Thursday, January 31, 2008

Look.

I am deeply saddened by the violence ripping through Kenya. The terror waits quietly on my doorstep in black and white. I am comfortably removed from the violence. I have never been to Africa, but many people I know have invested significant time in the country and I wonder how their relationships and places have been affected. Since I started reading the paper most mornings I am confronted by more injustice, fear, and sadness than I know what to do with. It is strange to be a distant observer. I am pulled to act but frozen in knowing how or where to start. It seems that all I can do right now is say "look!" and stumble through prayers of hope and grief.

My body slows as I sit down in a melancholoy awe of the destruction or lives, people, souls, relationships, and hope.

How can I be an agent of justice? Will I? Where am I called? Right now it is here, but I can feel the stirrings of change.

3 comments:

J May said...

Well said, friend. Very poetic. I 'm still just understanding it as I type. All I can say is that I can relate very well. I am praying and finding hope in that. The two things that I am finding solace in in the midst of wrestling with tragedy like this in this world: one, that I am left frustrated to the point I have to seriously explore the importance and power of prayer. And two, I'm realizing that we are in a strange situation in this country. We are inundated with information all day, including especially the news, but we are also some of the most isolated people who have ever lived on earth. So we are left with this massive pile of information about terrible things and isolated to the point it feels like the weight of that pain is only on our individual shoulders in some moments. So, in some way, I hope that by seeking to let God use me as an agent for restoring social disconnection in this country, I am helping people find more power to be able to actually do something about the pain and suffering of this world. After all, "If all were a single member, where would the body be?" (1 cor 12:19 ESV)

J May said...

p.s. you came up in conversation at my place yesterday randomly. My room mate Jamie's gf Katy was talking about exploring degrees in counseling from MHGS and she said, "that nice girl you and I met through Tracy was going there for that and she really liked it!" Then Jamie remembered that the name of the nice girl they met was Allison. Any way, kinda random. Hope all is well!

Alison May said...

Thank You. And touche. I appreciate your passionate voice and openness to questions that seem unanswerable. It's true, I'm discovering and exploring what "part" I am created to be and live. The process is transforming to say the least. Yes. I would reccomend MHGS to anyone willing to wrestle, struggle, rest, and many other verbs in order to more deeply love and in turn pass that on to others.