Where's the church?

This is to follow up the last post. I left the church's role with a very one sided and cynical observation. The point Pastor Ondachi was trying to make was to show how deep the problem of tribalism runs. He made it well.

On the good side, though, the church has not been standing idle. Mamlaka Hills Chapel has been providing food, all the food, for the refugees (internally displaced persons is the official title) in Jamhuri Park. They have run a short term mission trip to Burnt Forest in the Rift Valley to bring food and comfort and help start rebuilding. Other churches have taken in refugees, providing housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical care...the list goes on. The Church has not been idle. It's not seen in the news, but it's been the Church that has led the initial relief and reconciliation efforts. No fanfare, just quietly seeing that people are taken care of.

That's the physical side. On the spiritual side the Church is alone, but that's ok. One wouldn't expect the UN to even admit there is a spiritual side, let alone do anything about it, after all. The Church, though, has called for repentance, forgiveness, and unity. For instance, one local church gathered together elders from about a dozen of the tribes most involved in the disputes and violence. During the service the elders served communion. To receive communion you had to go to an elder of a different tribe. Fairly easy for the wazungu (the white people). Other churches are banding together to send hundreds of pastors to where the worst violence was.

Are all the people of the Church helping? No...we're sinners. But many are helping, and most importantly of all, the vast majority are praying , repenting, asking God to step in and heal.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.