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March 31, 2005
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Burkina - Hotter than Hollywood
Following up on the FESPACO film festival, the BBC has a couple of interesting articles:
Hotter than Hollywood is a half-hour radio programme about FESPACO, cinema in Burkina, the complexes of the cotton industry, and a perspective on the political situation of Burkina, including an interview with the president, Blaise Compaore.
And Life in Burkina Faso gives a few photos as a background to the radio programme.
March 30, 2005
Don't forget
Go and see Hotel Rwanda. Or buy it.
'The genocide was made all the more tragic by the fact that most of the world chose to ignore the conflict and the plight of the Rwandan people...the horror of the conflict, instead of causing international outrage, seemed to be written off as another "third world incident" and not worthy of attention.
Over the course of 100 days, almost one million people were killed in Rwanda. The streets of the capital city of Kigali ran red with rivers of blood, but no one came to help. There was no international intervention in Rwanda, no expeditionary forces, no coalition of the willing. There was no international aid for Rwanda. Rwanda's Hutu extremists slaughtered their Tutsi neighbors and any moderate Hutus who stood in their way, and the world left them to it.
"Ten years on, politicians from around the world have made the pilgrimage to Rwanda to ask for forgiveness from the survivors, and once more the same politicians promise `never again,'" says director Terry George. "But it's happening yet again in Sudan, or the Congo, or some Godforsaken place where life is worth less than dirt."
Wars have always provided fertile ground for the emergence of heroes and supreme acts of heroism by ordinary people. Rwanda was no exception. Amidst the horrendous violence and chaos that swept the country, one of the many heroes to emerge was Paul Rusesabagina, an ordinary man who, out of love and compassion, managed to save the lives of 1268 people.'
(from "A Modern Genocide: The story behind the film" at Hotel Rwanda)
I went to see Hotel Rwanda on Easter Sunday. This is a superb and powerful film, worthy of its Oscar nomination, and the awards it has gained. But it is also a reminder, a rebuke, and a call to us never again to ignore our responsibilities - for example in Sudan and other places.
March 28, 2005
Lest we forget...
Go and watch Hotel Rwanda.
March 27, 2005
Easter Sunday
He is risen!
What does this mean to you? When we were asked this at church a few weeks ago, most people - including me - replied very personally - it means I am forgiven, I can know him, I don't need to fear death etc
Wonderful stuff. But it's not only about us. As I sat in church on Good Friday, celebrating Christ's death for me, I was suddenly overwhelmed with heartache for the Fulani - for the 99.97% of Fulani who don't know what it means to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection, who are still looking for freedom and forgiveness and hope.
If his resurrection declares God's acceptance of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and proclaims him both Lord and Christ (Ac 2:36), if it declares the arrival of the kingdom of God, and the start of the new creation, and the forgiveness of sins, it does it for the whole world. It announces that Jesus is Lord of all nations, not just of Israel, and that God is wanting now to pour out his grace and blessing and justice to all nations. The resurrection means mission.
That is why, following his resurrection and before his ascension, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts all record Jesus sending his disciples into the world. The consequence of the resurrection is a comissioning to the world.
The resurrection is a glorious cause for celebration. But it is also a sending to the world - to take the forgiveness and freedom and justice of God's kingdom to all nations.
March 25, 2005
Good Friday
"It is finished!"
The way of Christ is the way of the cross.
The will of God is accomplished not through might and strength, not through wealth and influence, not through cleverness and manipulation.
The will of God is done in weakness and self-giving service through suffering, even to death.
There is no other way to accomplish the will of God but by the cross.
And there is no other way to Easter Sunday, except by way of Good Friday.
"No pain, no palm;
No thorns, no throne;
No gall, no glory;
No cross, no crown." William Penn
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Jesus
March 24, 2005
Maundy Thursday
This via Maggi:
"At the height of his game, Jesus took time to teach the disciples the valuable lesson that being the Messiah meant he was the chief servant. His plan for global world domination was not through a sword or a chariot but through a bucket and a towel." Will Samson
March 23, 2005
Djibo radio
Steve reports on progress with the radio station we want to start in Djibo.
It seems there is an obstacle course to pass in order to get the project up and running, but he has some good people on board to help. Pray for Steve as he continues to run with this. We do believe that a well-run radio station in this area will be good for community development in the region, as well as for making known the good news of Jesus Christ.
March 22, 2005
Serving the Fulani in Niger
I have recently come across the website of my friends Mike and Ceciel, serving God among the Wodaabe Fulani of Niger. It has helpful information and some great photos.
Do pay it a visit, and pray for Mike and Ceciel.
March 21, 2005
More photos from Burkina Faso
See more of my photos here, at Flikr.
March 20, 2005
Female Genital Mutilation
FGM, 0therwise known as female circumcision, involves cutting the labia, and often cutting out the clitoris. The practice is usually performed on girls under the age of 7, and leaves physical and psychological scars for life. The stories are horrible:
"The lips of her vagina were cut and then stitched together, leaving just a small hole to allow urine and menstrual blood to escape. Then the old women made Kady jump over a fire, telling her it was part of the cure to ease the pain."
Burkina Faso is one of only 16 African states to have outlawed the practice. The Burkina government has had a major campaign against FGM over the last 10 years, supported also by the churches and many Muslim leaders. The campaign has been relatively successful. Statistics suggest that the proportion of girls being circumcised in this way has dropped from about 70% to about 40% in the last 10 years. The government is aiming to completely eliminate FGM by 2010, with the support of the UN.
It is a big struggle. Deeply ingrained social customs in remote, conservative villages are difficult to change. There is huge social pressure, which comes from traditional worldviews and values. Srangely enough, women themselves often become the enforcers of the practice. There are fathers who are distraught when their wives go behind their backs to have their daughter circumcised. When asked why she did it, the wife replies that her own mother and aunts convinced her it was the right thing to do.
Thank God that, in Burkina, at least, things are changing. A combination of effective legislation, education, and a telephone hotline called SOS Circumcision, is bringing about change in this, the third poorest country in the world.
March 17, 2005
Jesus and shopping
One of my biggest struggles when I return to the UK from Burkina Faso is shopping.
In Gorom-Gorom, I have got used to seeing people battle simply to feed their family day-by-day. The local shop is probably smaller than your kitchen, and almost certainly has a smaller selection of food. So going to a supermarket that seems as large as Gorom-Gorom itself, with shelves weighed down with dozens of varieties of thousands of foods is always emotionally overwhelming when I first come back. We are blessed with such abundance – much of which of course comes from the very nations where people are struggling to feed themselves. And so we shop till we drop. But do we ever stop to think about what God requires of us in the way we shop?
Well, as Christians, we probably don’t buy stuff we consider immoral. But is that it? Does that then give us the right to just spend the rest of our money on ourselves as we like? In what way are we accountable to God for the way we shop? What does Christian discipleship have to say about shopping, and the whole question of stewardship of the wealth God has entrusted us with?
Continue reading "Jesus and shopping"
March 16, 2005
News of friends in Burkina
Steve has a meeting today about the proposed radio station that we are hoping to open in Djibo. Please pray for this.
Meanwhile, Seydou is learning to drive. Seydou and Monique lived with me for about 9 years in Gorom-Gorom, and he has begun to step out to follow the Lord's calling over the last couple of years. He hopes to help support himself in ministry through getting a job as a driver. He has passed the theory, and is working on the practical side this week.
I hope he won't be driving vehicles like this:
March 14, 2005
Speaking up for Africa
The Report from the Commission for Africa is out.
Have you even heard of it? And do you even care? Our news is of course dominated by home news and by events in Iraq. Yet, as Steven at two and two makes five notes, Africa tops Reuter's "top ten of forgotten emergencies" - Congo, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa, and AIDS.
God so loved the world...
A Christian attitude must include a concern for righteousness, compassion, and justice that extends beyond our own back yards to the world. We must care about more than just how international situations affect us. And an effective response must go beyond only giving out of our personal abundance.
There is not much new in the Commission for Africa report. And up to this point it is only words and good intentions. But it is a well-balanced report, calling for action from both the west and from Africa. It recognises progress in many parts of Africa, but calls for more to be done especially in regard to corruption and human rights. And from the west it recognises the need for action on aid, trade, debt, AIDS, and peacekeeping.
The key is implementation. What is different this time is that there does seem to be political will from some key leaders such as Blair. Others, however, are reluctant to go along. A Christian perspective must say that, as those who hold wealth and power, western nations have a moral obligation to act for the good of the poor and weak. And, as Christians, we should be calling our governments to act.
Take a look at the website for the Micah Challenge, which brings together evangelical groups speaking up for the poor. And also check out the "Global Week of Action" for April 10-16. Focusing on the G8 Summit and other main events for this year, this gives us all an opportunity to make our voices heard. As part of this, there are national campaigns, such as the Make Poverty History campaign in the UK. Do you know of similar campaigns in the US, Canada, or elsewhere? Is this kind of concern on the agenda for Christians where you are?
March 11, 2005
A man called Friday
The Anastasis has just arrived in Liberia. Jenni at Vessel of Mercy, who is on board provides this link to the story of a man called Friday. It is a story with photos of Friday and his facial tumour, and the corrective surgery he underwent. It demonstrates the life-changing ministry of the Mercy Ships.
Warning: this is not for the squeamish. But if you do watch make sure you click the morph button at the end. And pray for the ministry of the Anastasis.
The link is here
More photos from Benin
I have put a few more of my photos up at Flikr of my time in Benin with the Anastasis. Here is a selection. Click on a photo to enlarge, or go here to see the set.
March 10, 2005
Charm offensive
My colleague Steve has been stirring things up as he continues with the work in Burkina.
He was recently engaged in conversation at Djibo market by a traditional healer. They were talking about the usefulness of the various animal parts he (the healer, not Steve!) sells for use as medicine, charms and curses. At the end of the discussion - and with the understandably fearful agreement of the seller - Steve burned the two most powerful charms, to demonstrate that the power of God is greater than that of such things. You can read the whole account here.
Now, among traditional medicines, there is a mix of the good, the bad, and the powdered chalk. Western missionaries have often unfairly written off all traditional African medicine as being "of the devil." In fact, pre-modern cultures in some ways have a more Biblically holistic perspective on life than the modern world. There are several PhDs to be gained looking into beneficial herbal remedies used locally. There is no doubt also that much of the power of the "medicine men" lies in fear, superstition, and exaggeration.
However, anyone who has lived for any length of time in Africa wouldn't doubt the reality and destructive effect of the "power world" of the spirits. Anthropologist Paul Stoller discovered this to his surprise and shock, and wrote about it in his book "In Sorcery's Shadow." The world of the spirits only leaves people in bondage and fear.
But Christ is greater. Any ministry in Africa is going to require confrontation with the spirit world at some point. In Christ there is freedom, deliverance, and protection. Burning charms, amulets, and other power paraphanlaia is a regular part of discipleship as people take steps to follow the way of Jesus.
Please pray for Steve as he continues to seek to bring the love and light of Christ to the Fulani.
March 01, 2005
Fair Trade Fortnight
1-13 March is Fair Trade Fortnight.
When commodity prices fall it can have a catastrophic impact on millions of small scale producers in the developing world. Often, they may not even be able to cover what it costs to produce their crop. Many are forced into debt and others lose their land and their homes. The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent guarantee of a fair deal for farmers in developing countries. The difference this makes to producers can be dramatic.
Among the guarantees behind the FAIRTRADE Mark are:
• Farmers receive a fair and stable price for their products
• Workers have the opportunity to improve their own lives
• Small-scale farmers gain a stronger position in world markets
• Greater respect for the environment
These are some Fair Trade goods you can buy in British supermarkets: Fruit, Coffee, Tea, Sugar, Fruit Juice, Chocolate, Roses, Wine, and even Footballs!
Over these next two weeks, please make a point of seeking out Fair Trade goods in your supermarket, and buying them. Begin a habit this week of buying Fair Trade goods, and make a difference for good by the way you shop.
And if your supermarket doesn't have Fair Trade goods, do ask the manager (gently) why not!
