As I drove home from my office today, I faced a searing contrast in my heart. I drove down the tree-lined suburban street to the west where the purple sky was masterfully smeared with pink and orange. And in my peripheral, I took in the mother walking with her child and the retiree jogging along the sidewalk. And there was an insular peace...The contrast came when I thought about how perhaps a similar sunset presided over the slums of Kenya 10 hours earlier. Except, rather than the pleasantries of the American Dream, that same sun likely descended over mobs of people crushing each other while grappling for food & water handouts, violent political protests, and tribe-based conflict which has erupted throughout the country over the past few days and has already claimed the lives of well over 500 people.
As I've written before, I'm increasingly convinced that to internalize and embrace these contrasts (instead of explaining them away, as many of us were indirectly taught) is a necessary way for us to better understand the needs and the realities that have cracked God's creation. Sometimes, as we begin to perceive the pain of others, we feel compelled to act in anyway we can...
My buddy, Justin, has recently taken a position with a great organization that is well-positioned in Kenya to offer relief to many of these people who are facing the resulting perils of the riots and conflicts. If you have a moment, read the following words from Justin, and if nothing else, please embrace the hundreds of thousands of affected people in your prayers...
Kenyan Crisis: Join Us in a Response
Life in Abundance International (LIA) invites you to join us in meeting the urgent physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters who are suffering from post-election violence and instability in Kenya. Utilizing the experience and church partnerships of our LIA-Kenya team, LIA is immediately seeking funding to begin its relief effort in the Mathare region of Kenya, which is home to 500,000 of the country’s poorest people. Our relief effort will include, but is not limited to, the following provisions: medicines, clothes, blankets, food, and shelter rehabilitation.
As always, LIA will work with local churches to provide these provisions. It is beautiful for the Church to serve a desperate and hurting community in this capacity. Please join us in this effort by praying for peace, stability, reconciliation and restoration in Kenya. But don’t stop your involvement there: take action! Contributions to LIA’s relief effort can be made on-line (after logging into PayPal – identify your donation as ‘Relief for Kenyan Crisis’ or by mail (please send donations to the LIA USA Office).
Additionally, as they become available, updates will be periodically posted on our website. In the meantime, please review the links below:
Video: Violence Continues in Kenya
NY Times: Kenya Crisis Worsens As Opposition Cools to Talks
The Standard: Photo Gallery
Nation Media: local headlines
Thank you,
Justin Narducci
Life in Abundance International
Phone: 626.213.2203
Email: Justin [dot] Narducci [at] LIAInt [dot] org
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