Little white girls ... and boys

I don't normally re-post other people's thoughts on this blog but I was struck today by the wisdom of this 'little white girl' called Pippa so I decided to draw on her thoughts. I do this mainly because, ever since the topic came up in the study group I led for Edinburgh 2010, I have become increasingly concerned by the growth of short term mission.

When I began my work with the Church Mission Society in 1988 'short term' mission meant two years possibly extended to three. Now the same term, as Pippa observes, seems to designate one week on mission, a week's safari to follow and an opportunity to raise £3,000 from your friends and relatives to get there. I still see the plus points but I also have very big questions ... but today let Pipa speak.  Please read.

Holy or unholy indignation?

That great Latin American missiologist, Rene Padilla, once wrote, "One does not become a revolutionary through science but through indignation." Simplistic? No, powerfully insightful. The great man went on to say of his native continent, "In Latin America I believe very few people become Marxist because it has intellectual appeal; rather they become Marxist because they see poverty and injustice, they are moved to indignation and they wanted to do something about it". *

I have been reflecting on this as I listened to the family of Abdul Waheed Majid (the British suicide bomber who blew himself up in Syria last week) talk about his desire to do humanitarian work. Did Abdul leave Britain as a radicalised Muslim terrorist or as a compassionate humanitarian volunteer? Is it not just possible that he left his family to go to Syria because he really wanted to care for traumatised families? But what happened next? Was what he saw there so overwhelming that his indignation and revolt demanded a more vigorous response than handing out bottles of water and sticking plasters? Did his indignation find a home in radicalised Islam? When he sat in the cab of that truck-bomb was he still looking for a way to deal with his indignation?  Probably, we will never know the answers to those questions.

But I have another question ... What about holy indignation? Is there enough indignation in the Christian community to radicalise us, to turn us into a powerful, revolutionary, force for the Kingdom? Or is that too dangerous?

* in "Marxism and Christianity" published in "Facing the New Challenges: The message of PACLA" Padilla,R. 1978  page359

'Armageddon' in perspective

To listen to some people in the UK talk about the current flooding of the Somerset levels and the Thames valley you would be forgiven for thinking that Armageddon was about to strike. So let me share an email I received today ...

"More than 100 people were killed by torrential rains, flooding, and landslides in Burundi [last week], with homes swept away, roads decimated, and many left without power. The rains began on the evening of February 9th, and caused flooding in the northern areas surrounding the capital of Bujumbura.

"Over 1000 houses were destroyed by heavy stones and water, and more than 12,000 people are homeless. Survivors have been put in different places where plastic sheetings have been prepared to help them during this hard time.

"The government of Burundi will pay for hospital treatment for those injured and buried the victims of the flooding. Homes in the poorest sections of Bujumbura are often made of mud bricks, which offered no resistance to the massive deluge of water and mud. Bujumbura is on a relatively flat plain between the hills and Lake Tanganyika. These people are in great need of water, blankets, food, medication and housing."  Deogratias, CCDB, Burundi.

CCDB is a member of Faith2Share network and will be responding to needs in this community.