Thursday, September 4, 2008

Can Kenya Christians teach us how to vote?


CAN KENYAN CHRISTIANS TEACH US HOW TO VOTE?
By Paul Heidebrecht


This may seem like an odd question. After all, wasn't it Kenya that had a disastrous election less than a year ago?


Sometimes the best lessons are learned the hard way.


When I was in Kenya in May, I had many lively conversations with Kenyan Christians about their election—NEGST students, professors, local pastors, ordinary folks—they all spoke passionately about what had happened in their nation.


I felt their strong emotions of . . .


Shock . . . that a predominantly Christian nation like Kenya could come so close to total collapse.
Shame . . . that Christians had failed to prevent the violence and in a few places had even contributed to the violence.
Concern . . . that the national and international media had not reported the whole story and actually distorted what really happened.
Resolve to not let this happen again and to do better as Christians in Kenyan society.



I heard their explanations. They believed Kenyan Christians had swung from one extreme to the other. For many years Christians had avoided politics because it was seen as corrupt and compromising. The only thing that mattered was "getting saved" and "getting ready for heaven." But eventually Christians realized that government can't be left to people without integrity. They had to be engaged. The past few elections saw many more Christians running for office and voting. But church leaders identified themselves too closely with particular parties and their political tactics. This left them without a credible voice when the crisis struck. In some areas of the country, the church was part of the problem, not the solution.




So what lessons did they learn?


Christians need to be careful with politics. They need to find the right balance. They need to hold firm to higher principles of justice and righteousness. They must ask, What is good for the nation? and not, What is good for me? Nor can they pin their hopes on one party but rather they need to be independent enough to speak respectfully and credibly to all parties.


Pastors especially have to be careful. In most cases, they should avoid endorsing candidates and parties, especially if their congregation has divided loyalties. They should challenge their members to vote and participate in public affairs. They should preach and teach what the Bible says about citizenship in heaven and on earth.


I met several pastors who did remarkable jobs preparing their people to vote. In hindsight, some of them wished they had spoken more directly about tribal identity and the need for Christians to put their identity in Christ first above all else. Clearly, devout Christians can be quite immature and even ethnocentric in their attitudes toward other groups of people in their nation. From time to time, pastors need to confront these attitudes within their own congregations, not just from the pulpit but also in private.


One Sunday morning the church I attended invited a well-known Kenyan politician to appear on their platform, talk about the election and the future of Kenya, but also to listen to the church challenge him and then pray for him. It was a striking example of how the church can engage politics in a proper and positive way without compromising the Gospel.


Don't expect too much from government was another lesson learned. Don't be naïve about politicians. Many are corrupt or susceptible to corruption. The pressure to take care of their supporters and family members is tremendous. Those who have absolute integrity are easily marginalized. Christians must keep calling upon their government leaders to act justly and for the good of all even when it seems hopeless.


But at the same time, churches must tackle the social problems that government leaders won't face. This means empowering those who live in slums, assisting refugees from other nations, resolving conflicts between antagonistic groups of people, establishing schools, clinics and small business enterprises.


The real story the news media missed in Kenya this past year was how local congregations responded to the humanitarian crisis that followed the election violence. Despite their sense of failure for the crisis that should not have happened, churches and pastors stepped up to lead and in many ways they restored the reputation of the church in Kenya.


The NEGST community as well as its graduates who live in Kenya were a large part of this unheralded but effective response in a national crisis. The campus took in refugees, collected food and clothing and visited refugee camps, spent hours in prayer and reconciliation efforts, and spoke in churches about issues of ethnic and Christian identity. All of us can be very grateful to be associated with such a community. We are supporting a powerful witness.


I came home impressed with the wisdom of these Kenyan believers and their journey to a better form of political engagement. North American evangelicals are on a similar journey. Check the outstanding document produced by the National Association of Evangelicals in 2004.
We are all learning from our mistakes and from each other.


For an amazing story of Kenyan pastors leading a prayer march for spiritual cleansing, visit http://www.listeningtoafricanchurchleaders.blogspot.com/


In Christ,


Paul Heidebrecht

Christian Leaders for Africa

P.O. Box 1642

Indianapolis, IN 46206



P.S. Contributions to the NEGST scholarship fund can be sent to the address above.

No comments: