My New Tribe

All the stuff that’s going on is causing those of us who didn’t often think about what tribe they come from to give it a long, hard think.

All of a sudden, we’re reading the name at the bottom of the article to guess what perspective the person is writing from. Or we’re having to think about the politically correct thing to say when we’re with old friends from a different tribe. It feels like a loss of innocence –like what Adam & Eve may have felt after tasting the forbidden fruit.

Pastor Oscar of Nairobi Chapel recently preached a great sermon about the bible’s perspective on tribes & tribalism. Let me try and put what I think he said in my own words...

Genesis 11 tells us that God formed languages with the intention of scattering a rebellious humanity across the earth. This was God’s way of putting boundaries around & limiting the global spread of evil. Different groupings formed, united by common language, location and culture.

In the next chapter, we see God picking one tribe, almost at random, for the express purpose of blessing the rest. Thus a model was born where the blessings of one grouping were shown to have been intended for the benefit of the rest.

What are tribes for? To limit evil and to add blessing to all!

God’s people often misunderstood this and thought the blessings of their tribe were theirs by right, to benefit only ‘their people’. The story of Jonah is all about tribalism. In sending Jesus though, God made it possible for deep reconciliation to happen between ethnic groups; by the creation of a new ‘super-tribe’ that represents Him on earth!

‘For Christ himself has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one people. He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us… His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new person from the two groups. ¹⁶ Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death, and our hostility toward each other was put to death’. Eph.2:14-16

What this means is that for Christians, our tribe is the tribe of Jesus! And this multi-racial, multi-ethnic ‘tribe’ celebrates and benefits from the strengths that come from their different backgrounds.

As the church in Kenya, we need to embrace the excellence and educational aptitude that those who come from a Luo background bring. And appreciate the spiritual sensitivity those from a Kamba background contribute. And benefit from the entrepreneurial mindset those from a Kikuyu background add. And rejoice in the loyalty that those from a Luhya background model. And so on… ad-infinitum! Our diversity is not something to shun or avoid, but to welcome and cheer.

Of course just as with individuals, for every strength there is a shadow side. We need to confess and take responsibility for those things that have been done by those from our tribe (even if we had nothing to do with it ourselves). And then we need to learn to ‘positively stereotype’ those groups that exist in our churches – appreciating the strengths they add.

Together as the new tribe of Jesus, we have much to offer our land.

The Role Of The Middle Class

Just read a fascinating article by Dr. G. Ogola of the University of Central Lancashire in Monday’s ‘Business Daily’ – a rather depressing newspaper for me nowadays (which only proves his point!)

Anyway, he addressed the role of the middle class in the current issues facing our country. He makes several interesting observations…

§ There is a serious disconnect between Kenya’s emerging urban middle class and the urban poor/rural peasantry.

§ The former was created through the very process that simultaneously alienated the latter

§ The former perceives power as manifest in our institutional structures and these structures give them a sense of protection. The latter see these very structures as responsible for their plight and incapable of representing their interests. Power for them is manifest in big cars and farms, and in the ethnic identity of the owners of these big cars and farms.

§ The two groups perceive nationhood very differently. The former exalts loudly its Kenyanness, oblivious to the fact that the notion of Kenyanness has now become tenuous! The latter conceives their nationhood as residing in their ethnic identities

§ The Kenyan middle class is an ‘aspirational’ class, whose status is not based on owning property as in Western countries but on skills and jobs. They are thus very threatened by an unstable society and government and will be the first to call for peace and want to get on with their lives.

A great quote - ‘exalting our nationhood to the urban poor and rural peasantry is unlikely to solve the Kenyan crisis precisely because we relate to the nation state very differently (!)’ Ouch!

The Prof argues however that though the middle class is still small and lacks critical mass, it still has the potential to define national agenda. They (we) must engage more actively with this crisis, and refuse to be simply consumers that support the political and economic elites.

I heartily agree!

Is There Hope?

There are many important aspects of the gospel that the early missionaries did not teach us. How does the bible address inequitable distribution of resources & economic opportunities? How about nationhood and traditional tribal animosity? What do you do when gross violations have been effected against your people by another? And no wonder… these were not pertinent questions from the missionary’s standpoint. In addition, many missionaries were often unwilling to address or were simply unaware of social and political issues and focused on the ‘spiritual’ realm.

As a result, we have few answers to the issues that threaten to subsume our continent – Rwanda, DRC, Burundi, Sudan… even so called ‘stable’ countries like SA have lots of simmering issues lingering just below the surface. Ignoring the issue for years as we have in Kenya does not make them go away. Political solutions merely lead to a sharing of power among the elite, and a postponement of ‘tribal clashes’ for another time. Meanwhile, the West wonders in amazement at the savagery and hatred of these Africans, unaware of their own nation’s historic and ongoing contribution to the fuel that fans the flames. I say this in no way to blame… it’s a little late for that!

Is there hope for Africa? I believe it with all my heart. But it will take much more than political solutions to save us. It will take God’s people everywhere being ‘transformed by the renewing of (their) mind’ (Rom.12) by God’s word. The western theology taught in our bible colleges ignores issues fundamental to us. Western TV programs propagate an alien Christianity that is at best harmless and perhaps even dangerously mind-numbing. We need to go back to God’s word, read it as Africans, and discover that yes indeed, it does have much to say about the issues that we in this part of the world find ourselves faced with.

Walking Our Talk

It's been said that character is 'who you are when no-one's looking'. If that's the case, what do the conversations we've had these last couple of weeks about the crisis our country is in with people who are 'like us' reveal about us?

It's easy in times of crisis to revert to our most basic, self-protective self. When Kenyans are abroad, they cling their identity as Kenyans. At home surrounded by other Kenyans though, our 'safe zone' narrows down to our tribal identity. As a result, we live in virtual ghettos, filtering out other perspectives, and listening to 'news' that only serves to validate our perspective.

It's sad that media houses seem to have taken positions on the issues so that 'truth' has become relative. It's sadder to hear of offices and neighborhoods where a once easy camaraderie has been replaced by unspoken tension. It's saddest to hear of churches & pastors that have supported one particular political or ethnic position and thus alienated others who are of a different background or persuasion. What a missed opportunity to model true Christianity!

It's time we began to practice what we preach. As a Christian, I am first of all Christian, then Kenyan and then as a distant third, I gladly embrace the positive aspects of my ethnic identity (and enjoy/appreciate those of other ethnic communities as well!).

A Time To Build Bridges

How can Kenyans avoid becoming mere bystanders in the unfolding national drama? Behind every challenge is an opportunity. Behind the challenges facing our nation, I see the opportunity for us to become...

1. Bridge-builders: I'm part of a generation that has grown up surrounded by friends from other tribes. Most of my friends married with no regard to their spouses ethnicity. Yet this last week has destroyed a generation's innocence and has polarized the closest of friends (I've been prayin' for inter-tribal marriages!) When threatened, we tend to withdraw to what’s safe e.g. our parents, even when they have a tribal mindset. This is the time to reach out to our friends from other tribes and assure them of our continued love and friendship. It's a time to learn to be sensitive with our words/language. Perhaps we'll even become deeper friends for it!

2. Wall-breakers: Whatever our position in society, we have our part to play in breaking the dividing walls. We need to refuse the polarization and stereotyping. We need to confess our own deep rooted suspicion of other tribes. We need to begin learning to focus on and highlight their good attributes. We need to refuse to isolate ourselves (hanging with friends who are just like us) or to fight others (e.g. listening to and spreading rumors and malicious sms'). We need to refuse to encourage ethnocentric conversations in our homes - for most of us, the people we look up to and respect the most are the ones that we may have to correct. Perhaps this will help us move beyond superficial peace to real unity as a nation!

3. Door-openers: We need to leave our middle-class comfort zones and radically identify with the poor. This goes beyond charity and handouts to sacrificial living. Open up an extra room for a displaced family or help a child escape poverty by supporting their education. Give up your weekends to provide skill training at a children's home. We need to realize that our position is a privilege, and that we are blessed to be a blessing. May this situation result in a more just and equitable society!

I pray that one day, people will say Kenya actually become a better place to live because of this crisis. Perhaps we'll be able to say then what the biblical Joseph said about a dark season of his life; 'what the evil one intended for harm, God worked out for our good, and for the good of our nation'

Justice, Mercy, Humility...

It's been impossible for me to blog my thoughts about the last few weeks. Part of the problem is that I haven't known where to start, or what to say. The other part was that most of my immediate family members were trapped in a volatile part of the country - lying low, scared for their lives. I've experienced a helplessness these last few days that was no doubt shared by many Kenyans, a fact that made it no easier to bear. I am extremely grateful that they (my family members that is) are all well; escorted by armed policemen to safety on Friday last.

What a polarized situation we find ourselves in! It's reached the point now where one side of the country is calling for peace and the other side for justice - as if the two can be separated. Even the church has not been spared this polarization. Many church leaders have condemned the segment of the church that seems to be calling for peace at all costs. And others have expressed uneasiness about the segment that seems to believe that justice is the ultimate goal, collateral damage notwithstanding.

I've lost count of the number of conversations I've had with friends from either side of the political divide, who believe their perspective is the only one that is justified.

To loosely quote Nobel Laureate Wangari Mathai, if ever there was a time for greatness, that time is now! As Christians, we must be on the forefront of pushing for peace and justice. We must practice humbly listening and empathizing with those who take the other view. We must rise above pointing fingers, and learn to carry our own responsibility. And we must stop thinking that Kibaki & Raila are the only players in this drama - God will not hold us accountable for their actions but for our own, or lack thereof.

The bible says it well in Micah 6:8, 'He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God'