Where are the Widows Lists???

Have missed this pad!

Two significant events happened for me the past few weeks and have refused to go away from my mind. No matter how badly am shaking them off- the clog remains.

Maybe writing will get me settled, for a while – it always does. But I’m sure I will have little success with this.

The first thing. A glamorous wedding  of a young man to the daughter of a well heeled Bishop in my country. The couple went ON AIR and at the end of the interview, I heard with my very own ears, from their very own lips ‘The wedding cost a whopping Ksh 9 million!’ ($110,000 )

2 Days later. They protested. “No. Point of correction” went out the hollow cry of complaint from them  “It was actually Ksh 12 million!” ($140,000) The casualness of brag speak struck my ears harder.

Now, as a christian who believes and has seen miracles, I would be the last person to begrudge a well raised girl the wedding of her dreams. But I reckon you can still make it grandeur and be sensitive to the community around you especially if you are from church. The Body of Christ.

In a country, like Kenya where the haves are ridiculously rich while the have nots, go to bed on empty bellies dats on end or for a meagre 3 days a week if lucky, one can’t help shaking their head at the ostentatious display of debauchery in a world of scarcity.

Second event took place at the same time, 20 or so miles away from the wedding venue. This woman with 8 children to feed was caught red handed selling two of her children 4 and 6 years in age to raise Ksh.400000 ($4500).

The buyer offering Ksh.200,000 ($2250 )per child. Someone blew the whistle on her and in no time, the police with glee splashed all over their faces roughed her up, beat her up and threw her in our  well known horrid cell holdings.

In record time, the police instituted a crminal offense against her. Selling children!

What struck me hardest, was her demeanor.  Forthright in defence of her action she constantly wiped her tearing eyes as she spoke.

“I can’t look after all of them, its too much. I thought selling the two will get us money to put up a house for the  rest of their siblings upcountry, so that we can move there and have a life.

Whoever buys them will guarantee my children better life, of which I can’t. It’s too much for me. I can’t find work or look after them. We sleep hungry since I lost my husband a year ago. We can’t cope anymore.”

Inconsolable she poured out her hesrt and story. No one listened, everyone condemned her callous act. Accusing her of extreme selfishness and wickedness. Selling human beings, not just human beings but helpless children!

Alas! went out a public cry.

But I empathized. When push comes to shove a mother will do anything to save her children if she so loves them.

I have not had a proper wink of sleep since then I think about her constantly, what can I do?

She had nowhere to turn to. What about the church? Did we always close our doors? Where is it a poor widow can walk into and be received and put on the widows lists like it was in the early church?

Has the church abdicated it’s duty and role to look after widows?

The philanthropist are taking over duties God assigned us, the church.

ACTS 6:3  Because widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of rations, it was decided that 7 men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom be put in charge of this noble duty. It was a core ministry.

Maybe there was too much corruption going on, but what clearly stands out, someone had to man the LISTS OF WIDOWS with integrity. Too important to be left to anyone.

I ask aloud to any church congregation today. “Do you have these lists from among your congregations? would you know any widows who need help with school fees, food, house, children in your church today?”

Where is the church? If this woman attended the church where a $100000 wedding took place and sought help would she find it, in real time? Or would she sell her children, pay the tithe and go home to die.And not even notice her absence in the church?

The church often hides and reverts to 1Tim 5;9 to spin responsibilities to widows.

A widow should be 60 years. But let’s be realistic here. In a country where life expectancy is 49 years and AIDS is decimating breadwinners at a rate we can’t keep up, shall we bury our heads and stick to the 60 year rule?

Wisdom is called for and the church must up it’s game from splashing money and lavish lifestyles just because the widows in there or leaders dare not ask for the widow lists.

Those lists are mandatory and biblical, lets live it!

Deuteronomy exhorts believers to leave fields for the strangers, widows and the fatherless to glean in there.

Whoa! try it on a church’s or landlord’s farm and you’ll find yourself so fast in the dingy horrid cells the desperate woman found herself in.

Turning a blind eye on who’d look after her children while she languished in jail.

We raise our hands to the Father singing

“Know more… about Jesus…. Know more… more about…

I said it, yes sometimes it sounds like

“No more about Jesus… but us.”