Look into the mirror

Have you ever found yourself wondering about how someone did something wrong and how insensitive it is of them? Have you ever wondered why some people don’t grow up and do things like you expect them? Well I have, sometimes I ask myself questions like “what in the world was he thinking, or can’t he just act as a grown up?”  This is sometimes me, and I have been very quick to judge or say something negative about some people who do wrong things. Most of the time I have found myself being the one to give corrections and be quick to say, “That is very irresponsible of you”, I don’t know if it’s just me alone who is like this but frankly I think am very  judgmental.

Sometimes back I had a meeting with me and we were going through the dark sides of me, and we were very careful not to leave anything out and by the time we were adjourning the meeting, I felt like I was Satan himself. I was shocked of how my life is not different from those I have been judging or talking bad about. If I was to judge myself then the first statement would be “Edu you are selfish!” Seriously I was surprised of the many instances where I thought of myself better than the others, and how I have elevated myself even if it’s just in my thoughts. I am just as a sinner as everybody around me and I need help twice as much as they need it.

I think many times we forget that we are just the same as everybody, since none of us are angels and Jesus didn’t die twice for others. Many times we are so quick to want to remove the speck in people’s eyes yet the logs that make us look so ugly are still there. Before I go on let me make one thing clear, it very good to correct people and show them what is wrong and what is right and by doing so you don’t become judgmental, but the question is, are you doing it out of love and concern or are you doing it because you feel they should do things in your own style.

There is a difference in judging and correcting. According to the dictionary, judging means, to determine the result of something or situation or form a critical opinion about something, no wonder Jesus said we should not judge, coz who are we to determine the outcome of things or to form an opinion about something when our own lives are already wanting? Correcting means making amendments for, and that’s why we ought to correct coz by correcting we point people to the right channel and we do that out of love. Now compare the two, judging makes you form opinions about something which gives you room to gossip about it or laugh about it and still not do anything about it, while correcting, means you are at task of doing something about the situation, it means you have to go ahead and make the matters right .That shows care and concern.

Analyzing your self is always the best way of understanding others. Today I asked myself, how would I want someone to handle me when am on the wrong side and honestly I wouldn’t want someone to go around talking about my mistakes.  I would want them to come to me and help me out. That means I should induce the same measurement to others. If I would not appreciate someone being so hard on me, then I shouldn’t be hard on others, if I don’t want people to avoid me because of my dark past then I shouldn’t do that to others. It’s all about loving others as you love yourself. Most of the friends that we have seen going astray and don’t have a way of bringing them back is because we have not created that image of someone they would admire and want to be like, we keep telling them of how wrong their company is or how rude they are and how their attitude stinks but we don’t offer a way out.

As I said earlier, after my meeting with myself I realized how selfish I have become, not in the big conspicuous things but on the many small things but very essential. Many times I have had friends visit me yet don’t even share the word of God  with them, or many times they have come for help and didn’t even pray with them, just the usual words, “it’s going to be ok.” Sometimes we can be selfish with our time, words and materials possession even without realizing it. Have you ever felt like someone will never change? Or felt like someone’s sins are too much even the devil cannot stand him? We do that all the time. I know you are thinking like, no that’s not me, I don’t think that evil about others, am a good Christians… well think again and am sure you are just about to call your self-selfish like me.

In this world we are living in, everybody is as weak as the other though in different areas. People are struggling with stuff here and there and the fact that you only gossip and don’t masturbate don’t earn you more points in heaven. The fact that you wear the long dresses which help in the street cleanliness doesn’t give the leeway to lying. We all have those skeletons in our closets and am sure we hide them in there coz we don’t want to look bad, so let’s also give others a chance to deal with there’s and not act like we have been living in heaven and just visit the earth every time we want to forgive  sinners.

We all struggle with things, we are not perfect neither are we always right, but the truth is we are all struggling to get there. Let’s take one another’s hand and pull them up to where we are and let’s allow God to do his work of judging as we do ours of correcting. Let’s share love with the weak and help them attain the strength that God has filled us with. Let’s look at the good side of people and develop positive attitude towards change and newness. God can use anyone and he can change anyone, let’s allow him to be the judge of the righteous and not us. Let’s do our part which is the great commission, i.e. preaching the gospel, making disciples and baptizing them. Before you say something negative about someone, look into the mirror.

Wake up let’s journey on

Will history repeat itself?

Africa has been a victim of wars and economic constrains, with the highest rates of corruption and the slowest economic development in all the continents, the root course being what? Leaders who only care for themselves or is it ignorance? Can it be our customs and traditions or the mixed groups of tribes that we have? Most the conflicting countries in Africa are all in war based on religion or either the many tribal groups and click that have been founded. People all over Africa have been identifying themselves as either being in a certain religion or from a certain tribe, leading to war and hate all over this dark continent.

Sudan has faced it rough over the many years, evils arising each day and children losing their homes, women being raped men killing all over and the trend being transferred to the generations to come. Talk of what is currently going on in Nigeria and the wars between the Christians and Muslims. Christians are being lynched every night and their houses touched, most of them going missing all in the name of religion and the same go to Zimbabwe. What’s eating us as Africans, why can’t we love one another on the basis of humanity and continental belonging?

I am a Kenyan who loves my country and it pains my heart every time I think of what we became in our last elections. It’s a scary feeling that we have already forgotten what happened and we are still trading in the same ranks of disunity and hate. We are heading to the new Elections for our leaders for the next five years and political campaigns are already in place. Our political aspirants are already out there fighting and convincing us about our elections and who to vote in. The saddest part of these is the fact that this is still being done on the tribal basis and our leaders are still going to the `mashinani´ to call for attention. Are we really safe with such kind of campaigns?

Harrison Ford said that peace is not the absence of war but the presence of justice. This is one of the things that we as a nation need to embrace and fight for.  The things that happen in the last election should be the last things to be expected this year. Kenya has been developing in term infrastructure, Education and many other tangible things that we can lay our eyes on, but the reality is our brains have really not developed. We still view each other as this or that tribe and not as a Kenyan. Have we already forgotten what happened to all us 5 years ago?

 

 

The late Mr. Garang’ of Sudan once told the Sudanese that what unite them is not their tribes, but the fact that they are all from Sudan.  It’s a pity that he is no more. Being Kenyan is what unites us and not being this or that tribe. We have to stop looking and judging one another based on their tribes, but being citizens of this country, that’s what being a Kenyan means. Tribalism starts by simple things like speaking our vernacular languages in public places, developing insulting stereotypes and relating certain incidences to some communities.

This generation needs to make the difference especially because of the opportunities of high level of Education and the spread of Civilization; we can set an example of love and understanding in our relations anytime and everywhere. We should not allow our political leaders to divide us along the tribal lines with their inciting politics. We are all Kenyans and all the tribes of this country are equal. We are all nationalist and that makes us all equal. This year we have to show and prove to our leaders that we are mature enough to make patriotic decisions and no matter what the outcome will be nothing of 2007/2008 will arise. We will never repeat what happened, and nothing of this kind will ever be there.

Just like Martin Luther King J. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. We must concentrate not mealy on negative expulsion of war but the positive affirmation of peace. Finally let us remember that in order to enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control his mind. If a man controls his mind he finds the way to enlighten, and all wisdom and virtues naturally comes to him.

Let us wake up and journey on…