I came across this article from a Kenyan paper today. Kinda cool!
Basking in the Olympic Glory, We Are All Kenyans
The Nation (Nairobi)
18 August 2008
WE'RE IN ONE OF THOSE periods when we need to watch television broadcasts from far-off lands to become Kenyans.
Pamela Jelimo, Richard Matelong, Janeth Jepkosgei and Brimin Kipruto all did us proud on Monday with a fantastic medal haul of two gold, one silver and one bronze in just two track events.
Almost every place where there is a television set, Kenyans have been glued to the little screen yelling, cheering and screaming in unison.
Nobody gives a moment's thought to the ethnic origins, race, political affiliations or religious beliefs of the athletes doing their best to bring glory to Kenya at the Beijing Olympics.
They are Kenyans, period, and it is the Kenyan flag that is being paraded round the track and raised at the awards ceremony.
We all stand up and shout ourselves hoarse applauding a Kenyan victory, not a Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Luo, Giriama winner.
And when we lose to one of those darned Ethiopians, the groan expelled with the agony of defeat again encompasses the entire Kenyan nation irrespective of any of the puny sub-nations within.
There is something notable about this Olympic season: The decibel count from our noisy politicians has gone down. I don't know whether that is just a blessed coincidence or some realisation that they will get scant attention when Kenyans are preoccupied with much more important things during this time.
As we cheer on our boys and girls in Beijing, it is a real blessing, so far at least, that our attentions have not been diverted by the destructive sabre-rattling ethnic jingoism that our so-called leaders usually employ to divide us for selfish ends.
Actually, it is real wonder that not a single one of our leaders has come out to demand ethnic balance in the team.
No politician has taken to the stumps to demand that his ethnic group get its fair share in the team. There have been no calls for a Commission of Inquiry into the way the team was selected and why some tribes were left out.
Not even Parliament has bothered to send a select committee on a Beijing junket in an effort to establish the ethnic background of each team member and whether there was corruption, nepotism and ethnic bias in the conduct of the Kenya Olympic trials since 1964.
Neither have there been any calls for affirmative action in team selection or moves to address historical injustices that have given some communities domination when it comes to securing Olympic tickets.
Sports truly unites us and relegates all those diversionary issues to the back-burners where they belong.
Before leaving for furlough in December, the missionaries at DSM were ministering to 135 pastors and ministry leaders. Upon arrival in April, the attendance had jumped to 165. The May-July semester saw over 200 disciples! The demand for bible teaching has grown so much, that the ministry has had to add two additional days of teaching per week! But perhaps the most amazing part of this blessing is the fact that the five new teachers that DSM is using are former students! Please pray for these new disciple makers: Pastor Daniel Matheka, Pastor Felix Atila, Pastor Simon Mise, Pastor Edward Owino and Pastor David Ochieng (left to right above). Please prayerfully consider joining us in Nairobi as we minister along side these amazing men of God!"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me. Because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted. To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
Proverbs 31:8,9 "Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die (sons of passing away). Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."
This is my heart. I feel that God has spoken this to my heart in response to the verse above. I wrote it down a couple years ago in my journal. I feel that it is the best way to show where I am coming from and the best way to share the conviction which is compelling me to go out.
Whisper when the words aren’t spoken, hear when the words aren’t there. Speak for those whose hearts break open, shed with them their mournful tears. Look into their eyes and see it. Feel the need that they must feel. See the love they long for and be it. Take for them their burdens here. Hold up the weak, encourage the strong to be stronger. Don’t forget the lonely faces and don’t believe that someone else will do it. You are that someone. Simply caring isn’t enough to save lives. Act quickly, they are fading away. Give their voices a freedom to sing for joy. Break the chains around their feet so they can dance. Unlock their hands so they can clap. More beautiful than sunlight see their shining faces. Like no other sound, like angel’s voices rising all around.
I want to live a life worthy of the calling. Worthy of of Christ. I don’t see another way. I want to know God. I want to love like Jesus loved. I can’t ignore the scripture. I can’t pretend I didn’t hear Him calling me to live a more involved and selfless life. I can’t ignore it. I am accountable because I know. That is why I must go."
