It’s been an interesting two weeks. We have been fortunate and blessed to have a group of Nursing students from a Trinity Western University in Canada and this has been an extremely uplifting experience for me. They have been overwhelmingly positive in there view of the work of the hospital and this has been a timely remainder for us that, despite struggles, the Big Man’s work is work for the good. TWU is a Christian institution and the students really epitomized why nursing is a vocation and not a career. (In Zambia because of the abysmal lack of employment, nursing has become a sought after profession). They integrated so well with our own students and staff and it was so nice to see the care and compassion they showed on the wards.
Most of all what has been encouraging is that they have really grasped they idea of mission. Of course our mission is to serve the poor and they have financially supported the hospital and nursing school and for that we are so grateful. But they’ve realized that mission extends beyond that. Mother Theresa observed once that you would never alleviate poverty just by giving money to the poor. She had a point. In the vehicle coming back from Mukwela, these young students were talking about how they could help Chikankata. They were talking about praying constantly and mobilizing their churches to do the same. They talked about restrictive trade laws, about generic and brand name drugs which hike up prices and lobbying their politicians about these issues. They talked about lots of things and I sat there thinking – they’ve grasped what it’s all about. I’ve realized over the last year that Making Poverty History is not just about marching or campaigning once a year – Making Poverty History is a lifestyle choice. It’s a big commitment that will make you unpopular and political.
I’m reading Intelligent Church by Steve Chalke at the moment. He encourages churches to be political. Not in a party political way but in fighting for things that matter; “A political church is a church that understands its mission must move beyond social action to the quest for social justice”. I believe the Christian Church is beginning to re-awaken to this but I was encouraged by these young ladies.
Chalke writes also: "A political church is a church with a mission to help people find answers to the problems and challenges they face, but also help them deal with the reasons those problems and challenges exist in the first place." The reasons many of these problems exist is because we don’t do anything but fight the symptoms rather than the cause.
Thank you Trinity Western University for inspiring us and making me think.
Most of all what has been encouraging is that they have really grasped they idea of mission. Of course our mission is to serve the poor and they have financially supported the hospital and nursing school and for that we are so grateful. But they’ve realized that mission extends beyond that. Mother Theresa observed once that you would never alleviate poverty just by giving money to the poor. She had a point. In the vehicle coming back from Mukwela, these young students were talking about how they could help Chikankata. They were talking about praying constantly and mobilizing their churches to do the same. They talked about restrictive trade laws, about generic and brand name drugs which hike up prices and lobbying their politicians about these issues. They talked about lots of things and I sat there thinking – they’ve grasped what it’s all about. I’ve realized over the last year that Making Poverty History is not just about marching or campaigning once a year – Making Poverty History is a lifestyle choice. It’s a big commitment that will make you unpopular and political.
I’m reading Intelligent Church by Steve Chalke at the moment. He encourages churches to be political. Not in a party political way but in fighting for things that matter; “A political church is a church that understands its mission must move beyond social action to the quest for social justice”. I believe the Christian Church is beginning to re-awaken to this but I was encouraged by these young ladies.
Chalke writes also: "A political church is a church with a mission to help people find answers to the problems and challenges they face, but also help them deal with the reasons those problems and challenges exist in the first place." The reasons many of these problems exist is because we don’t do anything but fight the symptoms rather than the cause.
Thank you Trinity Western University for inspiring us and making me think.
posted by Charlie Chikankata at 12:23 pm
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