A lot has happened this past week, starting with the international day of prayer for Zimbabwe on Sunday, April 27. Churches all over the world stood in solidarity with the plight of Zimbabweans and condemned the widespread violence and intimidation of citizens by the government.
Not surprisingly, there were counterclaims by government and some politicians in the region that the violence is exaggerated and not "serious." This got me thinking about what constitutes "serious violence." Is it mass massacres where thousands upon thousands of lives are lost? By defining crisis in relation to statistics, politicians continue to devalue the lives of Africans.
This "life-devaluing" rhetoric presents a challenge to faith communities to enter the political discourse with a different language that links the struggle for justice with the dignity and value of life. While it is important to point out and expose the acts of terror being perpetuated, we need to be weary of being dragged down into the same frame of reference. It would be a sad day indeed if we found ourselves sharing the same vocabulary and vilifying the other.
For me, the day of prayer for Zimbabwe was an important reminder that as people of faith we enter into the struggle for justice with a different language, ethos, and an intentional commitment to the welfare of all -- particularly the poor. Therefore, we pray for a different army for Zimbabwe, an army of visionary leaders who are competent experts in every area of governance, such as education, health, politics, justice, economics, trade, agriculture, housing, and business (for example, mining, manufacturing, trade, and commerce). This is the real liberation army!
We pray also for the present, for wisdom to be given (at the Solomon and Daniel level!) to strategic persons who have the power to change the situation so that the political crisis will be resolved expediently and justly. More importantly, that prophetic wisdom be given to church leaders so that they may continue to play an important role in this process. The role of the church has been remarkable!
Nontando Hadebe, a former Sojourners intern, is originally from Zimbabwe and is now pursuing graduate studies in theology in South Africa.
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