Prisoners of Hope

I came upon some interesting word imagery in the book of Zechariah (9:12) the other day - "prisoners of hope." It reminded me of Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans are a hopeful people. We have noticed that since we got here - the belief that things WILL get better, because they can't possibly get worse! And so, Zimbabweans have clung to this hope, and things have been relatively peaceful. And yet it is not real peace. There is a constant, underlying tension here. People want to avoid war at all costs, because memories are still very fresh of the chimurenga and all the suffering that ensued from the fighting. Everyone wants peace, but it is not real peace when lawlessness, fear, hunger, starvation and death abound. (Another phrase from Habakkuk 2:5 - "greedy as the grave" reminded me of Zimbabwe too). Thing keep getting worse - all the time. Everyone is living under incredible stress (high blood pressure and strokes are hugely common), and some people are giving into despair.

Because of a mix of fear and hope, people have been kept from protesting too much, but we seem to be reaching a breaking point. The opposition leaders were detained and beaten badly in prison for wanting to hold a prayer rally on the weekend. Young people are fed up, and trying to prevent anyone from coming to the city centre to work. It's like people feel there is nothing left to lose. People have been controlled by fear for so long, but if you think you're going to starve to death, you don't fear torture as much. Of course we don't want to pray for unrest and violence, but it also seems wrong to pray that people will remain prisoners - even if it is of hope. The present situation simply cannot continue forever. People are struggling to survive. I believe in hope and know that it is a powerful force that can sustain people through anything, but I have also seen how hope can be a prisoner, freezing people into inaction. It's a double-edged sword. For those of you who are worried about us - we're fine. But please, please keep Zimbabwe in your prayers.