A fire rips through the local slum today leaving a baby dead and others clueless how to pick up the pieces. I come in from the streets covered in dust, smoke and sweat. I haven’t cleaned off in over a week. Running water is only available certain days and electricity cuts off at random times.  My clothes smell from wearing the same pair everyday.

Don’t drink the water. 

Don’t forget to take malaria pills. 

Don’t let anyone follow you home.    

Don’t go out at night.

Don’t eat foods sold in the market. 

Hakuna Matata, right?
 

Maybe not, but there’s a bigger worry I won’t have to think about… do Kenyans love God? The passion and zeal I’ve seen from followers of Christ in Kenya the past week has been incredible.  It makes the American church look deathly ill because of the lack of passion for God. While we have tolerated (or accepted) the secular culture, the Kenyan Church is fighting against the influence of western lifestyle. They don’t want “our” way of living.   

Nobody is going to make us stop substituting youth sports leagues for worship. Nobody is going to make us read the Bible. Nobody is going to make us turn off the TV and pray. Nobody is going to make us turn down promotions for the sake of spending time with our families. Nobody is going to make us clothe the naked, feed the hungry, walk with the lonely.  
Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” 
Knowing that God is still for us can bring back true passion and love.

Knowing that God sustains us brings a rest truly considered “Hakuna Matata”.

Father, align our hearts so that it beats with yours.

Consume our spirit with what consumes yours.

Move us to tears so that we know what breaks your heart.

Awaken the depths of our souls that have been sleeping far too long.

Let love fill us up and overflow onto your creation.

Your Spirit ignite a wellspring inside us that cannot be stopped.

In Your Name, Amen…