Being the change we want to see is something we hear people say a lot. I suppose because there’s a great deal of change we want to see happen. But wanting to see changes happen and having changes happen are two different things. One speaks more of a desire expressed and the other a desire fulfilled through effort and initiative.
We can go on and on about how we wish things were but until we activate the wish, no change will come to us. Take for instance our tendency as Ugandans to expect the government to fix every problem we encounter. You’ve heard it; I’ve heard it’s almost become an utterance without meaning: “Government ettu yambe”.
These days when I hear these words I can’t help but laugh. I laugh at how long it’s been used and how little change it brings. This is not to say that the government doesn’t owe its citizens financial assistance, no. Don’t get me wrong, it does. What it doesn’t owe us in every sense of responsibility. Somethings we’ve got to do for and by ourselves as this country’s citizens.
This is just an example of what we expect others to fulfill for us when we can collectively work together to bring about the changes we wish for. There’s so much out there that we can do something about if we choose to act. Dreaming about it just won’t do. Demanding for help that may or may not come just won’t do. This is a what can I do situation. Imagine if many of us with this very question got together and figured out a strategy to bring about change, just imagine what could happen.
I remember a couple of years ago, I’d attended a Bible study at one of the new churches that were sprouting in our neighborhood. The pastor had invited some American friends of his who had wanted to support the church with some funding. I was still a young girl and was excited about the prospect of meeting and hanging out with the Americans.
Like most people, I had always been fascinated by Americans and so I couldn’t wait to meet up later after the Bible study was over. This one was a bit different from the ones we’d usually had, I guess because we had guests. Quite typically of Americans, they’d beamed at some of the children around, waving at and blowing them kisses.
Some of the Americans were older than the others and some of them were my age. I couldn’t wait for when we’d get to the introductions and get to know each other a little better. The service went on a little more than I would have liked. I don’t think I was giving my full attention. I kept looking at the back and front scanning through those I would approach first. Americans can be that distractive.
Anyway, some of our guests were allowed to say something and one of the ladies went on to praise Ugandans for having and maintaining our faith. And that this was so rare in America due to the many distractions they’d had. She’d told us that their country was so materialistic that the things of God often came secondary or not at all.
That did puzzle me because I’d always had the impression that America was a great country that feared God. She did go on to tell a story about a young girl she’d seen walking in the rain when she’d taken a drive into town. The young girl had no shelter from the rain, looked underfed, and wore dirty clothes.
Seeing that poor child that way stirred some sad emotions in her that she was wasn’t shocked to discover tears running down her cheeks. She was moved, so moved that she went on to question God about why He’d give others so much that they didn’t know what to do with and deprive others who’d obviously and desperately needed all the help they could get. She’d questioned God’s compassion because according to her, it had seemed unfair that others suffered needlessly when He could do something about their plight.
As she struggled with this disturbing fact and issue, the voice of God spoke to her and said, “This is the reason for which you were born, to see the pain of them that suffer and do something about it.” She’d said to us that God had opened her eyes to the need of others and her responsibility toward fulfilling that need.
The journey to growth. 