Making things happen
... with integrity
Monday October 11, 2004 Volume VI Number 41
|
by Ken Kemp |
|
T |
his weekend, we’ve been thinking about the elections in Afghanistan, not so much because we are in tune with the political and cultural dynamics at play - this part of the world that seems to distant, so far removed from our own. It’s more personal than that. |
I have a nephew along with his new wife who have made a deep personal commitment to be, as Jesus put it, salt and light in a place that is so devastated by immeasurable years of brutal warfare, so suffocated by the harsh oppression of regressive religion, so deprived of the most basic necessities of habitable normalcy, that I, for one, have difficulty imagining the realities of life in Kabul.
The entire region has been called the “Cradle of Civilization.” But today, one would hardly gravitate to the label “civilized” to describe life in the city only recently controlled by the Taliban. I suppose it sounds naïve to some, but it seems to me that a free election in Afghanistan is such a paradigm shift, such a seismic shift, that perhaps, this region of the world will never again be the same.
After centuries of tribal warfare, brutal combat and survival of the fittest, the irreversible entry of the entire region into the global economy brings an inevitability that will not be denied. As this isolated part of the world gains access to video images and digital information, borders will be less significant there, as they are here. The freedom genie, once released from the proverbial bottle, will not be stuffed back in.
No one disagrees. The invasion of Western ideas into this once closed society brings its diseases as well as its cures. The free and open social order we cherish has its dark and forbidden underbelly, too. Would that we could enjoy the benefits of Amazon.com and E-Bay without the corresponding on-line drug suppliers, the avalanche of pornography and instant virtual casinos (not to mention viruses and ad-ware). Sadly, they are delivered in tandem in an open society. Access brings with it the need for firewalls. Freedom requires responsibility. Character. Consequences. The capacity to choose means that some will make bad, destructive choices. But without choice, there is no freedom. Character, diligence, honor all have their rewards in a free society. You decide.
So it’s no wonder, really, that free elections are so vigorously opposed by those who have the most to lose. This weekend, we are witnessing a watershed moment in the history of Afghanistan. The complaints are loud. Bombs are detonated. The guns blaze. Fires consume. The threats, frightening. But the people line up for ballots. They place their vote with pride. They are given the gift of dignity. Their opinion matters. They imagine a future without repression. They taste freedom. And the taste is good. It awakens an appetite for more.
Something good is born when you recognize that you have a voice in your own destiny. Cynics will question the possibility of democracy in such a place. No doubt. For centuries, these folks have been victimized by the meanest bully in the neighborhood. Religious leaders keep the faithful in lockstep submission, all in the name of a dark theocracy. Despair paralyzes. But this is not the way of the global economy.
So what could it be that would stir the hearts of two young people to leave behind the creature comforts of wealthy nations like the United States and Sweden to take on life in the war torn streets of Kabul?
It’s a question worth pondering.
That’s why this thing is personal.
My nephew and his wife (I hesitate to name them lest some sort of Google search puts them at additional risk) now reside in the city. We pray for their safety. They are there because of their conviction that the most significant liberation of all is the liberation of heart and soul; and that kind of freedom is found in Jesus of Nazareth.
So they live in the city of Kabul. They are making friends with their neighbors. They are intent in language study and committed to building a network of people who will come to experience wholeness and courage in the face of fundamental, historic changes.
Here are some interesting thoughts in a very recent e-mail, written by my nephew’s new wife -
It's been hard to adjust to this culture and the big life change. Every daily thing takes so much longer here, which can easily frustrate a task oriented person like me. Doing laundry in a machine where everything has to be done manually, waking up on our day for cleaning realizing that the water is muddy because our watchman didn't turn the water pump off; then having every young and old men turning their heads staring at you while walking down the road (as they do with most foreign women); then wearing a scarf to cover your hair that always wants to fall down; and women beggars who drug their babies to get money; kid-beggars who pull on your clothing asking for money teasing and laughing.
There are a lot of things that can frustrate you and make you angry in this culture and religion, but I have to remind myself that those things are so small compared to the spiritual reality of this nation that is in desperate need to know the truth about God's love, forgiveness and freedom…
It has been exciting to be
here during such an historical time period in this
country. The Afghans feel it and are excited to vote this Saturday. The locals
think there will be no serious fighting around the elections, but many trucks
filled with explosives have been uncovered and confiscated by the international
forces here in Kabul in the past weeks. There is excitement in the air. One
of my 16 year old students even has two voter registration cards! One man we
spoke with is voting for a candidate who has vowed to go to war with Pakistan
if he becomes president - there is a lot of anger, hate, and bitterness in this
nation. Please continue to pray for the healing of the hearts in Afghanistan.
So you see, it is more than a headline for us. It’s more than a campaign issue. People we love are right there, in the center of the action. At risk. These two young people are motivated by some mysterious prompting that can only be explained by a deep and abiding sense of the heartbeat of God himself.
* * * * * * * *
It’s Monday morning. You are a leader.
We are thinking now about the privilege of the vote. Periodically, we are empowered to transition peacefully– either placing a vote of confidence in a current office-holder or replacing him or her with someone else. It’s an awesome power, really. Watching nations learn the benefits of democracy inspires a new appreciation for a system that works. Most of us are plenty annoyed by the rhetoric and the spin and the personal attacks. But at the same time, we count our blessings, too. Consider the alternative.
More important, as a leader, I’m thinking about those of us who embrace the courage of our convictions. People like my nephew and his wife are too rare, really.
What about you?
Are you willing to take a stand that is consistent with your beliefs? Even if it means sacrifice?
And how about God’s heartbeat?
Can you hear it?
Are you tuned in?
Posted in Valley Center, California
© Copyright Kenneth E. Kemp 2004
Send FEEDBACK
Click here to SUBSCRIBE
To UNSUBSCRIBE, click the link at the bottom of your e-mail alert.