To become part of the solution for a people or place we must identify with the very ones we are wanting to help. To pray solutions for a particular difficulty or stronghold we must identify with the trouble at hand.
To identify is to come into identity with.
The problem is that we like to stand back and throw suggestions into the trouble. But this only creates greater divide, it rarely accomplishes anything.
I see it everyday. Someone somewhere is calling for assistance for poor children. ‘POOR’ being the operative word.
I have little patience for this. Okay, I have no patience for this.
As a coach, as a prayer minister, as one trained to listen and trained to notice the words that we use I know that when we use such language we solidify and add to the curse of poverty over people.
It is bad taste to demand that someone move from one grief only to focus on your primary grief.
I’ve seen this happening quite a bit this last week.
The world is grieving for what happened in Paris and unbelievably cries are heard, ‘Don’t forget Nigeria’, ‘Don’t forget Syria’, ‘Don’t forget (insert your favourite zeal)’
It is bad taste because in demanding attention there is no attention given.
As people we are made to belong. Each of us has a spot within us that gauges and must be filled with a clear sense of belonging – it is how we know we are loved, that we fit in, that we are welcome.
But many of us have not yet found our belonging. We don’t know that we belong.
I speak and teach and preach a lot about Sulha, the expansive heart of reconciliation of our God and our invitation into this same ministry. What has so caught my attention is that Sulha is for the empowerment of victims.
