Why am I Going to Uganda?

That was the question asked Friday afternoon of me of a young adult I have known since she was 12. I realized I muddled through. I didn’t want it to sound like a canned church answer “because I felt God asking me to go.” She wouldn’t have understood that anyway and neither would I. What I really wanted to say to this young adult is that I’m going in part because of her. Eventually I did tell her that after more muddling.

As a social worker I’ve heard a lot of stories, and when the opportunity has allowed I’ve walked with people with them for a time as their stories have unfolded. My hope has been that I have walked alongside them as they heal and grow. From my observation there are 2 significant types of brokenness in the world, the injustice kind and the “imperfect world” kind. I believe there is is some much more theological term for the later but work with me here I’m sitting in an airport with sleep depravation.

The injustice kind of brokenness. It’s about war, violence, greed, hate, corruption, meanness, and lots of “uncaring.” Broken systems that don’t hold people accountable for bad behavior and systems that don’t look out for those that can’t care for themselves, that’s injustice.

The imperfect world kind of brokenness. Accidents, sickness, and destructive weather patterns.

If the 2 collide then it’s overwhelming chaos. The Haiti Earthquake was a prime example – a country filled with a government that has historically been injust and people struggling to feed their families and educate their children is further broken by a natural disaster.

Uganda has been ravaged by injustice and the challenges of a developing country. Yet the hope for all of us is brokenness can mend. Often when something like a bone is broken it will heal and actually become stronger than before. That’s my prayer, that’s a bit of why I’m going to Uganda because healing and growing the heart and mind is messy business. It’s the journey I am humbled to take with people.