Beauty in the Ashes

If you've read the news recently, I'm sure you've seen enough pictures of what happened in Nairobi last weekend so no need for me to add to it. We went into Nairobi for a longer visit due to work commitments at the MCC office. We added the weekend to our trip to try to make connections with friends living in Nairobi and look for some time to de-compress and relax. Needless to say, it didn't quite work out that way.

We were staying an estimated 3 km from the big mall that was turned into a war zone. Our heads pounded with the drone of the helicopters that circled over head from Saturday until Tuesday. The smoke rose in the section of sky that we could see above the buildings around us and the scent of it sent anxiety pulsing in my blood.

I have been essentially sheltered from trauma, violence, and war in my life until this time. Still I was a witness from a distance.  I tried to go about my responsibilities as "normal", but I was possessed by the situation. It would not leave my mind. I knew there were people just a short walk away who were dying, killing, suffering. It was surreal and painful.  I could not focus- I kept walking into different rooms at the MCC office to be close to other people, to see how they were dealing with the suspense, the insanity, the fear.  We overloaded the local news website looking for updates.

Our work ended about the same time as the ordeal and we returned to Najile, its dry wind and peaceful quiet.  We found our neighbors eager to see us arriving home. One of my friends stopped by insisting that I give her my phone number right away so she could call if there was a next time. She had been so worried for us.

Before it was even over, we watched the Kenyans come out enforce to give blood despite fears of further attacks.  We heard the reports of money raised like it was nothing for their fellow citizens' hospital bills and for the Red Cross. I heard no comment about the fact that many of the folks who were injured/killed were solidly in the middle and upper class of the country, perhaps much less "in need" than some of the contributors.  It seemed to be a matter of human unity, not sarcasm, a matter of relationship, not of "haves" vs. "have-nots." Though it can be elusive and fleeting among us, when compassion is revealed in our hearts, it can launch us on the path to healing. And it is beautiful.