The election farce has come and gone in Zimbabwe and it has been relatively uneventful here in Bulawayo and surrounding areas.  Yesterday Robert Mugabe was sworn in, and held a Bible in his left hand whilst giving his undertaking to ’serve the people of Zimbabwe - so help me God’.

That was hard to watch, especially after being here for a week and seeing what he and his cronies have reduced this country to.

The plus side of the devastation is that it presents opportunity to the church.  I have been deeply impacted by the way in which the church here takes a passionate and practical Gospel to the world around it. 

Rather than go to a church growth conference with some hot shot, big shot megas-church pastor book yourself onto a plane and get yourself over to Zimbabwe and hang out with the church in all its manifestations here and see what they are doing.  Go to a worship service and sense the passion and the faith despite the context within which God is praised here.  It is humbling and instructive.

Africa always gives me perspectives I need to orient myself to when I return to my Western context so that I don’t become dulled into living by the same values which from here seem so indulgent.  Churches here have had all the trappings and luxuries stripped away, and there is simple, basic and yet very powerful feel to how they operate and what they do.  They can’t afford to mess around. The church ministers here in an environment filled with the most unimaginable suffering, corruption, fear and persecution.  It has no choice but to be the real deal!

I am about to head back out into the bush so cannot post for a while. In the meantime, keep Zimbabwe in your prayers, there isperhaps still time left for momentum to build and for a new era to begin.  The church seems to be very aware thatit needs to be ready to stand up in and provide leadership and guidance in such circumstances.