Character, purpose, and seeking the good life in Uganda

Uganda, as a 20th century political entity, turns 60 today. 1962 saw both of us emerge from gestation and begin a long path towards each other (I've now lived here or near here almost half my life, and half of Uganda's!). 60, however, sounds ridiculously truncated as a duration for a civilisation that existed many, many centuries before ancient Greeks became intrigued with the legendary Mountains of the Moon, or Europeans began seeking slaves or farmland or influence. But 60 years ago on October 9th, Uganda as a protectorate of the British empire formally gained independence.

And the day before, we celebrated the upcoming independence of our Christ School soon-to-be graduates. The end of "high school" here does not involve the same sort of graduation milestone that we personally grew up with. Because the 4 years of O-level and then 2 more of A-level end with a multi-week staggered series of national exams, students sitting for a dozen or more half-day papers in 4, 8, 10 subjects . . . their final days are somewhat scattered and anti-climatic. Instead our kids enjoy a "candidate dinner", a good meal with speeches and music and hoopla, a week BERORE the long and strenuous exam stretch starts. So Saturday afternoon, the 33 A-level and 43 O-level students decorated the chapel into a party hall, fussed over a cake and a special meal, dressed up in their finest, did their hair, and danced in. We joined the staff as invited guests to celebrate them. And Scott as chairman of the Board of Governors and last-man-standing parental figurehead, was given the concluding speech.

He commended them for reaching this point when they will leave the structure and rules of a boarding school, the limitations of childhood, and move out to seek the "good life" by making choices. That transition from submitting to parental and teacher authority to exercising personal responsibility is a part of maturity in all cultures. Exciting, intimidating, heady to some extent.  In this one, there is less risk of the illusion of living only for self . . . All of the accompaniments of adulthood are more deeply communal, life consciously tempered by the collective. Job, marriage, children, home, income, spending, tribe and clan, voice, worship, further education, all involve some choice and some negotiation with family.  But, he said, a good life requires those choices be made with two things in mind: who you will be as you live your "good life",  and what that "good life" ultimately accomplishes. Character and purpose.

Will you serve others in the model of Jesus, working for the kind of all-things-new world He gave us a glimpse of? Or will you serve only yourself, willing to take whatever paths are necessary no matter who is hurt?

We certainly hope and work for the former. Christ School's vision is to produce servant leaders (character) for the good of Bundibugyo and the glory of God (purpose). We pray that these 76 add to the hundreds of alumni who have gone before them to enable child survival, to produce art and literature, to govern well at the community level,  to treat illness and teach school, to invest in business and farming, to establish loving families, to care for and honour the elders. We pray that the temptations to progress by stealing, cheating, taking or giving bribes, witchcraft, violence, will be resisted. Those paths might look easier, natural, rich at first. But the life they lead to will not satisfy. 

None of us can always make Jesus-like choices. But that's the good news of the Gospel: that the Spirit invites us to participate in the good-life-for-the-world anyway. To work for 60 years towards a Uganda, an Africa, an earth, that is more like the Kingdom of God, we lean on the supernatural help of God. Let's pray for the Spirit to enable these graduates to fight evil, to purify their hearts, to heal the brokenness of systems all around us. To have the character of our meek Saviour, and the purpose of our loving God.

PS..

PS. Would you like to partner with us to help sustain Christ School-Bundibugyo, financially?  

We desperately need more partners who can help subsidize this increasingly expensive project in this desperately poor place. 

CLICK HERE TO LINK TO OUR SERGE GIVING PAGE FOR CHRIST SCHOOL!