not easy

We've started a book club of sorts here in Kampala.... A group of fellow Americans are going through Tim Keller's book Generous Justice, and even though we're only in our second week, its brought up some very interesting/challenging conversations.

As we were talking the other night, a really hard truth to face came up. It was this....

It's easier to love on African orphans and widows than the truly marginalized in my own society.

At least this is the case for me.

For some people, coming to live in Uganda would seem like this massive sacrifice. I suppose it is in some ways, but I don't really view it that way... I'm doing work that I absolutely love, I'm traveling, experiencing a new culture... Being in Uganda is quite enjoyable for me. In fact, I can safely say that there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be at this point in time. So when some people back in the States talk about how brave I am or how sacrificial, it puzzles me a bit. But I do understand that this isn't every one's "thing." All that to say, working with widows and orphans (most of Sseko's employees fall into this category) in Uganda isn't something that makes me squeamish or hesitant or consider telling God "nope, sorry... not goin' there!" But there are other things that do make me feel that way... and they shouldn't.

A few people in our group of friends even said that they would have a harder time if God called them to live in the States than if he kept them abroad. {disclaimer: I realize that this group of people is not typical.... and that since they are already ex-pats this point of view isn't all that surprising.} But between all of us, the question came up of do we have to be abroad to be living out what we believe about social justice?

And the answer we came to was no.... no, you don't have to go to Africa to be involved in social justice. God's command is for us to show love to the marginalized in society, including the American society I come from. And sometimes its even harder to do in your own backyard.

During this conversation, I was struck with the example of my friend, Kellie, whom I had the pleasure of living with for most of Christmas break.

Kellie hangs out with strippers.

She brought an organization to College Station, Texas, called Jesus Said Love. The whole premise of this small group of people is to build relationships with women who work in the local strip clubs. First of all, I've never heard of anyone talking to strippers before... I feel like for the most part even talking about them is taboo. We like to keep things like this at arms length... pretend that the Silk Stocking strip joint isn't just around the corner. I've honestly never once thought about the women who work there, who are inevitably living in my community.

But Kellie talks to them. She buys them Christmas presents. She prays for them. She gets coffee with them. She hangs out with them in the club before business picks up. I admire Kellie.... because for me, the idea of coming to Uganda and living out social justice here seems far easier than doing it in College Station, Texas, where the marginalized happen to be strippers.

I think a little part of that is the fact that the poor are often romanticized... I find this to be especially true of the African poor. But you can't really romanticize the idea of hanging out with strippers. It's more raw... gritty. And ultimately, when you get to Uganda and actually get to know members of the group of people you thought of as "the poor," you see that it isn't all that romantic after all. Some of them are happy and joyful (like you see in the non-profit ad's). But some of them are tough and sassy. Some of them are lazy and rude. Just like people anywhere else, they aren't all the same.

I guess its just funny to think that one way to live out social justice is trendier or more attractive than another... I'm just grateful to have people like Kellie in my life to challenge my view of social justice and to go against the grain in the way they approach it.