Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 13:13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Matthew 19:13-15 13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Culture Reading
· Read in Culture Smart: Kenya, Chapter 2: Value and Attitudes, 47-49.
o Note how much Kenyans value children. In fact, it is not unusual for Christian churches to prioritize marriage and family over singleness, even condemning single men and women for not fulfilling the cultural expectation of family.
o There are many expectations placed on children. They are expected to contribute with chores in the home or crop production at an early age.
o The Mzee (pronounce, “em-zay”) is the leading male elder in a clan, family, or area. Gray hair also designates one as an mzee. Age is well-respected in Kenyan culture, and elders are given preferential treatment in public gatherings.
o As noted in the reading, Kenyan women are strong in character and endurance. Just watching them carry a workload on their back or head is amazing and awe-inspiring. Getting passed by one of them on a steep incline is just plain embarrassing.
o One of the draw backs of a male-dominated and elder-driven culture is the prevalence of harassment (because of submissive attitudes to “powerful” people) and domestic violence (often called discipline).
Devotional Thought
Perhaps you are familiar with the old poem Cecil Frances Alexander entitled, “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The first stanza of the poem reflects on the general power of the Creator God.
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
I memorized these lines from a church hymn that was sung when I was younger. They are a great reminder of the inherent value in everything and EVERYONE that God made.
When considering some of the cultural priorities of Kenya, we must remind ourselves of the value of everyone we will meet while we are on mission. Kenyan culture reflects the values of a male-dominated, elder-venerated, clan-first, agrarian society. This provides stability, but it also puts the marginalized members of society at great risk by robbing them of their voices and their visibility. We will have to find balance between peacefully navigating the expectations of our hosts and calling out injustice and inequality when it appears.
When working in local schools, you will notice that children are conditioned to respond with correct answers only. Questioning and dialogue are not a part of their normal learning processes. The saying is true: Kenyan children are meant to be seen, not heard. And if they are heard, they will most likely physically disciplined. This is also true with the adults in the leadership training. There is a clear authority structure (to the Kenyans, at least), and most adults, and especially females, will not cross the invisible lines in order to question leadership authority. Since we bring our own set of experiences and authority, we already have a place at the table, which makes it even more difficult to recognize the social dynamics at play.
One of the best things we can do is to live the truth of Jesus as he navigated a male-dominated society. He welcomed women, children, the sick, sinful, marginalized, broken, and foreigners into conversations about the Kingdom of God. And he elevated all of these groups in the eyes of his followers and the local culture. One of the best things you can do to elevate the status of children is to touch their head and to bless them or pray for them. One of the best things you can do for marginalized adults is to speak to them in English, listen to their stories, offer to pray for them, and treat them as spiritual equals. One of the best things we can do for our Kenyan leaders is to engage them in conversations and hear their stories—while we model love and empowerment to the marginalized in their care.
Out of deference to our local leaders, we do not need to embarrass anyone by “calling” them out. But we will do well to show great love to all who enter our sphere of influence. As we exercise faith (religions training) and hope (educational training), we need to remember that the greatest thing we can do is to love our hosts and each other (unconditional acceptance).
Reflection and Prayer
Pray that our eyes will be sensitive and culturally aware to the needs of the people we will meet.
·Pray for our influence—that we might love in the right ways for the purpose of discipleship.
·Pray that we will show love for each another—even after we’ve enjoyed over a full day of flying across the world together—and then encountered cultural confusion and weariness.
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