Apologetics, Critical Thinking

When Christians Lose to Pain and Suffering

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There is a prayer that prompts more questions than answers for me whenever I hear it. The prayer goes something like this ‘God we thank you for the gift of life, there are those who wished to be alive but are not’. Others would be about thanking God for health because there are those in hospital beds who are unwell or thanking God for waking up in the morning because there are others who did not wake up.

I believe that most people say these prayers from their hearts and not to exude an inflated sense of self-importance. It is said innocently, not putting much thought to the other side of the coin. But for some reason, I can’t help but think about that person who died, that person who was not able to wake up or the one who is sick. Does it mean that they are on the wrong side of God?

And then it makes me think about the different kinds of suffering that people go through in this world; accidents, natural disasters, wars, sickness and others. There are those who survive and those who Continue reading When Christians Lose to Pain and Suffering →

Critical Thinking, General living

The Complications of Moi’s Public Apology

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The Late President Moi’s legacy is a complicated one, split between the good, the bad and the ugly. On one hand you have a man who attended church religiously, openly loved children, gave them free school milk, built schools and universities and did much more recognizable good. On the other hand, you have a man whose government had a torture chamber, who exiled people, enriched his associates through corruption and land grabbing and more that I might not know about.

There are different levels of Interactions with Moi. There are those who suffered or benefited directly because of his actions. There are those who suffered or benefited courtesy of their family members’ good or bad experience with Moi. And then there is the rest of us, who were affected positively or negatively by his policies and whose perception of Moi was mainly carved by the media and other people’s experiences of him.

Clearly his presidency and personality had many faces.

And what are we supposed to say when such a man dies? How are Continue reading The Complications of Moi’s Public Apology →

Marriage and Relationships

Andrei’s birth story

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So, I remember sometime in 2017 when a friend shared the birth story of her daughter on Facebook, and I found it very helpful. I remember thinking, wow this is so good. I wish more people shared their stories, because I learned a few things from those few posts. And she was also hilarious. Which made me and hubby have a good laugh. Yes, I made him read those posts so he could have an idea what labor and birth looked like. I remember vowing to also write about my own experience when my time came to also enlighten someone else.

So here goes my story…My pregnancy was a rather smooth one and am grateful to God for that especially being a first-time mum. On our last trimester, I made sure I read far and wide about labor, prayed, exercised, ate well as I geared myself for the time our son would make his grand entrance to this world. I remember going for my 38th week Continue reading Andrei’s birth story →

Marriage and Relationships

Memes, Labour Pains and a Helpless Father

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Related imageAbout a month before my son was born, my wife and I had gone to hospital for her routine antenatal clinic appointment. At some point, I went downstairs to grab something to bite. I was alone in the lift when it stopped on one of the floors. Then entered a nurse pushing a trolley. On it was a baby. I looked at the baby and then at the nurse and back at the baby.

“How many days?” I asked.

The nurse smiled and answered “Zero, this baby has just been delivered.”

My face lit; I was excited. I leaned to get a closer look at the sleeping beauty in my presence. With a tag on its hand, partly covered, it felt like the baby was just chilling, unassuming and unaware of the public debt it’s been sunken into already. The baby must have heard my thoughts, because Continue reading Memes, Labour Pains and a Helpless Father →

General living

A visit to Thogoto home for the aged

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“In life there are many challenges, and challenges are good, because when you overcome them you grow.” Those were the words of the last elderly man I spoke to when we visited Thogoto home for the aged in Kikuyu a few weeks ago. Slender, tall, constantly adjusting his belt, donning a yellow cap pulled slightly to the side, he cuts the figure of an old man still in touch with his youth. But the smoothness of the queen’s language that he speaks is something else.

He wanted to talk more but our time was over, all members of our bible study group were already out of the gate while I still chatted with the wazees. When I said to the old man that I had to leave, he asked me if I have a curfew.

I must have looked at him in a peculiar manner, prompting him clarify his words. “It’s like a curfew” he reiterated, adding that he didn’t mean a real curfew ‘but something like a curfew’. I can’t say that I completely understood what he was saying, and maybe that is why he wanted to continue the conversation.

“When you can come back, Continue reading A visit to Thogoto home for the aged →

Apologetics, Critical Thinking

How should Christians approach social good?

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Sometime in 2017 Rev. Wandii Rukorio, a missionary pastor who was based in Northern Kenya preached in our church. He talked of the great work that God was doing in Northern Kenya extending to South Sudan. It was quite interesting to hear about the intrigues and unique challenges of evangelizing to the ‘unreached people groups’ in that area and how God was working everything out.

But one statement stood out for me and I have been pondering over it ever since.

He said that he had purposed in his life that he would not do those things that the world can do.

He went on to talk about how people in South Sudan, when they heard that there was a missionary in their midst, came to him in a delegation, to let him know that they did not have a hospital, a school and good roads.

‘What else don’t you have?’ Rev Rukorio asked them. They Continue reading How should Christians approach social good? →

Critical Thinking, General living

Gospel musicians or musicians who sometimes sing gospel music

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Opinion is colossally divided about what we have come to know as ‘gospel music’. There is a big concern that most of the new school kind of gospel music is not really about the gospel. Many argue that it’s about performance, showbiz, fame and money. The old timers, especially in church are particularly disturbed, they don’t understand the ‘perversion of the sacred’ that is going on. Even people who vaguely understand Christianity have an opinion on this.

But I think we need to take a step back and think about the definitions, which is where we got it wrong in my opinion.

In all other professions people go about their business without being labelled Christian, gospel or secular except in music. There are no gospel lawyers, gospel teachers, gospel doctors, secular engineers or secular writers. But we have gospel musicians. Why? Continue reading Gospel musicians or musicians who sometimes sing gospel music →

Human interest

Reaching out to Mt. Elgon Children

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In December 2018 I travelled to Kapsokwony in Mt. Elgon to attend a daily vacation bible school (DVBS) organized by Mt. Elgon Children Ministries in conjunction with local pastors. I arrived in Kimilili at around 7am and took a boda boda up the mountain.

The ascend from Kimilili to Kapsokwony is a very telling one. Once you get off the tarmac and start climbing on the murram road, you get the feeling of abandonment. Even if no one explains it, you would feel like you are entering a different territory. It is a steep climb just near Kapsokwony. I would later know that the children I saw walking up were going to the DVBS.

I had heard quite a bit about the DVBS but experiencing it for myself was something else, it was like becoming a child again. With children its Continue reading Reaching out to Mt. Elgon Children →

Human interest

Death refused to kiss back

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Forgiveness is one of the hardest things that a person can do, but like most difficult things, it is also most fulfilling. The weight of bitterness and unforgiveness, when laid down, brings the most liberation to a person.

When Viola shared part of her story for the first time, it was in a group where we were studying forgiveness. The topic was heavy for her, she sat there shaking her head, wondering if everyone else really understood the immensity of the issue.

When it was her turn to speak, she simply said ’for me it is very difficult to forgive someone’.

The group leader probed further, and Viola yielded and shared part of her story.

Viola endured such suffering in the hands of her loved ones to the point of being suicidal. She bought poison Continue reading Death refused to kiss back →

General living, Human interest

For the boy child – keeping the promise

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James is the kind of guy who can crush your party and then give you a good reason for his action. Spontaneity runs in his veins.  He is that guy who is not afraid to knock on doors and push for what he believes in.

He calls me one Saturday afternoon and informs me that he is on his way to my place. He arrives about 30 minutes later. He informs me that he has been going to bike shops asking for support towards the half way cycle (James and crew are cycling from Nairobi to Kisumu this December to raise awareness and funds for his work with boys in juvenile prison).

And he got support, one shop owner donated Continue reading For the boy child – keeping the promise →