My friend Kate is in Uganda
right now, part of an eight-month long pilgrimage around the world looking for
good things that are happening in the world 'to fight hopelessness with inspiration' and sharing them in videos on the web. Quite the undertaking! In our adolescent years we were quite close,
our relationship based on summer camp, running, and God. Since then geography and busy lives have come
become between us and I can’t say I know what motivates her any longer.
Hearing updates from her
remind me of my tired, jaded approach to international development. Uganda is a country that has both filled me with hope and broken my
heart. I find myself easily criticizing what
she’s doing as at best short-sighted and naive, at worst voyeuristic
perhaps. Taking stories and giving nothing back. But where does that leave my
work? What’s wrong with focusing on good
things? It is after all something that
people want to hear and may even have more impact than stories of poverty and
hunger that create a discomfort so profound people tune out and distance
themselves.
Back to the shared God that
we spent endless hours as teenagers pontificating and theorizing about as we
perched on wooden benches by the calm, lapping waters of Pine Lake or
alternately discussed as we jogged along the gravel road, past the
picture-perfect chapel on the hill nearby in the early mornings. My theology is centered on Jesus’ solidarity
with the poor, crying out for justice in a world of growing inequity and
suffering. I’ll admit, sometimes the hope that I claim motivates me gets buried
in a witnessed suffering. Maybe Kate is looking more towards Paul’s words: whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable, if there is anything excellent, if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things. (Phil 4:8)
As I head back to Uganda in
just over a week, perhpas I need some renewed hope in all that is good and
beautiful and hopeful about engaging with humanity in an unjust world.
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