Handle with compassion: The enemy is also a child of God

President Mwai Kĩbakĩ, I believe when he was still a dashing minister before the rigors of higher office started wiping hair from his head, was quoted to have said that every market place has a mad person. While not scientifically proven, I want to think he was right. Even my small town in the Rift Valley, perched at 6161 feet above the sea level, when I was growing up it had a mad person. Actually a mad woman. At times we used to feel that she was not mad, because she used to arrive at the market at 11:00 am each day, but Sunday, even though she did not have a watch. But we also thought she was mad because she never used to bathe, and would still come to the market even when it would be raining.

We knew her by her Christian name only, Rakeri (Rachel - although that is not her real name). As children, we were afraid of her, even though she was never known to be violent. She would sing the whole day while collecting sticks and pieces of wood that she would later take home to use for firewood. Women vendors at the market used to give her food, and so she was never hungry. Apart from fearing her, we also hated her because women vendors would give her ripe sweet bananas, but they never gave us any. One day we got fed up, and one of my companions, who I will call Wakaba (also not real name) said he was going to teach Rakeri a lesson, and that we would miss her for a few days if not weeks, and we might be given bananas meant for her.

The plan was simple. Since one could set their watch by the time Rakeri arrived at the market, Wakaba plotted to have nails planted in soft soil in the ground with their sharp ends facing up on the path she used. He got about six nails, which he buried in the ground disguised the scene with the soft soil, and he ran home expecting to hear screams coming from a woman with paining foot or feet since she never wore shoes. He was right, because five minutes before the hour of 11:00 in the morning, he heard very loud screams. But instead of celebrating, he started sweating and nearly collapsed. It was his grandmother screaming. To make the matters worse, she was yelling his name.

He sheepishly walked to where his grandmother was groaning with pain as one of the nails had literally gone through her foot, and he asked her in dismay: "What business brought you here Cũcũ?" The old woman did not take that lying down: "Excuse me young man, are you suggesting that I should not use this path, or are you saying you are the one who planted the nails? They do not have any rust." Wakaba's sight became blurred. A lump in his throat threatened to suffocate him. His insides became jelly, and he had to rush to the toilet to take care of the sudden episode of endesha (diarrhea), while his grandmother was screaming at the top of her voice, this time not because of pain from the nail, but the pain of seeing her grandson running away from her.

Before he bolted the toilet door, he asked me to take some paraffin to his grandmother to use as a disinfectant, as we used to do in those days. I took some paraffin and an old piece of cloth. She had pulled out the nail, and the bleeding had stopped. I wet the piece of cloth with paraffin and she cleaned the punctured skin and tied the wound. As that was happening, Rakeri walked past singing that God is good, and did not even notice us. I could not disagree with her. He was so good to her that she missed danger that was meant for her.

In the West Indies, West Indians, just like their relatives in Africa have very many sayings. They will not finish any short talk without invoking one of them. A popular one is that when you dig a hole (for someone), dig two. They go on to expound and say that when you wish someone bad luck, the same will befall you. The Bible has a similar saying, only that it does not mention two holes. It says that when you dig a hole (for someone) you will fall into it (Psalm 7:15). If I must pick the lesser evil, I would rather go for the Bible option. Look at it this way, if I dig two holes (one meant for me) and the other one for Jobjow, then the two of us will get in and there will be no one to assist us. But if I dig one and instead of Jobjow falling into it, I end up inside there, I will call him and he will rescue me. Of course I will tell him that I had dug the hole to trap a buffalo. Being the good guy he is, Jobjow won't even waste a minute trying to figure out that buffalos do not live in towns. He might even give me money to send me to a hospital for medical checkup.

Before I let you go, please take time and understand that you could dig as many holes as it may please you, but you can only succeed in falling in one – you won't be able to come out of that one to fall in the next. The reason is because God also loves the other guy. But He does not hate you. You are the one who is in the business of disobeying Him by hating the people He loves.

With a name like Peace, it then comes as no surprise when she exhorts us to pray for our enemies. Evangelist Peace Mulu has a video under the title Ombea Adui Yako in which she has put on the table very serious issues that we take for granted. When people make it their business to talk evil about you, plotting against you and deciding what will happen to you, they are then not the friends you need. Peace Mulu has good counsel for you – pray for them. God has many good things in store for you, and she advises that no amount of badmouthing (including going to wagangas) will help them as God will continue dishing out blessings to you without stopping.



The song's refrain is however not very encouraging. She says that you should pray for your enemies to live long enough for them to see God's blessings coming your way. There is nothing wrong with that. But Evangelist Peace should preach what God commands us to do and that is to pray for our enemies for them to turn from their bad ways and join us. Her lyrics do not address to that. She simply requests that they live long, not to be saved, but to see how you have been blessed. That can be counterproductive in our efforts to win more souls for the Lord as the enemy will feel that God does not love him. We might send the wrong signal to our enemies.

To make music videos more appealing, all manner of footage is added. Some of it is relevant to the song's message and some leaves the viewer rather puzzled. The Masai of Kenya and Tanzania have been known to be a very aggressive people. So much so that we misunderstand them. I know that they are aggressive to lions that kill their cattle. It is lions that fear the Masai. I also know that they defend their animals so much that they cannot stand cattle rustlers. If you are not a cattle rustler, you have no reason to fear a Masai, as they are some of the most respectful people in the world. My sister is married to a cool Masai man, who smiles even to strangers, so much so that a number of people have asked if there is anything wrong with him. The footage of Masai morans wielding their rungus in Peace Mulu's video might make some people assume that they are the enemies she is singing about. But please note that I have not said that is what she intended. While Peace Mulu's song has an appealing melody and its message is noble, its presentation could catch some viewers on the wrong footing. We give her three of our green stars for her effort.