January 6, 2008

• christ & causes

  ACCRA, GHANA | LABADI BEACH HOTEL, BUSINESS CENTRE »

  in just a few hours i make my way to kotoka international airport, ending a twenty-one day journey through northern and southern ghana as well as burkina faso.  it’s been a memorable, if not relaxing, journey — and i definitely depart with a new fondness for one of west africa’s regarded examples of social and economic progress.

  earlier this morning, we visited a charismatic chapel.  housed in the most modest and plain of concrete buildings, the ambience was one of southern baptist american megachurch.  the entire space was open air, fitted with large projectors, buzzing cameramen, and a praise ensemble dressed in colorful african attire.  today’s sermon was about new year commitments — to getting to know God better through reading His word, to exploring and discovering and taking advantage of opportunities, and to living a more fruitful, purposeful, and service-filled life.

  what struck me most, though, was how familiar the entire setup felt.  i even recognized and joined in on some of the worship songs — hosanna in the highest, for one, and a few others.  and looking across the heads of over a thousand ghanaians, heads and hands lifted high and swinging side to side, i couldn’t help but realize that—despite the immense apparent differences i shared with the congregation—i could still feel quite at home.  so it was: christ, the common denominator.

  i suppose that is one of several things that comforts me about traveling to new places.  finding elements of my own identity – race, religion, sexual orientation, education, travel personality – that transcend national borders and give me that sense of near-immediate community.  it’s reassuring, i must admit.

  the other major thought i had on this trip occurred about a week ago during visits to cape coast and elmina castles – former slave trade forts turned national historic (and unesco world heritage) sites.  what bothered me was that, as much as i can try to experience the gravity and sorrow associated with such a visit, much like a friend of african descent did on our trip, it requires a not inconsequential amount of effort on my part to behave respectfully and truly understand the levels of hate and discrimination that once existed and can still exist today.  while i realize i can’t hold myself overly culpable for not being able to understand the “black experience” fully, it reminds me of the difficulty of asking others to do the same for me and my experiences as a marginalized person.  it highlights the need for patience in enlisting compassion and support, and it drives me to a singular, instantly actionable conclusion:  i must champion other people’s causes.

  only in championing other people’s causes – ones that don’t necessarily reflect our own personal plight, or seem entirely disconnected from not only our own existence but the things we are exposed to through friends and family – can we know the depths of people’s sufferings, and at least begin to engage on the ways we can jointly recognize injustice, acknowledge its place in our histories, and move towards a world where we see less and less of it.  for me, that means something as tangible as joining the black students association (i intend to attend their retreat next year), or supporting women’s events, or the like.

  the trip has been an incredible opportunity for me to reflect on these and so many other things, including my relationships, ambitions, and goals.  christmas and new year’s seemed to pass without the usual fanfare, but i do have a few thoughts of resolve in mind for 2008 and – perhaps more relevantly – next quarter.  it blows my mind to think i’ve spent three weeks, holidays inclusive, in an area i’ve known so little about, and that returning to the states means diving right back into the fast-paced rhythms of the gsb.  last quarter i had very few opportunities for air.  this quarter, with a relatively light courseload and the luxury of hindsight, i’m hoping to strike a better balance among all of the competing priorities on my time.

  goodbye, ghana and goodbye, africa.  it’s been one hell of a ride, and though we had our ups and downs, you know i’ll remember the good times more than the bad.  more than anything, practically residing here has given me a heart for this place, and for that unexpected keepsake i will be unregrettably grateful.

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