Recently a friend of mine was somewhat miffed. During the 11-day Middle East crisis, I reminded him that I don’t share his passion for current world events. In a heated email discussion, he proclaimed, “You are breathing, most certainly. You are alive and living on this planet. You cannot escape the fact that a ‘war’ is going on in the Middle East. Yet you strictly avoid any invitation to discuss world politics. This is peculiar behavior indeed.”
Well, call me “peculiar” then. I did not wring my hands over that bit of news from the Middle East. Nor did I follow CNN’s or BBC’s ongoing minute-by-minute reports.
I guess my passion – and the focus of my energy – is to concentrate on fulfilling God’s purpose for my life. My aim is to “be about My Father’s business”. I subscribe to the wisdom of God’s Word:
Blessed be the name of God. He knows all and does all. He guides history. (Daniel 2)
When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over…
Staying with it – that’s what God requires. (Matthew 24)
While that crisis was going on thousands of miles away, I ventured into a part of Kenya – West Pokot – where time seems to have stood still. For several days, I couldn’t get the images out of my mind.
Much of what I saw seemed like a remnant from a bygone era. Their lives are primitive, by most any standard. There is no electricity, no newspapers, and no phone coverage whatsoever. Radio reception, at best, is sporadic and scratchy.
Instead of avidly following BBC, here daily life is consumed with a basic struggle to survive. The people barely eke out a living in a barren and unforgiving land. 80% of Kenya is arid or semi-arid land (in the northern 2/3 of the country). The climate is harsh; indeed, their very lives are harsh.
While there, I got a most interesting glimpse into a people group called Suk – or more commonly – the Pokot. In some portions of West Pokot, illiteracy is incredibly as high as 97%. Very few are educated through 8th grade, especially the “girl child”. Even fewer make it through high school. Many only speak Pokot; they don’t know Swahili or English.
