Friday, January 20, 2017

Dear Friends, It is Friday, January 20 here, the day the USA transfers power of its government to a business man who has had no previous political, elected experience. God help us. And yet the alternative in the election left me completely unmoved and unenthusiastic. I felt we Americans had no choice, so to speak. .......................................................................................................... I write on a beautiful sunny day, temperatures about 82 or so in the mid-afternoon sun, a gentle breeze passing through my room, low humidity . . . very comfortable. Yet there is reason for grave concern in this nation of Kenya. We are experiencing a rather serious drought. Fortunately, we Jesuits have a water well and plenty of water for our needs. But in the city there is already rationing of water going on. It is getting serious. Numerous people are having to receive government imported food. Many animals (goats especially) are dying. Some parts of the nation have received no rain since last April. The drought is also hitting the nation to our south, Tanzania. ................................................................................................................. What is much worse is a doctors' strike that has gone on for 47 days. Numerous people are dying because there is no professional to tend to them. It is a show-down between the government and the doctors. There is so much trouble with the government of this nation, so much embezzlement and stealing of public funds while hardly anyone is ever caught and prosecuted. Apparently a few at high levels of government have stolen over $50 million US meant for health care workers and this leaves the government unable to meet many of the just demands of the doctors. Can you imagine such a disaster??!! ............................................................................................................... After Obama left following his visit to Kenya about a year and a half ago, there was a visit from some US justices to offer counsel to their counterparts in this nation. Widespread corruption and stealing by high level officials seem to be at the basis of the nation's inability to establish a rule of law, of order and justice, and promote a culture that can effectively develop a middle class; there are many accusations of stealing, the newspapers are full of such stories, but there are no prosecutions and very few go to prison for their crimes. So many continue sucking off the limited money of the nation and leave the nation in terrible straights. Some people here, even church-going Christians, live in the heights of luxury, even by US standards. The formula seems to be: get a law degree, get elected to parliament or to a governorship in one of the main regions of the nation, and then steal, embezzle, and cook the books, so to speak. Just don't get caught. Buy off someone "important" if they catch you doing this and have power to get you in trouble. .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. I forgot to mention that there is also a long standing strike going on among university lecturers and workers. It has to be kept in mind that this is the year of a national election (coming in August) and these economic issues are pushed into public discourse so as to put pressure on the leaders of the political parties vying for votes. The disastrous election 10 years ago involved gang riots and even beheadings. Tribalism is so much the underlying issue. Tribes compete for economic gain through the government; their candidate getting elected means more government help for their people. To lose the election means your people have a much harder time for the following 5 years. It is somewhat like nationalistic rivalries that used to be big in the USA. .......................................................................................................................... I was told by one of my retreatants in the group of retreatants last week a story that moved me a lot. I pass it on to you. This retreatant, a mid-age nun, has been working in South Sudan with many very poor people fleeing to Uganda because of the endless war going on among tribes in South Sudan. She was living with a small community of other nuns where a married woman with a small child had been hired to do the community's cooking. While preparing the food and cooking, she could overhear a priest close by, in the next room, teaching children about Jesus and the Christian way of life. One day her husband who had gone away to find work and had been absent for three or four years returned to take her and the child with him. She learned that he had with him a second wife, a Muslim, that he too had become Muslim, and had with him two children born of the Muslim woman. This cook refused to comply. Her decision was met with major objections and threats of the village leaders (male and committed to Sharia law). They made it clear to her that she had two choices: either go with your husband or submit to a public flogging at which she would be lashed 138 times. There were strong objections from other women in the village but the will of the village "fathers" prevailed. So this woman opted for the flogging. She endure this horrible, vicious practice, the public shaming it involved as well, and survived. The women of the village immediately after it was over went into the bush area and found certain herbs to apply to her wounds; these would ease her terrible pain and cuts and, lo and behold, in a few weeks she completely healed without infection. Later she was asked what enabled her to go through with this ordeal. She replied that while she was cooking and could overhear the priest catechising some children she had learned about Jesus and was very taken by the experience He went through, that He too had been flogged, out of love for us all, and this gave her much courage and strength through Him to endure what she was subjected to and therefore not fall into a terrible family situation with a husband who had taken another wife and had changed his religious affiliation. I thought to myself when I heard this story: the mystery of Christ's passion and resurrection keeps showing up in today's world, in some of the most unlikely or unexpected places and with people who are so vulnerable, who have been given so little, yet the grace of God moves them to find an incredible strength and witness to Jesus in striking, unforgettable ways. What a manifestation of God's grace! And what a promise that God will be there for us in our moments of great trial, if only we will ask for help like this woman did.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... It is dinner time. I need to go. Donald Trump becomes president in 75 minutes from now. I suppose I will watch on TV his taking the oath of office and listen to his speech. I sense we all need to ask our God like rarely before to protect and care for the future of our nation. Our nation is dedicated to Mary under the title of her Immaculate Conception. It would be wise for us to invoke her prayers as well and maternal protection and guidance. God bless. Bernie Owens