If Jesus were to write a letter to the Church in Kenya, what would He say?
Rose Inziani (Birenge) submitted this entry to the LittWorld 2012 writing contest:
Greetings in my name! Behold I stand at the door of the Kenya Church and observe… From statistics of over 1 million Bibles sold annually and the activity I see every Sunday, Kenya seems like a Christian country. But a closer analysis results in different realities… You shepherds do not spend time in my presence and with my word hence you end up preaching from your human imagination rather than my inspiration. You would rather preach about prosperity than my word on salvation and judgment. Are you taking care of the sheep, leading them, rebuking when necessary or living off them? You have lost your moral authority – Should you as salt that has lost its savour be thrown out and be trampled upon by Kenyans?
You, congregants, ritualistically come to church every Sunday to fulfill your duty for the one hour of service and go to your real business of the day. Your personal devotion is extinct because you are too busy in the rat race hence sufficing with tidbits from Christian radio/ websites. Are you my effective witnesses?
On this one issue, I speak to your shame and my heart breaks – It has been a whole 4 years and all you have done is to join the rest in condemning the government for not taking care of this ‘problem’ of IDPs [internally displaced persons*]. Wouldn’t you as the Kenyan Church designate a Sunday where you would use all the offering to settle your fellow brothers in IDP camps and give them a head start? Instead of preaching to them about my love for them, show it to them practically. Be your brother’s keeper. I write this letter in love – not to break you but to build you, to tell you that you have the seed of greatness in you. Rise up to your full potential.
Your loving Saviour, Jesus.
>Read more about IDPs in Kenya
>View a photo slideshow of Kenyan IDP camps
*An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country’s borders.
Learn how you can submit articles and win cash in the LittWorld 2012 writing contest, “Blogging for Global Impact.”
