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February 8, 2008
Storytelling key following visit to Kenya by Kirkpatrick, others in World Council delegation
The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick meets with Kenyans during a recent visit with a delegation from the World Council of Churches. Photo by Juan Michel LOUISVILLE – Now that an ecumenical delegation of religious leaders sent by the World Council of Churches (WCC) has returned from its trip to Kenya, interpreting and sharing what the group learned will be a primary next step, said delegation leader the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick.
“There’s a whole lot of telling the story” that will be taking place, said Kirkpatrick, president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). “We certainly learned more to share.”
The seven-member group spent Jan. 30 to Feb. 3 in the troubled nation as part of the WCC’s “Living Letters” initiative in solidarity with churches facing situations of violence.
Violence has plagued the East African country since December when presidential elections were contested. The Orange Democratic Movement party, which fielded candidate Raila Odinga, has claimed the contest that resulted in the re-election of President Mwai Kibaki was rigged.
Kirkpatrick and his cohorts will each be sharing what was learned during the trip, and Kirkpatrick himself will be the subject of an interview done by the PBS newsmagazine program Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, which airs in certain markets at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday, Feb. 8. People also can read the interview with Kirkpatrick at www.pbs.org/religion.
“It’s important for people to get a clear picture of what’s happening and how it’s affecting the religious community,” said Kim Lawton, managing editor and correspondent for “Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.”
“I really hope that this helps give our viewers a fuller picture of what’s happening in Kenya, and also a sense of the religious dimensions of the story,” she said.
The violence in Kenya has especially been troubling given the relatively stable nature of the country over the years. And tribal tensions that have bubbled just under the surface have been brought to full light in this recent turmoil.
Kirkpatrick said providing pastoral care to those affected and joining with the local church to find ways to support reconciliation were among the tasks the delegation tried to fulfill.
It was so dramatic to be with these people whose homes had been burned and families killed and abused, and with people who were so angry about the situation, he said. The delegation simply tried to share “the message of hope and love and peace.”
“People were just emotional about people coming to pray with them,” Kirkpatrick said, adding that delegation members took turns praying with various groups.
Kirkpatrick pointed out the complex layers involved in the situation, including the disputed election, ethnic tensions, land issues and the large gap between Kenya’s rich and poor.
“There really is a sense of urgency … that this doesn’t really become another Rwanda,” he said.
Kirkpatrick said Kenya’s churches, also split along ethnic lines, have been caught up in the controversy. The challenge for the church is to be a multicultural, multiethnic church, he said.
For those here at home in the United States, Kirkpatrick said continued humanitarian support is key. Hundreds of thousands of people need assistance, he said.
Still, in light of it all, Kirkpatrick said “I did leave with a sense of encouragement that there are a whole lot of people of good will.”
He specifically pointed to leaders of a women’s organization that the delegation met with.
Those women “really had a passion for a different Kenya,” he said. “It’s those kinds of efforts that give you hope.” |
