zimbabwe + love

There is a lot of heartache going on within our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe this evening. Since August there have been approximately 500 deaths from cholera, clean water is difficult to come by even in institutions such as hospitals, food is incredibly scarce, and the Zimbabwean dollar is practically worthless because of 231,000,000% inflation. Statistics aside, these are real issues for millions of Zimbabweans and it is difficult to understand why such horrendous events continue to occur. Much of the blame for the current situation in Zimbabwe is placed on the shoulders of the country's President, Robert Mugabe. I have joined in the criticism of this leader and as I have learned more of what the circumstances are in Zimbabwe my criticism unfortunately has turned into anger. Following a recent rant I had with myself in the car after new information was presented by NPR about Zimbabwe, I suddenly stopped and had to be real with myself. As a person who firmly believes in the power of love, I was not being a good ambassador of that concept. I came to the realization that God loves the Zimbabwean young woman who has not had clean water to drink in two weeks, just as much as Mr. Mugabe. This was undoubtedly a difficult one to swallow, however it came at the right time because I have recently been asking God to show me who I need to love better. Trust me, I still struggle with the decisions or the lack there of, that the Zimbabwean government has made throughout the current crisis. But I have attempted to not let that frustration turn into anger and resentment which is the complete opposite of love. Love can and must win, so as we as followers of Christ must continue to pray for Zimbabwe, including its' leaders.