Suffering and Power:
Reflections on my Africa experience
By Tom Yaccino
Over the last couple of weeks we experienced some intense Kingdom connections during a gathering of the Amahoro Africa network, a sister network to the Red del Camino in Latin America. Both networks share a common passion that we believe is God’s dream for all of creation, which is to bring about the total redemption and restoration of all things.
We also had a powerful experience in Burundi, where we connected with Dallas church, Community of Faith and local Christ-followers from the Batwa tribe. Our time in Burundi reminded us again about the power and possibility of God’s vision for a restored creation.
Kingdom Reconciliation in South Africa
RdC Network leaders have been invited to be a part of the African network gathering since it started three years ago. This year, Robert Guerrero and I traveled to South Africa to participate in the network’s annual gathering, “The African Reformation”.
The beauty of these moments of connection within the global Kingdom community is that as we share stories of how God makes himself known and felt in the midst of the suffering that is so prevalent in the world, we experience reconciliation and hope.
Our South African brothers and sisters opened our eyes and hearts to a country whose history is marked by divisions and has suffered decades of hatred, systemic discrimination, violence, and oppression. Even in the darkest times of South Africa’s Apartheid, hope broke through the darkness through faithful followers of Christ who refused to conform to the “anti-kingdom” present in the form of governmental institutionalization of racism. Leaders like Nelson Mandela continue to inspire the world with their perseverance and commitment to justice. As a nation that still struggles with the scars caused by that horrible system, to this day it continues to move forward seeking reconciliation and equality.
During the Amahoro gathering we witnessed the mystery and power of God’s grace and love. A white senior official of the South African national police force, who became a follower of Christ several years ago, shared his story together with his former black maid, two black clergy, and
a former white anti-terrorist task force member who later became a pastor and now serves as an international consultant for development and reconciliation initiatives.
After hearing the police supervisor’s testimony, a new friend of ours, Sean, who still struggles with guilt and shame for the dark actions he committed under order from the Police authorities during the apartheid years, confessed to the ex-official that he still harbors resentment and hatred toward him. He publicly asked for forgiveness. In turn, the ex-official pleaded for forgiveness from him. Both, now under the Divine directive that promotes life and wholeness, symbolized their act of reconciliation by washing one another’s feet. It was a Holy Moment–a sign of hope rising up from the ruins left by systemic injustice.
Signs of Hope in Burundi
After we shared a week with our family members from all over Africa who participated in the Amahoro gathering, we then traveled to Burundi where we experienced another powerful Kingdom connection between God’s people from the Batwa tribe and fellow Kingdom citizens from Community of Faith, a local church from Houston, Texas.
During our time with the Batwa, we were once again exposed to a people group who have been experiencing the by-products of marginalization and discrimination since before the time of Colonization. The systemic oppression that this ethnic group has suffered at the hands of the dominant tribes (and afterward, the colonizers) has left them landless and left out of the potential benefits of the educational, health, and economic systems of the nation. Their struggles only intensified during the 15-year period of civil war and political unrest.
As we heard their stories and were confronted by the conditions they live with, what surprised us most were the signs of hope. These humble and marginalized people, many of whom have put their trust in Christ, shared their dreams for their communities that are in alignment with God’s powerful dream of restoration.
Against all odds, Batwa young and old, are sharing their story and participating in God’s plans to make all things new.
The Transformative Power of Suffering
These experiences reminded us once again that even in dire circumstances there is hope because of the One who lived among us as a suffering servant - Jesus, who gives life through his suffering, death and resurrection.
We tend to forget about the Way Jesus walked while He was on earth. We get lost because we seek glory and victory on an easier path that is not marked by pain and suffering, but is usually so full of ourselves.
But Christ calls us to take up our cross and follow him, which is meant to be a path that leads to a certain dying to ourselves and suffering for the things that break the heart of God. When we take this path, He can then fill us with His grace, love, and the power through the Holy Spirit.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. – 2 Timothy 2:8-9
Our suffering and weakness brings us to a place of utter dependency on God.
When we open ourselves up to suffering and embrace the pain and hard realities that countless victims of systemic injustice live with everyday, we meet Jesus.
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. – 1 Peter 4:1-3
By entering into suffering and pain, we are then made able to see what Jesus sees, feel what Jesus feels and respond to a world in need, one person at a time, as Jesus modeled for us through his life of compassion and shalom.
Suffering and pain can be handled in a number of ways. We can avoid it all together. We can tough it out and deny it in our lives and the lives of others. We can numb ourselves against it and become indifferent to our own and others pain. We can fight it. Or, as Barbara Brown Taylor says,” we can decide to engage pain when it comes to us, giving it our full attention so that it can teach us what we need to know about being what is really real.”
Suffering in the Gospel is living, acting, praying, and sharing in the awareness that our life is as one with those who suffer. When we see and feel and act as Jesus would we are truly transformed.
- Transformed from being individualistic and self-sufficient to becoming those that walk with the poor in suffering in solidarity and interdependency.
- Transformed from being those who treasure and protect “private” blessings to those who are becoming engaged in community and sharing our blessings for the common good and well-being of all.
- Transformed from being isolated and indifferent to becoming integrated and empathetic, compassionate servants.
The example of Jesus
Jesus’ most powerful teaching moment about suffering and pain came on the eve of His deliverance into the hands of His enemies. At the last supper, Jesus revealed a great mystery to his disciples at the table by breaking bread and pouring out wine. In the Eucharist, we remember His unfathomable love for us (and all creation), by breaking bread, which symbolizes His brokenness for us, and taking wine, which reminds us how He willingly shed his blood so that we might have life.
His amazing grace is exemplified in the crucible of pain, suffering and weakness – the cross.
As we embrace those who suffer by listening to their stories, we show compassion and love, we open up the Way for Jesus to bring life and new Hope. The most powerful way we can remember and honor Christ is not only by participating in the Eucharist, the symbols of communion once a month or maybe even every Sunday, but rather, by living our one and only life here on earth being broken and poured out for others.
In our suffering and weakness His power and love and grace prevail and He shows us what is really real.