family and friends might indulge such a question. In Rwanda such a question would evoke an incredulous silent stare, perhaps followed by a sudden “back to reality” shake of the head, and an “Excuse me,… I must have misunderstood you.” To those who have been besieged by evil, steeped in evil, and who stared directly into the grotesque face of evil, the question seems as absurd as “Does gravity exist?” To be more graphic, the question is a personal offense to the Rwandan who watched his father and all of his siblings hacked to pieces, and his mother gang raped before being literally “skinned alive” and then impaled on a pole. He cannot respond with “What an interesting, fascinating question! Let us explore that and see if our philosophical inquiry might lead to new insights or perhaps even consensus.” But google the question and see the time, thought, and resources devoted to it. (When I googled "Does evil exist" some days ago, there were 80 Google index pages concerning the question.)

During the 19^th century we saw the further development of the Humanism birthed during the Renaissance. I am NOT using “Humanism” in any pejorative, loaded, reactionary way, but simply wanting to note its confidence in humankind’s character, ethics and powers of reason to direct humankind on a progressive path to better life for ourselves and our children. Humanism and such worldview undeniably gained full-steam throughout the 20^th century. Ironically, however (and there must be something to be discovered in this), the 20^th century was the most ruthless, murderous, inhumane century of all history. A most cursory review reminds us of the horrific Armenian genocide (still "denied" by many, including the US Government),… and the Holocaust (6 million marched into ovens),… which pales in numbers to Stalin’s slaughter of 20 million people in the Ukraine,… which pales in comparison to perhaps 50 million who died under Mao. Let us not forget the indiscriminate, efficient killing fields of Pol Pot in Cambodia, or the frenzied, murderous orgy in Rwanda during which nearly 1,000,000 people were slaughtered in 100 days. That's 10,000 people each day, for 100 days, in a tiny country. But we must not think in terms of A genocide, or A mass killing. A real person, made in the image of God, with hopes and dreams and fears, who was loved by some,... was murdered. Somebody’s child. Somebody’s mother or brother or sister or dearest friend was viciously slaughtered,… and then it happened again, and again, and again, and again,… until it happened a million times. Or 20 million times in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, who noted that “One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic.” To appreciate the gravity of Stalin’s “achievement,” you must take that lurid story in today’s newspaper about a murder in your community, and multiply it by 20 million. But as taught by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in The Gulag Archipelago, here is what is most scary: In order for evil men to do such great evil, they must first convince themselves and others that they are doing good. How is that possible?!? Perhaps it begins with the depreciation of evil, even to the point of doubting or denying its existence. And then magnify the error by an imagined, delusional self-righteousness, which serves as the thin mask for the evil itself. And then to multiply supporters and followers, foment fear and bigotry and hate and "it's us vs. them."

Although we might wish otherwise, the evidence is undeniable: Evil most certainly exists, and if it is to be resisted, it must first be acknowledged. Those who may doubt the existence of evil pose a great risk to us all, until they suddenly become "believers" when they or someone they love suffers senseless harm or great injustice. We should each prepare ourselves by carefully considering in advance: "How shall I respond,... will I respond,... in the face of evil?"

Rick's Bar? Or is it Tom's Tavern? No, it is Virunga Lodge, the most wonder-filled place in Rwanda,... actually all of Africa!

2011-05-19T02:00:00.000-07:00

Here's looking at you, kid!
You may place your tips, suggestions or otherwise,
in the box at your left.
All the Whiskey in Heaven

by Charles Bernstein

Not for all the whiskey in heaven

Not for all the flies in Vermont

Not for all the tears in the basement

Not for a million trips to Mars

Not if you paid me in diamonds

Not if you paid me in pearls

Not if you gave me your pinky ring

Not if you gave me your curls

Not for all the fire in hell

Not for all the blue in the sky

Not for an empire of my own

Not even for peace of mind

No, never, I'll never stop loving you

Not till my heart beats its last

And even then in my words and my songs

I will love you all over again.

Paradise Found

2011-05-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven."
John Milton, Paradise Lost

I saw what I saw,... and I am changed

2011-04-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

Re-posted because the "click here" link button (below) finally works, thanks to the magic of Sofi Von Trapp

I Saw What I Saw (click here)

Rwanda Dreamin’

2011-04-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

Somewhere…

waaaaay up high,

there’s a land that I heard of

once in a lullaby…..

And I know I’m not just dreamin’,

‘cause I live here.

(Click here to see where and with whom I live)

A different approach to accounting

2011-03-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

The Widow's Offering (Mark 12: 41)

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.

It is sometimes my privilege (and always a very moving experience) to attend Chapel at Sonrise School, a boarding school established by Bishop John to shelter, nurture, and educate orphans following the 1994 Genocide. I am amazed, moved, and puzzled during the Offertory, as I watch young orphans walk up to the altar, some with Rwanda's equivalent of "two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny", and I wonder where the child acquired even that. After observing this act of worship many times, I discovered that some of the orphans approach the altar with a closed fist, placing it over the mouth of the offertory basket with head bowed, and then open their (empty) hand, rendering to the Lord all that they have,... nothing,... yet I presume the Lord views and receives it as everything. Other children deposit a small scrap of folded paper upon which they have written a praise or a prayer of thanksgiving. Their offerings certainly eclipse my Citibank check thoughtlessly written and stuffed in a numbered offertory envelope while sitting in the church parking lot. Jesus cares about the heart, not the externals.

Gashora Girls Academy: Educate a girl. Inspire a community. Transform a country.

2011-02-27T03:29:00.000-08:00

Those who work in and around “nation building” and “development” quickly differentiate between dreamers and talkers vs. actual “doers”. If “Faith without works is dead,” then even more so, “Vision and good ideas without works are dead,”… all for naught, simply self-indulgence. An actual doer is a standout inspiration to all the rest who may still be talking, and I write to tell you about two "doer" superstars, and what they have achieved:

Three years ago Maggie Ritchie introduced me to Soozi Sinegal McGill and Shal Foster at Bourbon Coffee in Rwanda. What were we all doing? Talking, of course. What were Soozi and Shal talking about? They thought that they should build a high school for girls in Rwanda, one that would be known for excellence in education, resources, and leadership training of young women, for they believed that such opportunity, training, and leadership of young women would transform their lives, their communities and their nation. “Cool idea. How’s your latte?”

Before I go on about Soozi’s and Shal’s vision and great work, let me first confess how shamefully slow I was to appreciate the issue,… issues of gender, particularly the plight of girls born into poverty, and the obvious benefits of facing into and addressing these issues. In Rwanda, more than 50% of Members of Parliament are now women, the only country in the world that can make such a claim. Who cares? Why should it matter? Because women are fiercely focused upon feeding, educating, and otherwise providing for their families. Boys and men, on the other hand, have a tendency to gravitate towards sticks and stones and guns and other things that go “BOOM!” and… well, in the former Rwanda, genocide. So I now see that it is very important to have a large representation of women seated at the table of the body politic, not so much because “it is fair,” but rather because it is best for the community and the nation, for women are more likely to bring certain essential values, insights, and concerns that men are less likely to contribute. (Obviously I am not fully reformed, for I am not propounding unisex sameness.)

When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent for a man.

When a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, she marries four years later and has 2.2 fewer children.

In Africa, children of mothers who receive five years of primary education are 40 per cent more likely to live beyond age five.

The return on investment for girls’ education is, on average, higher than for boys. One extra year of secondary school boosts a girl’s future wages by 15-25%.

The plight of girls born into poverty is very artfully depicted in http://www.girleffect.org/ This simple but informative piece is directed to your mind more than your heart. Please treat yourself and have a look.

Back to Soozi and Shal and talk converted to action: This week (three years after our coffee together) I attended the Dedication Ceremony of Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology. It is not located in the finest neighborhood of Kigali, but rather in a very remote region, almost on the border of Rwanda and Burundi. Gashora Girls Academy (GGA) is a state-of-the-art upper-secondary boarding school which will greatly increase educational opportunities for girls in Rwanda, where 97% of girls go to primary school, but less than 13% attend upper secondary school.

It is far better that I simply commend to you the website of Gashora Girls Academy: http://www.rwandagirlsinitiative.org/ But I do want to offer two observations by which I was so struck at the GGA Dedication Ceremony:

Soozi (blue), Shal (purple), H.E. Mdme. Jeannette Kagame, Head of School Peter Thorpe, a cadre of GGA students and Presidential Guard, approaching the auditorium

So I walked into the new auditorium of GGA, took a seat, and observed chairs set up on the stage for more than 50 VIPs. I knew that the First Lady was anticipated, but "UGH! 50+ VIPs? ...this is going to be painful." Was I ever mistaken! No, I was not mistaken about 50+ (actually 85 VIPs) on stage, I had simply underestimated Soozi’s and Shal’s wisdom, values and discernment in definitions. I was greatly moved by the symbolism of 85 young women, the freshman class of GGA, being seated “onstage” to fully honor THEM and the hope and the bright future that is theirs.

H.E. Mdme. Jeannette Kagame and Soozi Sinegal McGill focused upon the honored students

I was also moved by a speaker who noted the great hope, inspiration, and challenge that Soozi and Shal have provided to these young students, as the speaker stated: “Just look at what two committed, focused, determined women can do!"... and I thought back to first meeting them three years ago at Bourbon Coffee, and further thought: "Damn. Yes, just look at what two committed, focused, determined women can do!" Soozi and Shal are a great inspiration to all of us, and I feel privileged to count them as friends.

GGA new students celebrate by traditional dance, in traditional dress,
.... their very nontraditional future

Rice Farmer Meets Rice Farmers

2011-02-23T00:45:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I had the privilege of accompanying Stanley Reed on a tour of rice farming in Rwanda. (For those who do not know, Stanley is a large-scale cotton and rice farmer in Arkansas, and the former President of the Farm Bureau, and the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of University of Arkansas, and most importantly by far, the very proud father of our Anna Reed.) The tour was led by François NSENGIYUMVA of the Ministry of Trade & Industry.

Rwanda is committed to working its own way out of poverty by use of innovation, best practices, hard work, and cooperation,… literally. We visited a marshland region where people began to grow rice on very small plots in 1966 to serve the then existing small Chinese population in Rwanda. In 2003, the community of small rice growers began to draw together and in 2006 they became a legally recognized “cooperative” that now encompasses 700 hectares (that is, 1,730 acres) of race paddies. They call their cooperative "ABAHUZABIKORWA" which means "We come together in what we do." There are 2,750 member farmers in ABAHUZABIKORWA, who harvest two rice crops per year, the “big season” and the “short season”. During the short season, water resources are less abundant so some of the land is planted in tomatoes, beans, or other crops that do not require flood irrigation as required by rice.

The cooperative has a local President, Vice President, Secretary, and Board of six advisors, thereby constituting its nine-member Board. It also has a three-member “Internal Audit Committee”. The 1,730 acres and 2,750 member-farmers are divided into 13 Zones, each with its own elected leader.

As a student of our fallen human nature, I asked what motivates the 2,750 member farmers to work so hard on a cooperative farm. I was not surprised to learn that each member farmer works his/her own designated plot, and reaps both the rice and the benefits produced thereon. I wish that human nature were otherwise, but it is not (certainly not mine). I am told that other countries (e.g. Cambodia) attempted rice cooperatives that were truly a communal effort, with very disappointing results and meager productivity.

The cooperative model greatly benefits the small subsistence farmers of Rwanda, and is encouraged, promoted, and facilitated under the great leadership of Agnes Kalibata, the Minister of Agriculture. So what is in it for the participating small farmer? Plenty:

1. Education and training in “best practices”.

2. Easy access to superior inputs: best seeds and fertilizers.

3. Economies of scale for the purchase of such imputs.

4. Easy access to credit and development of a sound relationship with a financial institution.

5. Participation in otherwise unaffordable infrastructure: development and management of water resources, electricity, etc.

6. Collective bargaining/marketing of the harvest.

7. Participation in the appreciation of infrastructure and other capital assets of the cooperative. A member can sell his/her share in the cooperative, like selling a country club membership.

Not long ago the farmers reaped five (5) metric tons per hectare (per season, two seasons per year). Now, due to best practices and other benefits made available through the cooperative, farmers are reaping seven (7) metric tons per hectare. They are confident that they can increase production to eight or even nine metric tons per hectare.

In addition to having their particular plot of rice which they work upon within the structure of the cooperative, most members also have hillside land on which they grow household food, or keep cows, or operate a micro-enterprise to further supplement their family’s income.

During our drive home, Stanley stops to inspect a Rwandan coffee crop

California Dreamin’

2011-01-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

Writing about Rwanda, I have used some pretty strong adjectives, ALL TRUE. Rwanda is stunningly beautiful,... simply majestic. But in all fairness, I must give credit wherever credit is due.

During this recent visit to Southern California, I was reminded that So.Cal. may be the second most beautiful place in the world, and for those not able to reside in Africa, it may be the very best place to live. I arrived in early December to be greeted by 80°+ weather, and I now depart and leave behind 80°+ and crystal-clear weather. (There was some more interesting weather in between.) I spent decades bemoaning the bad air quality in Los Angeles, but I now realize that great gains have been achieved through proactive initiatives.

Driving along Palos Verdes Drive has been simply dreamy, indeed, surreal. The Santa Monica Mountains and the “HOLLYWOOD” sign appear as a fake, photoshopped postcard. Catalina Island seems so close that I have been tempted to swim to it. The ocean has been deserving of its name, The Pacific. Hiking with Gerald from the Peeke’s front door, up the Portuguese Bend Trail, to the top of Palos Verdes Peninsula, brought working out to a new level of joy,… but there is nothing quite like the daily workout at Gold’s Gym with David Starr and Tom Storer and friends,… unless it was a spectacular clifftop ocean run with Steve Watts. Everything just seems to sparkle brilliantly, with new clarity as if I were just provided with my first pair of “readers” long after I needed them. So, to my So.Cal. family and friends, I urge you to celebrate the blessings and the great privilege of where and how you live. This is “as good as it gets."

And sunlight setting ablaze the water fountain at Malaga Cove Library. And the sunsets…

At the same time, I find myself growing more and more aware of the curious distinctions between Third World Problems and First World Problems. It is tempting to trivialize and criticize, but that would be wrong. At the very deepest level, problems are problems, struggles are struggles. It is not really about too much or too little ice in my Diet Coke, or my Starbucks Latte being somehow “off”, or about the Waxing Salon raising prices to $100 (four months earnings in Rwanda, and NO, I do not "wax"). It is about something much more basic, so basic that I dare not be so presumptuous as to even attempt to tackle it. It is so basic that it exists in the United States and Rwanda and Outer Mongolia alike. But going “cross-cultural” hopefully gives one clearer vision of their own native culture and reveals things that simply make no sense. I do not offer up any condemnation or even criticism as I urge you to watch a few episodes of The Kardashians and/or TMZ, and as you do so be aware that these are enormously popular programs which would surely baffle most people of the world (because they are all about First World problems). I am also now fascinated (perhaps baffled) by our culture’s affection for weapons and violence. We raise our young on rubber band guns, squirt guns, laser tag, and then paintball guns. Our idea of a great family outing is to go do laser tag or paintball and kill each other. We obsess for hours on violent video games, and we are delighted by films which depict violence so graphically that others in the world would categorize it as “obscene.” And then Tucson happens, and everyone including our President is flummoxed, pretending that there is “simply no explanation.” The courage that we demonstrate on the paintball field quickly dissipates when it become time to face and dialogue on a serious problem. In Rwanda, a fistfight, even a shoving match is unthinkable, a punishable crime. If a 10-year-old boy were to point a stick at a classmate, even his best friend, and exclaim “BANG!”, he would be decisively disciplined. Any thought of perpetrating physical violence upon another is considered an obscene threat to all, and is therefore extremely rare. Perhaps Rwanda has something instructive to offer US.

Most certainly, US has much to offer Rwanda and the Developing World. But in order for US to offer our very best, we must first rekindle and reclaim that which made US so great: good governance with vision and a sense of destiny; a belief that reasoned ideas, principles, words, and programs matter; a deep sense of community that is balanced with an appreciation of the individual.

“… that is what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. Imagine: Here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she too might play a part in shaping her nation's future. She had been elected to her student council; she saw public service as something exciting, something hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted. I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us - we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children's expectations.”

Desiring God

2010-12-14T02:13:00.000-08:00

C.S. Lewis
(very slightly edited to iron unnecessary wrinkles to the contemporary eye)

If you asked twenty good people today
what they thought to be the highest of
the virtues, nineteen of them would
reply "Unselfishness." But if you asked
almost any of the great Christians of old the
reply would have been "Love." Do you see what
has happened? A negative term has been
substituted for a positive, and this is of
more than philological importance. The
negative ideal of "Unselfishness" carries with
it the suggestion not primarily of securing
good things for others, but of going
without them ourselves, as if our
abstinence and not their happiness was the
important point. I do not think this is the
Christian virtue of "Love." The New
Testament has much to say about self-denial,
but not about self-denial as an end in itself.
We are told to deny ourselves and to take
up our crosses in order that we may follow
Christ; and nearly every description of
what we shall ultimately find if we do so
contains an appeal to desire. If there lurks
in most modern minds the notion that to
desire our own good and to earnestly hope
for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I
submit that this notion has crept in from
Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the
Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the
unblushing and staggering promises of
the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would
seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong,
but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures,
fooling around with drink and drugs and sex and
sports and ambition when infinite joy is offered
to us. We are like an ignorant child who wants to
go on making mud pies in a slum because he
cannot imagine what is meant by the offer
of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily
pleased.

From Competency to Calling

2010-12-11T02:39:00.000-08:00

I must clearly state at the outset: I did NOT write this. Although written by Charles Lee, I claim it; I believe it; I know it; I “preach” it; and (only by God’s grace), I have now traveled a few miles toward living it, and I live to travel those which are still before me. The coup de grace for me was the realization that the risks, the stakes, were much greater by remaining in the routine that seemed to have been assigned to me,… in playing it safe,… in sleep walking through life,… and at the end of a somnambulistic stroll, to ultimately speak those horrific words: “Oh, if only I had it to do all over again, I would…”. THAT would be a discovery and acknowledgement of “calling” tragically too late. Of all the deathbed “famous last words," no one has ever been heard to say: “If only I had spent a few more days at the office.”

And now, Charles Lee:

Competency is the quality or state of being legally qualified or adequate. It means that you are sufficient in carrying out a given responsibility or task.

Calling is a reference to one’s vocation (from the Latin word “vocare” which means “to call”). In this context, it carries a deep sense of passionate pursuit of what one was designed to be.

There is a world of difference between competency and calling. One could be competent at a task and not carry a calling. Many people around the world work professionally in areas that they are competent in and yet don’t feel they are living out their calling. This is bound to lead to frustration and despair in the long run.

The human spirit was designed to pursue life to the fullest. A part of this is most realized when one finds his/her sense of calling in life. What was I created for? What gives me the greatest sense of being alive?

The jump to go from competency to calling is not an easy one. It often requires risk, trust, and sacrifice.

My advice: Go for it anyway.

I say this because not pursuing or exploring our “call” is much more riskier in the long run. Life has never been about safety and calculated steps. It is an ever-evolving journey of exploration and adventure. It doesn’t matter if you’re personality says otherwise. There’s something in you that you must pursue in order to be more YOU.

If you don’t live like this, consider taking some baby steps:

Answer this question: If my current financial restraints were not an issue, what would I like to do?

Talk to someone who is living out the kind of life you desire.

Write your thoughts down on paper. Revisit it regularly to refine what it is you would like to see.

Educate yourself but more importantly, create time to venture into your calling. Time is available. We make time for things we ultimately value.

Tell someone about your passion (i.e., after you’ve spent some time developing the initial concepts). Start writing about it publicly and engage conversation with those who may be interested.

Create a timeline to “get there”.

Find a community of friends who will hold you accountable and are committed to helping you get there. It may take months if not years, but won’t it be worth it in the end?

Relax. Wisdom will come as you move forward. Don’t expect all the answers before you start.

Is there safety, predictability, and control in competency? Most definitely (for now). Nevertheless, they will never get you to your calling. You can be competent in your calling, but competency alone doesn’t necessarily mean you have calling.

***************************************

And now if I can add a few irresistible postscript bullet points:

I presume that your true calling has much to do with serving others and thereby building meaningful relationships,... and little to do with world travel, warm sandy beaches, fine wine, championship golf courses, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, or finally running a (or another) marathon. (LIFE is a glorious mountain climb and a marathon. Why settle for the metaphor?)

Discovering your true calling is an inescapably spiritual journey. If you believe that you are an accidental, chance amalgamation of cells evolved from primordial pond scum, and that life has no purpose or meaning, then do not waste your time on this. But the longing within you tells you otherwise.

I once sought the counsel of Joe Handley, to whom I am indebted much more than he would ever imagine. I made some timid reference to the remote possibility of some sort of a “calling.” In his own inimitable way, Joe tenderly, but profoundly observed: “Tom, let me make this much easier for you. We are ALL called. The question is NOT ‘Am I called?’ but rather ‘To what am I called?’” And... "By whom and to whom am I called?"

Please dwell upon what must be obvious: You have been uniquely and wonderfully made, and thus your calling and your “sweet spot” are unique to you. Although others may encourage and cheer you on, “the answers” are found within you and cannot be provided by the kid sitting at the desk next to you. Remember Jack Palance's "one" finger in City Slickers?

What is at stake? Passion. Peace. Rest, even though you are likely to be busier than ever, swept forward by surprising new-found energy. The joy that is found in doing what you were uniquely created to do,… sometimes referred to as your “sweet spot.” And in time, an inexplicable sense that “If I die today, I am ready, for I have lived life as I was created to live.”

No one is suggesting that this is the easy road. It is presumed that we are not really looking for "easy," but rather significance.

“Talk to someone who is living out the kind of life you desire.” Go to Halftime Institute. Halftime.org. Although I am an unqualfied novice, I would be delighted to offer encouragement and personal experiences, AND direct you to some people who can better guide and cheer you on “from competency to calling,… from success to significance.” My regular "go to guys" have been Dale Dawson and Tom Wilson, but they would humbly insist that they merely assist in the discovery of that which you and I already know. They might also say that they are more like your die-hard fan than an authoritative coach.

Carpe diem.

Crumbs or Justice?

2010-12-08T01:34:00.000-08:00

"Charity provides crumbs from the table;

justice offers a place at the table."

Bill Moyers

Ouch. Something about this resonates too deeply,… but what is it? Surely it is not that charity is wrong and to be discouraged. Scripture lauds charity as a great virtue. God is a God of Charity, (…and he is also a God of Justice).

The point might be that we give meager amounts and usually only from our great excess. Can justice be found in our crumbs? Is there such a thing as "a little justice?" Or "somewhat just?" Or somewhat unjust? Or is a little injustice still categorically unjust?

Whatever else it may mean, this observation touches upon the reason and attitude by which we give. Do I give for the personal rush of feeling good (or better) about myself? Do I give as if a demonstration of my imagined superiority, and power, and domination,… feeding pigeons bread crumbs in the park,… and enjoying the swell of self-aggrandizement? Do I give in a manner likely to make the recipient feel inferior, dependent, indebted, and extremely grateful to ME?

Or do I give to others as co-equals, as intended joint heirs in the sight of our common Creator, knowing that I give from that which was given to me, and that it is simply the right thing to do? (No recognition or gratitude is required or expected, not for merely doing the right thing.)

Every virtue, including truth, love and charity, is corruptible. What matters most is the condition of the heart from which it springs.

Imagine the richness of experience, indeed the Justice, of offering a place at the table to the marginalized, with honor and dignity for all,… a gathering of people who we might view as so different and diverse, but who are in fact so similar in everything that really matters. Who might learn what from whom? How might each be blessed? What might each discover within him/herself? What about God might become manifest?

It is predictable and fair to voice the challenge: “O.K.,… nice thought, but just what does that look like in actual practice in the work-a-day reality of both the materially rich and the marginalized?” I cannot say, for there is no clear, simple rule,... just a condition of the heart, as will be manifested in attitudes, as will be manifested in actions (or inaction).

If we only knew...

2010-12-02T03:51:00.000-08:00

If you knew me,

and if you really knew yourself,

you would not have killed me.

(from the wall of the Kigali Genocide Memorial)

The Joy of Creative Conflict Resolution

2010-11-29T02:23:00.000-08:00

Last week I had a boundary dispute with my neighbor at “The Property.” Initially, all sorts of negative emotions surged within me. But we faced into that which was inescapable. And we talked. And I was (prayerfully) determined to be calm, patient, empathetic and creative in seeking a solution, rejecting old strategies of winners and losers and zero sum games. Ultimately, we got it all worked out and we laughed and hugged,… and I now have a fiercely faithful, committed neighbor for life. No, I did not “cave.” We really did navigate our way to a win-win. It just took a little care, patience, and creativity. I cannot describe the thrill and joy of our achievement. (And I shutter to think of the alternatives that might have been, and the opportunity that might have been so easily squandered.)

I was reminded of this wonderful experience today when I read of the monk who asked the High Priest whether he could smoke while he prayed. The Priest was disgusted and exclaimed “Absolutely not!”

So a few days later the cleaver monk returned to the Priest and inquired whether it was okay for him to pray when he smoked. Now that’s creative problem solving and dispute resolution!

Forrest Gump

2010-11-26T04:19:00.000-08:00

After navigating through the formal application process and appearing before "The Committee," yesterday I appeared before the Supreme Court of Rwanda and held the hem of the flag of the Republic of Rwanda in my left hand, and raised my right hand high, and solemnly swore:

"Jyewe, Tom ALLEN, ndahiriye Igihugu kubahiriza Itegeko Nshinga, kuzakurikiza amategeko, kuzarenganura no kuzagira inama abansanga mu cyubahiro, umutimanama, mu bwenge n'ubumuntu, kutazaca ukubiri n'icyubahiro gikwiye inkiko n'inzego za Leta no kutagira inama cyangwa kutaburana urubanza ntemera ko ruri mu kuri nkurikije umutimanama wanjye." (That's easy for YOU to say!)

I am now a member of the Rwandan Bar, duly sworn and authorized to practice law in Rwanda. May Truth and Justice prevail.

Sinigize imfubyi

2010-11-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

Sinigize imfubyi = I didn't make myself an orphan

Very Rough "Concept Notes." I need your help!

2010-11-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

My tall, thin, good lookin' sister asked me what I intend to do with the property I recently purchased on Lake Burera. And my chief advisor, Russell Rainey, urged me to develop and refine my vision in a "concept paper." So here is what I have down so far. I sincerely welcome your contribution of additional ideas:

General Principles:

Do good community development,… and do no harm.

Serve as a demonstration of best practices and affordable modern technologies: Harvest rain water from roof; “safe water” technologies; proper sanitation; bio-gas technology(?); energy efficient, reduced-smoke cooking; ……. much more is surely to be added here.

Train to increase local human capacity and skills.

Create jobs, paying only appropriate “market wages” to avoid disturbance of the local labor market and the corruption of future (unsustainable) expectations of other local employers.

Always treat project workers with fairness, respect, and dignity, and assure that all project supervisors and vendors do the same.

Create an idyllic garden homestead that is as fitting as possible in the local community, and yet an inviting venue for local and international guests.

Grading and excavation:

Maximize the size of “flats” by grading two or three “wedding cake” levels.

The top level is to be the largest and serve as the home site.

The additional levels are to be as wide as possible, to maximize utility (not many narrow stairstep terraces).

There may be additional small graded patios or utility “islands,” separate from the two or three main levels. Examples: Patio near entrance to property that looks back down to Lake Ruhondo; cow and other livestock pens; water storage tank; outdoor latrine; etc. Consider prevailing winds, odors, drainage, view optimization, and environmental issues.

Maximize the “infinity pool” feel of looking over “the edge” onto Lake Burera. Take care that improvements and landscaping do not reduce the effect. How can it be maximized?

The steps from the homesite and large stone veranda should drop down a meter to the first flat of wildflowers and vegetation.

No soil should be lost or cause damage to a neighbor’s land,… only moved from high to low.

Underground root cellar, preferably entered from inside the home so that it may also be used for “secure storage” of miscellaneous items. This is a significant excavation issue.

Carefully pre-plan waste water disposal and storm drainage.

Stone (lava rock?) retaining walls are to shore up the graded levels and “built to last” for 20+ years. Fitted stonework? With cement! Allow for water to pass through! Allow for ornamental plantings within and upon the wall.

Plant TREES strategically as soon as grading and excavation is complete. Plant properly, first digging out ample hole and adding good soil and fertilizer. Plant trees for multiple hammocks.

Establish accurate, unmistakable corners and borders by attractive hardscape and permanent landscaping.

The Home

Fit in the community. Avoid ostentatiousness (as much as possible).

Garden of Eden ambiance. Large flagstone veranda. Many flowers and productive fruit trees and much greenery PROPERLY PLACED to avoid view obstruction.

Although only a single "banda," the site might be built to conform to the beauty and high standards Virunga Lodge for multiple reasons, including: Virunga Lodge is a community of great friends and I want to be a "perfect neighbor" and in no way be a blight on Praveen's spectacular creation; Virunga Lodge has created something very special from which I have much to learn; I visualize the possibility that Virunga Lodge may occasionally make use of my home IF it meets their high standards.

Great room

2 bedrooms

1 inside porcelain flush toilet

1 outside shower, open to air and sunshine, accessible only from inside

Detached kitchen and pantry, but with covered breezeway connecting to home

Detached latrine built to Virunga Lodge's former eco-toilet standards (before recent upgrading).

Great Room (which should not exceed 4 x 5 meters) with fireplace on back wall that also passes through to the master bedroom. The Great Room opens onto the large veranda. Open beams of nice, stripped natural logs?

At least two of the walls of the Great Room will have "corner to corner" dual purpose, built-in seating/sofa beds. Presumably masonry, but perhaps built-in wood with closed storage cabinets underneath. A bit less than the width of a single bed. Well cushioned, both seats and backs. Sofa during the day, but suitable for overflow sleeping at night.

Built in Bookcases on each side of the fireplace (OR should the bookcases be in master bedroom for greater security and to avoid an ostentatious display of possessions?)

Wood plank floor in at least the Great Room, and possibly bedrooms too. (Per Praveen.)

Underground root cellar, preferably entered from inside the home so that it may also be used for “secure storage” of miscellaneous items.

The house must be very secure, as it will undoubtedly be a very tempting target to a few. Of course, it will have a caretaker/guard, but there are many reasons why “high security” must be built into the walls, windows, doors, etc.

The site will be commonly used to teach children in the community AND host international guests for a life-changing experience. Thus, permanent masonry seating is to be designed into the development, including the horseshoe border of the large masonry veranda.

The middle of the veranda will have a round fire pit with a sittable/plateable border, surrounded by a concentric masonry bench, with a small break for passage.

Should the exterior walls of the home be built in lava rock from ground up,… from foundation to roof? What were Praveen's considerations in doing a few common buildings that way, but not the bandas?

Sheet metal roof is to be same as “Tom Phillips Guesthouse”: (1) faux tile, (2) color: terra cotta; (3) rooflines aesthetically pleasing; (4) extend over at least half of the veranda; (5) MAXIMIZE RAIN HARVEST; where possible, drain/flow to a well-placed, concealed (behind home) storage tank.

O.K., in truth, I would MUCH prefer the look of a red clay tile roof. But such tiles seem to grow some interesting elements, and I do not know what elements may actually be in the red clay. I want to harvest the best, safest water possible (for consumption). Anybody know anything about the pros and cons of painted sheet metal vs. rough red clay for harvesting safe water?

Design and build entire home to withstand high winds, especially the roof.

Should there be significant roof overhang/eaves (½ meter?) to maximize water harvest and reduce water hitting exterior walls? OR would that create too much of a “sail” for the high winds to catch and damage the roof? … Would the weight of full rain gutters at the edge of the overhang be too great? … Is it important to maximize sunshine on the exterior walls?

For both aesthetics and acoustics, the interior of the ceilings will be “carpeted “ with locally woven natural mats (as at Virunga Lodge or Republika).

As is common in the "better homes" in the region, detached kitchen with adjoining pantry/stores, but the two facilities should be separate rooms that can be locked separately.

Pipes and electrical conduit must laid out BEFORE pouring concrete. No post-pour break-outs.

Build for mosquito barriers and abatement. Screened vents. Avoid / eliminate breeding places. (Love ya, Wesley!)

Smooth, faux “Venetian plaster” inside the home?

Provide outside concrete (or porcelain or stainless) sink and tap for washing dishes and clothes,…. Not in view of veranda.

Hidden luxury. A modern porcelain, water efficient flush toilet (but also a thoughtfully placed outdoor latrine).

Hidden luxury: Outdoor shower, preferably warm water.

Masonry outdoor BBQ area, probably different than the aforementioned veranda fire pit. Suitable for frequent "goat roasts." Consider view vantage point, smoke drift, convenience to veranda and social and eating areas.

Large windows on lakeside and wherever else they are purposeful and fitting. Open to inside. Security iron on outside.

Invite Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) to advise and participate as much as they wish to be involved.

Surprise, surprise!

2010-11-17T01:16:00.000-08:00

Some have commented on this photo, observing that I look so happy. Well, I AM happy, but something more is going on in this photo. I am a bit shocked:

I saw what was essentially “a baby carrying a baby" on her back, a common, but always an arresting sight. I swept them both up in my arms, and supported them with my right hand,... only to discover that the baby's baby (sister) had no dress, pants, or underwear,... just a bare bottom. I was a bit taken by surprise, and Betsy Walker captured it, as all the villagers giggled. "Oops, pardon me."(This may make a little more sense if we recognize that Rwandans, even at the very “bottom of the pyramid," are very modest and proper people.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, "B. Sharpe"

2010-11-14T09:29:00.000-08:00

Although I was supposed to attend the 6-hour enthronement ceremony of the new Bishop of Shyira, I received a higher calling to serve as Blayne Sharpe's (or B. Sharpe's) wingman on his BIRTHDAY, as he was under orders to celebrate however his heart desired. And, of course, it was obligatory that I serve B. Sharpe on his day and facilitate his B-day fantasies. So what did he choose to do? It was a bit surreal:

First, Blayne wanted to do an impromptu

TOMS Shoes drop.

B. Sharpe is down on his knees placing shoes on Cinderella.

Little Bernard got a pair. He is no longer shod
with his big brother's old stinky rubber boots.
He dcided to instead wear them as mittens.

Then it came time to party hearty with his buddies.
Hats, noise makers, and song created much excitement for the kids,
(who do not know what it is to celebrate a birthday).

Then a cold beer at Virunga Lodge with his inner circle to review the day,
... the year past, and the year ahead.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, B. SHARPE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-11T00:23:00.000-08:00

Just like any other kids,

but without an Xbox

(and with a high risk of physical and mental stunting

due to parasites and malaria)

It's a universal: A Grandma's Love and Pride

2010-11-08T02:00:00.000-08:00

Close Encounters of a Cool (and Stupid) Kind

2010-11-05T02:55:00.000-07:00

Getting close to Tommy's uncle.

Getting closer.

Getting yet closer.

Getting stupid,... or stupider.
(Actually being foolishly inattentive. What gorilla?)

This almost ended quite badly.

A room with a view

2010-11-02T01:46:00.000-07:00

Where's the toilet? There is the toilet, that is, the latrine. I should caution you: You do not want one of those branch logs to give way.

A hard life? Don't be too quick. Here is the view from my Powder Room:

With a view like this, one might stay

in "the bathroom” all day

... and write poetry.

Moving Notice

2010-10-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

If not Heaven, it is 3/4 of the way there.

Yesterday I purchased a hilltop homestead with a spectacular view, and "greener grass". But no mailing address. Lots of rural families, but absolutely no commercial activity for miles. No electricity, no fine china, and no running water,... "no phone, no pool, no pets",... except for cows, sheep, goats, and chickens, and maybe some rabbits,... and more wonderful, beaming children than you can count to eagerly help care for the homestead. I have (or can acquire) additional land on which you can build your dream and be my neighbor. No high rise condos. No tennis courts. No golf courses. But close proximity to Heaven.

The sellers and community leaders confirming
the various boundaries of the five separate plots
that constitute the enlarged homestead

The community leaders, the sellers,
and their new neighbor

According to tradition, the buyer serves
banana beer to the men
and milk to the woman
who sold their land or served as attesting witnesses.
I served soda which is a much more usual treat here

Meet "John of Peace" and “Thank God," 

my “architect” and “contractor” from the village

Does this seem totally WACKY? It is,... and it isn't. It is quite liberating and exhilarating to discover, recognize, and acknowledge our many choices, and this seems like a really obvious, irresistible choice to me. It is also another exciting and challenging opportunity to do “community development."

If you want to find me, follow your dream. I, on the veranda of this hilltop home, may not be at the geographical end of your journey, but you will surely delight in your travels and discoveries, and I will delight in hearing about them.

A different perspective...

2010-10-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

... but not all perspectives are created equal.

In a very remote region,... on an island reached by canoe (Population: 18),... in a small mud hut of a very poor family,... I observed this superannuated calendar. I was fascinated and reflective,... but I have little to say except that it is cause for some reflection. Many argue that poverty is the root cause of terrorism. I do not know that it is "the root," but I am persuaded that people who live and work in a growing economy characterized by opportunity and hope are not likely to be drawn into terrorism. Such people are generally happy to be fully occupied with building a better life for themseves and their families.

BTW: In fairness to Rwanda and its people, this wall decoration does NOT reflect a common perspective in Rwanda. This was the first and only time I encountered any such expression.

Walking back to the canoe, still reflecting.

The island from a distance.
The mud hut on the left of the ridge top.
An abandoned church, complete with rainbow, on the right of the ridge top.

2010-10-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

Trading Places:

A Cross Cultural Experience

Blayne "B. Sharpe" and friend in political dialogue

Purpose Driven City Slickers

2010-10-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

Last night I slept on the ground overlooking the Mohana Plains, at the foot of the….

It was an experience that trumped "City Slickers", as I did this with four extraordinary and very purpose-driven guys from the US, each with their novel life stories, each with their own great achievements, joys, burdens, fears, and hopes,… each determined to seek and serve Him, and each always searching for clarity as to what that actually means in this ocean of need called Planet Earth. Randy, Mark, Forrest and Tom (another “Tom”) are all leaders among those determined to give generously, but equally determined that their generous giving will have its maximum transformational impact,... and in fact are NOT "city slickers" at all.

Rather than writing “I slept on the ground overlooking the Mohana Plains,” it is much more accurate to explain how I awoke on the ground overlooking the Mohana Plains. It was indeed an awakening experience: Nature called approximately Midnight, as is so developmentally “age-appropriate” for me. What I discovered, I was compelled to embrace rather than squander by sleep. So I remained up, doing an Indian tiptoe through the dark, sitting on a rock, and lying on my back and witnessing a shootout among the stars.

Although there was occasional dead silence, my ears were generally filled with a symphony of sounds such as I had never before heard, all in surround sound, causing my head to turn rapidly to and fro,… sitting in a forest Where the Wild Things Are.

Some of the strange sounds I heard seemed to convey messages of life and death, including the flame of the kerosene lantern which was flickering in its death throes. I watched. Listened. Pondered. Reflected. And I related and considered many inescapable existential questions, including What might remain,… what should I hope to remain, when my light goes out?

Questions and silent conversation raged, but in time, all I heard was “Be still and know that I am God,”… so I was still, and I closed my eyes, and I nodded off,…

... until I ultimately awoke to Forrest humming the Doxology into the darkness with only a slight sliver of first light. I alighted and joined Forrest for a SonRise, as my light is not yet out, and an end of the day journal entry G.K. Chesterton came to me:

Here dies another day

During which I have had eyes, ears, hands

And the great world ‘round me;

And with tomorrow begins another.

Why am I allowed two?

Getting there can be half the fun...
in two Robinson R 44 helicopters manufactured in my hometown,
with doors off at our request.

First copter down, unloading at our campsite.

Strafing a herd of buffalo

Strafing giraffe

...and zebra

Friends,... and Giraffe makes three
(with Forrest Reinhardt)

Hippos to the left of me, crocs to my right, here I am:
stuck in the middle again.

This Big Boy was spectacular,... but we were admonished:
This is not a circus Petting Zoo
and that he is extraordinarily dangerous.

As occasionally happens, a visitor recently asked or said something last week that was suggestive of the sacrifice of living here in Africa. I looked around wondering to whom was he speaking. Indeed, I am blessed beyond description.

Little Bernard

2010-10-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

This is my little buddy Bernard.
He might be three years old, maybe four. He certainly is not yet five.
But whenever I see him, he is always working.
In Rwanda, if you’re old enough to walk, you’re old enough to work.

Friends (Didier and his mother, Domitila)

2010-10-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

More of Jean Baptiste,... and more development

2010-10-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

I hope that you read and recall the principles set forth in the previous post. I also hope that you read about my very special little friend, Jean Baptiste, who was introduced in a blogpost entitled Sometimes One Life at a Time (click on it) dated August 21, 2010. Let me tie them together:

I have written: Never give anything away “for free,” except your love, time, attention, and encouragement. “Give-aways” are poison to the dynamics of a healthy relationship in community development. They indulge and reinforce our corrupt “God complex” and our local friends’ perceived “inferiority complex,” both of which are extremely destructive lies.

So what do you do when Jean Baptiste explains that he has a problem, that his school is threatening to turn him away unless he shows up in a proper uniform, the cost of which is approximately $8. We so adore this kid that we feel an overwhelming impulse to immediately solve the problem (not to mention the God complex wanting to kick in): “Here, Jean Baptiste, here’s $10. Go buy yourself a uniform, and some school supplies and candy while you’re there.” What a simple, “feel good” solution for all,… IF it is acceptable to hurt rather than help.

No, this situation required dialogue and brainstorming with Jean Baptiste about solutions, some of which seemed like good ideas, but are in fact unavailable in the world in which Jean Baptiste actually lives. Ultimately, we agreed that this fifth-grader needs to get a job. And we happened to have gardening work that needed to be done. He wins; we win; “with help that does not hurt.”

It was neither hot nor humid. Just a very happy, hard working 5th grader

Jean Baptiste has a new uniform, and is in school. We have a well-manicured garden.

Note the smile on Jean Baptiste and remember that this was always about much more than a school uniform. It was really about personal dignity. Recognizing personal dignity is fundamental in loving another, and may love always win.

Slowly by slowly...

2010-10-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Yep,…“Mistakes (and other stuff) happens,” but nowhere quite like in “the world of development”. Many books have been written on the subject; some amusing chronicles of the foibles of well-intentioned development workers and the unintended consequences that spring forth from their best efforts; some scathing indictments against those idiots who squander your hard-earned donor and tax dollars. At Bridge2Rwanda we are determined that our every mistake will be a valuable lesson well learned and not repeated. But we make mistakes, and we seem to live in a world that is governed and guided by mistakes. Now, having made that confession, I want to write about a specific development project where we have done fairly well, small as it is. This small project is illustrative of some fundamental principles to which we attempt to adhere.

It all starts with the United States Marines and their second dearest slogan (second only to “Semper Fi”): “Let’s party!” So the Band of Brothers assigned to maintain security at the US Embassy in Rwanda wanted to have a party. But principled as they are, they needed a reason,… a justification to party shamelessly (and attract the pretty ladies of Kigali.) So they decided to have a fundraiser. For what? They didn’t know, so we helped them out: Raise funds to purchase Cargo Bikes from Project Rwanda, and Project Rwanda will give the Cargo Bikes to Bridge2Rwanda for appropriate distribution to the poor. What a great idea! Now “let’s party!”,… a party that raised $2,200.

Sidebar: What is a Cargo Bike, formerly referred to as the Coffee Bike?

It is the brainchild of Tom Ritchey. Who is Tom Ritchey? Do you really not know? Tom Ritchey is the patron saint, godfather and creator of mountain biking,… and a renowned bicycle designer and engineer,… and an elite cyclist,… (and my friend). He came to Rwanda and saw 1950s vintage bicycles, patched and welded and wired together, being used as “Rwandan work trucks,” transporting tremendously heavy loads all of the country. Such bikes are so heavily loaded that they are not ridden, they are pushed. As with most people's visits, Tom’s trip became a love affair with Rwanda, and he wanted to do something that would make a difference. So Tom Ritchey designed what was initially called the Coffee Bike, but is now commonly called the Cargo Bike. I call it an “extended cab” Rwandan truck. As I now drive all over Rwanda, I see Tom’s bikes hard at work EVERYWHERE, and I think “Tom Ritchey, what you have done REALLY matters!”

Now back to the development project:

First Principle: Identify needs. Get engaged. Stop talking. Just do it! Make a difference.

Just do it! And have fun. Tom Ritchey and friends.

So the Semper Fi guys had a great party, cheerfully gave $2,200 to Project Rwanda, and Project Rwanda gave nine Cargo Bikes to Bridge2Rwanda. So what were we to do with them? The immediate impulse (and easiest strategy) is to select nine poor young men, with broad smiles and perfect teeth, and give them each a Cargo Bike, and bask in the joy and love that they lavish upon us,… and feel really good about ourselves,… and go home and have a beer and consider it “done”. Easy and fun, but ultimately of little lasting value, and probably more harmful than helpful. Having already made this mistake, and having seen it made countless times by others, we proceeded with a different, wiser strategy.

We knew of a very poor, remote community that faces many economic development challenges, including their self-identified need for jobs for their young men and transportation to get their goods to market. THEY identified their need for jobs and transportation.

Second Principle: Observe and listen to the community as they determine their own needs. Do not tell the community what they need, but rather come alongside and encourage and assist them in addressing their self-identified needs.

So, now can we just drop off the bikes in the appropriate community and go home and have that beer? No, there must be a thoughtful strategy that teaches, trains, and empowers, without doing harm. This is about much more than giving away bikes. This is about personal dignity, growth, empowerment, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

Third principle: Never give anything away “for free,” except your love, time, attention, and encouragement. Our Rwandan friends do not live in a world where “bikes are free.” To suggest otherwise is to confuse and corrupt them, and create an attitude of entitlement and/or dependency that will stunt their future growth and success. “Give-aways” also indulge and reinforce our corrupt “God complex” and our local friends’ perceived “inferiority complex,” both of which are extremely destructive lies to everyone in the equation.

We need leadership to get these Cargo Bikes properly distributed. Us? No, a local community leader who must be identified, elevated, empowered, and given an opportunity to assume leadership and responsibility.

Fourth principle: Do not play God and lord over others as their leader, but instead identify and work through a local leader (who has much greater understanding than we ever will).

So we asked Christophe, our friend and an established leader in the local community, to head a Governing Committee and to serve as the day-to-day Project Manager. The Rwandans on the Governing Committee outnumber the muzungus (pale white guys). How shall we proceed? The Governing Committee discussed various options, and decided to empower nine young men (all strong, but poor and jobless) by placing each of them on a Cargo Bike, thereby making them each the sole proprietor of his own “Transportation Company.” Each rider would possess a bike pursuant to a written “Lease to Own Contract,” under which he would pay less than $5 dollars per week from his profits, until he paid the full purchase price of $300, at which time he shall become the full-fledged “owner” of his bike. The contracts were written in both Kinyarwanda and English, and executed and “sealed” by the local governmental authorities, who were thrilled by this project. Unfortunately, we had many more than nine young men who wanted in the program.

Nine bikes times $300 equals $2700, $500 more than was paid for them. What’s the deal? Answer: Built in interest,… financing,… the cost of money. Are you kidding me?!? No.

Fifth principle: Good development should acknowledge and teach the realities of the world, the truths that will be present and necessarily reckoned with even after we are gone. Example: Only your local mattress store gives free financing, and that is only because they are lying to you about the actual fair price. Credit costs. That is a fact of life. To pretend and teach otherwise is harmful.

So, now nine young entrepreneurs, having received considerable training from our Rwandan Project Manager, are each proudly working their own “Transportation Company” and are making weekly payments on their contractual obligation from their net profits. They are looking forward to receiving the title to their Cargo Bikes, extraordinarily valuable capital assets that they may work (and repair) for their entire lives.

The weekly payments are deposited into the Committe's local bank account. What will we ultimately do with the $2,700? The Governing Committee considered that question last week. Initially it was thought that the money would go to Mwiko, the local primary school that is grossly under-resourced. But last week Christophe urged that we take $500 currently “on account” and purchase two more Cargo Bikes and put them in action with anxiously awaiting young men who want to be entrepreneurs and operate their own "Transportation Company." Christophe argues that his strategy will ultimately result in us having $3,300 to contribute to the local primary school. The final decision by the Committee is still pending.

So all has gone well,… no mistakes? Nope. We have made mistakes. We did not train the riders well enough in the proper maintenance of their bikes. A few bikes are presently “out of service” as we await parts and repairs, necessarily resulting in a temporary "freeze" on weekly payments. Will we provide parts and repair “for free.” As much as we WANT to,… “NO!”… because that is not the real world in which the riders must live and succeed. But we learn. And the riders learn. As Rwandans say: “Slowly by slowly a bird builds its nest.” Sixth principle: And so it must be with good community development work: "Slowly by slowly."

Seventh principle: Eventually the proper time will come for that cold beer.

POSTSCRIPT: This is not really what Bridge2Rwanda does. This is what Bridge2Rwanda team members do for fun in their "free time,"... after Anna, Betsy, Kelly, and Wes teach a full day and prepare their lesson plans for the next; after Griffin works an eight hour day “building capacity” at Ishema; after Suzie works her communications and journalism, and Kat plans upcoming events, and Mark gets our business affairs in order, and they all build up our new ISOKO Institute; after Caleb and Louise do their doctoring; after Kevin covers the countryside designing mini-hydro power operations; after Hadley, Muna, Tim and Matt digest and report on major contracts submitted to the Ministry of Justice. Yep, this is the extracurricular, somewhat spontaneous, super-fun stuff that energizes us. Oh, Blayne and me? What is our “day job”. Well, we just sit around and drink beer.

Much more interesing than mere words

2010-10-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

Today I had a delightful “conversation” with this dear woman. She does not speak a single word of English, and I speak shamefully little Kinyarwanda. But she is so spectacularly expressive, and my pantomime has so greatly improved, it seemed as though we could have negotiated peace for the Middle East. It is said that “Only 20% of communication is accomplished by words.” I believe it.

I wanted to buy her old worn pipe because I have decided to collect them. They cost only $1 “brand new”, but she wanted $2, NOT because she was trying to rip off her new best friend, but because if she sold me her pipe she would have to suffer days (without smoking) until she was able to purchase another one. It was then that I realized that my offer was grossly inappropriate.

While we were “communicating”, this gentleman passed by after spending the afternoon in the local Banana Beer Tavern. He was not as skilled a communicator,… I just understood something about having had only two beers.

Oh, you're pulling my leg!

2010-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

And the beat goes on, and the beat goes on

2010-09-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

I grinned as I smelled a very fresh corpse in the back of the Land Rover, driving the nearly impassable goat trail from Nkomero Village, heading back to the tarmac road that would take me to Nyanza and on back to Kigali. It was not the fresh corpse that caused me to grin. In fact, there was no corpse at all, but rather a spectacular sounding set of traditional drums made by the best drum maker in Rwanda. The smell will be explained later.

Fifty-six year old Denis (one “n”, pronounced “Denee”) KAGABA has been making the finest drums in Rwanda for 40 years,… as did his father,… and as did his father’s father. His father and his grandfather made and played drums for the Mwami, that is, the King of Rwanda. Each of them also lived within the compound of the King’s Palace (a very large, very well-kept thatched hut) and held the position of “Abiru”, the King’s Secret Keeper. (Now just how hard could that job be? You mean that I get paid for simply keeping my mouth shut? I want that job! Hmmmm, if I tell a secret, I die? Maybe I will just stick to farming and drum making.)

The drums that Denis makes cannot be found in the souvenir shops of the major cities. Yes, those shops offer drums, but they are unplayable novelty toys for tourists. Denis crafts “the real deal”, using a rare, select hardwood from an Umuvumu tree, nearly extinct skills, and weeks of labor. He runs a “Custom Shop,” special orders only. I ordered my drums many weeks ago.

The body of each drum is hand-carved from the trunk of an Umuvumu tree, a very strong tree that is considered a symbol of peace. The bottom of the single piece cylinder is carefully calculated to be exactly half the diameter of the top of the drum. Although the bottom end is also finished with what I would call a playable “drumhead”, I asked and was told in unequivocal terms that the bottom must never be played. Why? “Because that is against our tradition. It would be wrong to do that.” (I have great respect for Tevye.)

The drumheads and the hide strips that stretch and secure them are all cowhide, never from the ubiquitous goats. Why? “Because it is our tradition. It would be wrong to use goat.”

I really like the deep, dark, rich color of my drums,… and that color gives rise to the distinctive aroma. The drums are stained by blood,… literally painted with lots of blood.

Ahhhh! A smell louder than the sound

A drum is not simply “a drum.” Each has a name. The Big Boy bass (on the right) is an “impuma.” It will rattle your fillings. The middlest guy (but appropriately lined up on the left) is an “igihumurizo”. The little soprano (my term, not theirs) in the middle is an “inyahura”. Say ‘em fast ten times.

Cost? Approximately $100 - $130 per drum, depending on size, paid in advance. Shipping to U.S.? Priceless (too much to think about).

Jean Paul proudly standing in front of an
Umuvumu tree which will someday bear drums

Is the fine art of Rwandan drum making soon to be lost with Denis. No,… as the tradition continues to be passed on from father to son. Denis has been training is 14-year-old son, Jean Paul, who is very proud to acknowledge that he too worked long and hard on my set of drums.

The caravan from Denis' back to the Land Rover

Many, many thanks to my amazing friend, Sarah Hipp, who hooked me up and made all this happen. Sarah works with LEAF (The Lake Eden Arts Festival, www.theleaf.org) and facilitates for Playing For Change (www.PlayingForChange.com).

A new "must read" Report On Suffering

2010-09-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

I came upon the poem below as a result of the kind consideration of my son, Wesley, who (after seeking my authorization) registered me with poets.org to receive a Poem-A-Day. Yes, this is “a poem”, which I will define (without any qualifications whatsoever to do so) as the written word, artfully and succinctly presented in a manner intended to stir thought or emotion. Rhyme in iambic pentameter is not required. Nor are stanzas.
As I read this poem I squirmed in horror and rage,… no doubt, emotions at which the poet aimed. Then I thought,… and things became even much, much worse. It got “personal”. I thought about how my experiences here in Africa have included my staring into desperate poverty and suffering,… how I have struggled with this feature of humanity and the challenges it presents,… how I have even blogged about it and cried out to you for counsel, which has been provided by many,… how I philosophize (just as I suppose I am doing now),… how I have taken photograph after photograph (but will demonstrate enough sense to post none with this present blogpost),... how “fascinated” and guarded and even judgmental I have been and still am, as I do far, far less than I am capable of doing. How the adverse judgment may be for me, rather than the one I have judged and failed to help. Enough from me. On to the art that will hopefully stir thought and emotion:

Preliminary Report from the Committee on Appropriate Postures for the Suffering 
by Jon Davis   

We who wear clean socks and shoes are tired of your barefoot complaining, your dusty footprints on our just-cleaned rugs. Tired, too of your endless ploys— the feigned amputations, the imaginary children you huddle with outside the malls, your rags and bottles, the inconvenient positions you assume. Though we remain impressed by your emaciation and your hunger and, frankly, find you photogenic and think your images both alarming and aesthetically pleasing, to do anything more than sigh will require a complex process of application and review, a process that is currently in the development stage. Meanwhile, may we suggest you moderate your public suffering at least until the Committee on Appropriate Postures for the Suffering is able to produce guidelines. Do not be alarmed. The committee has asked me to assure you that they are sensitive both to the aesthetic qualities of your suffering—the blank stares, the neotonous beauty as the flesh recedes and the eyes seem to grow larger, the haloes of flies—and to the physical limitations of human endurance and the positioning of limbs. They will, I am certain, ask that you not lift your naked children like offerings to the gods. On this topic, discussion has centered around the unfair advantage such ploys give the parents of such children. The childless, whether by choice or fate, are left to wither silently in the doorways while those with children proffer and gesticulate in the avenues unabated. This offends our cherished sense of fairness, the democratic impulse that informs and energizes our discussions. Therefore, we ask for restraint, and where restraint is lacking, we will legislate. Please be forewarned. In addition, the committee will recommend that the shouting of slogans, whether directed at governments or deities, be kept to a minimum. Not only is such shouting displeasing aesthetically, but it suggests there is something to be done. Believe me, no one is more acutely aware of your condition than we who must ignore it everyday on our way to the capitol. In this matter, we ask only that you become more aware of your fellow citizens, who must juggle iPods, blackberries, briefcases and cell phones, lattes. Who must march steadily or be trampled by the similarly burdened citizens immediately behind them. Your shouting and pointing does not serve you well. Those of us employed by the agency are sworn to oversee you. If we seem, as you suggest, to have overlooked you instead, that is an oversight and will be addressed, I am certain, in our annual review. Please be aware: To eliminate your poverty, your hunger, your aesthetically pleasing, yet disturbing, presence in our doorways, above our heating grates, in our subway tunnels and under our freeways would mean the elimination of the agency itself and quite possibly a decline in tourism. Those of us employed by the agency have neither the stamina, persistence, nor the luminous skin tones that you present to the viewing public. Finally, to those who would recommend programs, who would call for funding and action, I must remind you that we have been charged not with eliminating your suffering but with managing it.

When helping hurts*

2010-09-13T02:06:00.000-07:00

... but not really.

(Why is the pregnant woman with a baby on her back carrying the bigger, heavier jerrycan?)

*BTW: "When Helping Hurts" is a reference to a must read for all community development workers who commonly cause harm by the unintended consequences of their well-intentioned efforts. I am chief among offenders, but there is hope. We are learning, and are determined not to make any mistake more than two or three times. Attempting to discern the profound complexities of “helping” makes development work extremely challenging and gratifying.

Counting the costs of self-righteous, self-glorifying tantrums

2010-09-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

I hope and trust that no friend or reader of this blog is cheering the Floridian Minister of God's love, grace, and mercy as he stages his Qu'ran burning. Not only is his offensive and self-indulgent outburst a threat and painful blow to all people of all faiths, but it will cost lives and millions of dollars. Does he have a right to express himself in this manner? Perhaps so. Some may persuasively argue otherwise. Regardless, let none of us cheer him. Let none of us fail to count (and grieve) the unnecessary costs.

Although this has been my thinking since this intended Qu'ran burning became news, this actual blog post was prompted by the following e-mail which I just received from the US State Department:

Worldwide Caution

For travel information, call 888-407-4747.

Internet Address: http://travel.state.gov

United States Department of State

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Washington, DC 20520

Travel Alert - Qu'ran Burning

September 9, 2010

The Department of State is issuing this Travel Alert to caution U.S.
citizens of the potential for anti-U.S. demonstrations in many countries
in response to stated plans by a church in Florida to burn Qur'ans on
the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Demonstrations, some violent, have already taken place in several
countries, including Afghanistan and Indonesia, in response to media
reports of the church's plans. The potential for further protests and
demonstrations, some of which may turn violent, remains high. We urge
you to pay attention to local reaction to the situation, and to avoid
areas where demonstrations may take place. This Travel Alert expires on
September 30, 2010.

U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with
the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's
travel registration website at in order that they can obtain updated
information on travel and security. U.S. citizens without Internet
access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
By registering, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or
Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.

U.S. government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of
alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend
public services to assess their security posture. In those instances,
U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide
emergency services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens abroad are urged to
monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S.
Embassy or Consulate.

As the Department of State continues to develop information on potential
security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat
information through its Consular Information Program documents, such as
the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as
Country Information, which are available on the Bureau of Consular
Affairs website at http://travel.state.gov/.

********************

It is no surprise that a hateful demonstration accomplishes nothing more than to provoke other hateful demonstrations.... and that as stated by Mahatma Gandhi, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind".

Rwanda is a country of extremely devout people, devout Catholics, devout Seventh-day Adventists, devout Anglicans, devout Pentecostals, devout Muslims, and they all live together, side by side, in peace and harmony, peacefully working and worshiping with full respect for others. There is no trace of any religious tension in Rwanda. How is that possible?

The Good Samerican

2010-09-07T03:50:00.000-07:00

Matthew 8:20 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Question for today: How do we so adore and worship a homeless man on Sunday, and then divert our eyes (perhaps even contemptuously) from a homeless man on Monday?

Matthew 25:42 [And Jesus later said] … “I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.”

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

Luke 10:25 On [another] occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" Jesus replied. "How do you read it?" [What a GREAT interactive teacher!]

The man answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live.”

[The man should have stopped when he was doing so well] But the man [was a proud lawyer who] wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said:

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

[Re-read the Luke 10 passage, above, and note Jesus’ Masterful, brilliant, sleight-of-hand magic trick: Who ever notices that Jesus changes the lawyer’s question from “Who is my neighbor?” to “How can I become a neighbor?”]

2010-09-04T04:08:00.000-07:00

One of the sweet, but simple pleasures in life: A good Kat-nap

The immeasurable Power within

2010-09-01T04:08:00.000-07:00

Christians, by definition, are awed by the fact that God became man and dwelt amongst us,... the incarnation. However, we should be equally awestruck, arguably even more awestruck, by the unimaginable, unexplainable, outrageous fact that God decided to take up residence in each of us who receives and believes in Him,... the indwelling. Imagine: As we walk through this world, each believer is a vessel and transporter of He who conceived and created the entire Universe. He indwells each believer and chooses to work through us. (My, o my! He is a God with immeasurable patience, humor and hope.) If I really believe this (and I do), I should either be awestruck to the point of total paralysis OR I should walk tall with great courage and confidence (AND humility), fully expecting to accomplish great works which glorify Him, for these works are accomplished by His will, design, wisdom and power (not mine).

Why is God's indwelling not acknowledged, taught, and celebrated with equal fervor as His incarnation? It should be the most fundamental fact that drives and directs my entire existence,... and should indeed compel me to do great things,... the very things for which I have been created. This immeasurable Power within desires to be exercised, but that may be my decision and dependent upon my faith.

"… [I]t is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…". John 14

"Abide in me as I abide in you.... I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit...". John 15

[I know that there are other verses that could be offered concerning the fact and the power of the indwelling, but I am outa time. Perhaps someone can help me out here.]

This insight must be attributed to Malcolm Street of Fort Worth, who I met this past year when he visited Rwanda, and taught me much, and became a great friend and brother. When we speak of “transforming lives at both ends of the Bridge", that may occur in many variations. We always hope that the lives of our visitors are transformed, but we must not be surprised when our own lives are transformed by our visitors.

One's principles

2010-08-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

“It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them."

[Alfred Adler]

Consider the facts

2010-08-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hmmmmm. Something just doesn't seem right. Surely something can be done,... something more equitable, more effective, more compassionate. Consider the facts,... just a click away (but please allow a moment for loading):

http://www.stopthehunger.com/