East, west, Home is best. As the adage goes, it can never be over emphasized that yes indeed, in as much as there could be better places, home is always the best.
I have this soft place for my country.
The mention of it alone gives me makes me feel good; and sometimes gives me this bitter sweet feeling. Sweet because there is no place like my motherland, Kenya. So what makes me bitter? I cry for my country because I see, deep inside me, the need for national transformation.
I see the need for each and every Kenyan to desire change in the country. How I would love for my country to be a peacefully transformed nation! I see a need for God fearing leaders.
I am not sure we all know what to expect from the leaders we chose, and as a result we get nothing.I don’t know for you, but I have realized that most of the transformation process is left for the leaders.
We do not individually take responsibility for the change we want to see.Voters trust our leaders so much that they do not care to know what it is exactly they are going to do before casting the votes.
What if before choosing a leader we knew first what we wanted and expect from them and used it as a scale? Would we better off? Don’t we choose leaders because of the promises they make or tribe and end up not delivering? Well there are very many pleasing promises, but what do we Kenyans need? Is it not the results?
We are so good at talk. We score highly when it comes to this, compared to how we deliver. It is not really about that, what are we doing to get us where want to be? As far as I know, talk does nothing much without action.
We preach national peace and at the same time give speeches that arouse national war, why? How much more are we really doing, individually, to ensure national peace prevails? What are we sharing on the social sites? Are we preaching peace at all?
One thing we must conceive is that for there to be a peaceful nation, we need to have peaceful individuals, it is we that make the nation; therefore peace must start with us.
Many are times when we will not agree with what people do, especially if they are in high positions where their decisions affect us directly or indirectly. But this does not give us a right to use this and cause war.
I mean we can disagree peacefully. We do not have to accuse a whole tribe when one person did wrong, when will we grow out of this? This is not time to use social media to condemn other tribes and all the Internet fighting we do.
This will not take us anywhere,we will never grow beyond this is we do not embrace a mindset change and see each other as Kenyans and not ethnic groups. If we accept that we all can make mistakes,regardless of the tribe we come from.
We are greater than that. And worse is, that the very people we expect to lead us in spreading the peace anthem, will lead us in breaking the nation apart.
Is this what we wish for our beloved country? I don’t think so. When you are in love, you care so much about the object of your love that you don’t want it hurt. I am in love with my country.
It hurts me when I see that we focus more on what separates than what brings us together. I hurt when I see broken promises and when still we don’t work on making things better but worse.Instead of seeking solution we cause more strife.
This should not be it at all. God has blessed us with a rich country, what are we doing to contribute to maintaining its richness? We know that without peace, even the best families break, it is the same for our nation.
Why don’t we take time, as Kenyans and pray for our country?It is said that a family that prays together stays together; I believe the same for a country, and especially we the Kenyan family all over the world.
Pray for our leaders, that they will not be selfish for power but hungry for change. That they will embrace peace in words and actions. That they will lead us, help build us and not break us.
That there will be justice and transparency in all our ministries. That our country will be peaceful above all. May God help us be a prayerful nation, one that fears God, that we will not go against His wishes in our actions, from the villages to the cities.
Kenyans, remember our leaders in prayers as Paul advised in 1Timothy 2:1-4″ First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
This is my prayer for my country. Let there be peace in Kenya, may we love the truth.
By Elizabeth Ekakoro Bore: Diaspora Messenger contributor
A Diaspora Prayer For Kenya By Elizabeth Ekakoro
