As you can tell from her blogs, my wife is so drama… She loves people and cares deeply for them, so it’s difficult for her to see innocent people suffer. Being silent is hard for her, and since we are not allowed to speak out against injustice, this blog is a way for her to express some of her frustrations. Thankfully there are other organizations and churches in Zimbabwe who believe in social justice and who are willing to speak out on behalf of the oppressed. We, however, will just have to remain quiet and do our best to love and support the people we are in relationship with. We do feel like sell-outs on a regular basis, but we’ll just have to keep working through that. One thing that has really helped me deal with this situation is to keep my copy of Oscar Romero’s writings hidden at the back of my bookshelf. I also try to avoid reading two-thirds of my Bible.
Life was so much simpler when we were young. As adults, we are learning that life is a lot more complicated than we ever thought it would be. As children, we were taught the importance of obeying our leaders, following through on our commitments and promises, maintaining our principles and integrity, and helping those who are suffering. As adults, we now realize how difficult it can be to do all of these at once.
If you see people being beaten, what should you do? As a Canadian, my natural response is to stop the violence and do my best to ensure that it does not happen again. However, as a Zimbabwean resident who works for a high-profile organization, I need to think about how my actions will affect the people that I work with. If I complain about one person being beaten, does that mean that I am condemning 20 more people to be beaten as a consequence of my actions?
Does being non-partisan mean that you offer unconditional support to the ruling government? When does it stop being non-partisanship and instead become complicity? Why is it acceptable for politicians to use church platforms to campaign for their parties, but not acceptable for the church to challenge governments about significant issues?
What is the role of the church in society? To look after its own members and ensure they’re dressed smart, or to see God’s Kingdom established on earth as it is in heaven?
Why do churches care more about their reputation than about doing what is right? Why do I care more about my reputation than about doing what is right?
Anyway, I know that some of you have been concerned about Rochelle’s well-being, particularly now that she is pregnant with our first child. Yes, she struggles with the situation here, but she also loves living in Zimbabwe and sharing life with Zimbabweans. She laughs, sings, smiles and prays on a daily basis, so don’t worry that she carries the emotional baggage of her blog topics with her throughout the day.
Please continue to pray for Zimbabwe.
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