More healing and reconciliation in Kenya

Following the workshop in Zimbabwe a healing and reconciliation workshop was help in Nakuru in Kenya's Rift valley. Tensions are still high there after the post-election violence. Wounds are still open and festering.

47 people from 6 different tribes in the Kericho diocese attended the workshop and the atmosphere at first was tense and uneasy. Anastase from Rwanda and Basara from Congo joined me to run the workshop, and 2 participants from the previous MU workshop also came to help. As in Zimbabwe, the Thief session was very significant with the tribes listing their losses and later taking them to the cross. In the cross workshop the tribes are deliberately mixed in small groups. Their response to this was one of shock. Before they had hardly shared their pains and sorrows even with their own tribes. Now they were so shocked that they had sat with their 'enemies' and poured out their hearts to each other! They had even wept together and prayed together! They declared that this had been nothing short of a miracle! Some were so excited that they began to phone home, not only to tell their friends and families, but also to call their enemies to see if they could meet and work things out. The next day so many of them testified of a change of heart and the freedom to forgive. They said they were seeing the other tribes as brothers for the first time.

During the repentance time I again felt I should wash the feet of the most senior member as a sign of deep repentance for the way we British had ruled them. As idid so he kept speaking out words of forgiveness while many began to weep. Then for the next hour and a half, the various tribes began to come forard confessing the sins of their tribes. Other came forward to embrace and forgive.

The King's Table celebration of unity was like a big party - full of joy! After each tribe was affirmed and blessed, each tribe gave a demonstration of praise in their culture, and everyone else joined in the singing and dancing. The following morning they divided into groups to amke plans of how they would take the message into their communities. Each group lifted up a lit candle as symbol that they would 'rise and shine' in their localites.

Healing and Reconciliation in Zimbabwe

At a recent healing and reconciliation workshop in Matapos, 24 participants found deep healing at the Cross. Shona, Ndebele and Whites drew up a list of what the Thief (Jn 10:10) had stolen from their peoplegroup down the generations and what their resulting false beliefs were. Much pain became evident. All this as well as personal painful histories were nailed to a Cross as they entrusted themselves and their peoplegroups to the crucified but risen Lord.
The next day I felt constrained as a British citizen to wash the feet of a leading Shona and Ndebele in an attitude of repentance for our history of oppressive colonial rule there. Many began to weep and some began to declare forgiveness. Following this Shona and Ndebele began to spontaneously wash each other's feet and this went on for more than an hour.
That evening was a joyous celebration of new-found unity at the King's Table where the tribes affirmed and blessed each other. They are now eager to be trained to run the workshop themselves and take the message of healing and reconciliation throughout Zimbabwe.

It was a joy to have maria from the team in South Africa join me as co-facilitator. She was a great blessing to all.