HOPE FROM UNEXPECTED PLACES

On 25-October, Tanzania held its fifth presidential election since its independence in the early ‘60s. Since independence, Tanzania has had only five presidents and they have all been from the same political party, the CCM. This year presented the CCM with its first real threat to power as many Tanzanians have become fed up with corruption and have grown weary of political business as usual. The opposition party lost by a relatively narrow margin and the CCM retained its grip on Tanzania’s political system.
 
But something unexpected happened. The newly elected president, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, was sworn into office and literally went right to work fighting corruption and cleaning up the country. He cancelled Independence Day celebrations on December 9th and asked citizens to spend the day cleaning up their communities, using the money saved for an important road expansion. He has banned all but essential travel by public servants.  He cut the budget for Parliament's inaugural party from $100,000 down to $7,000 and used the saved money to buy beds for a national hospital he had recently visited where patients were laying on the floor. He cancelled ceremonies to commemorate Worlds AIDS day and used the money to purchase life-saving AIDS medicine. He has even been so bold as to dream that in ten years, Tanzania will be a donor nation instead of one dependent on foreign aid. All this and more in his first six weeks in office. He has turned skeptics into believers - there is a new sense of hope in Tanzania.  
 
In the gospels, we see that people were expecting hope to come through political change, through a King or ruler who would save the people. Jesus, however, has shown us that hope can come from unexpected places. He came forth from a virgin, was born in a lowly place, laid in a feeding trough, and was greeted by stable animals and shepherds. The gospels recount numerous doubters and skeptics to Jesus’ ministry, to the point that even in Acts we see that the disciples still did not quite fully grasp what Jesus had done as he ascended into heaven.
 
It is wonderful and refreshing to see a politician do his or her job well in such a way that benefits the masses. The climate and attitude in Tanzania is shifting in positive ways and there is still much work to do. But it is even more satisfying to see the work that Jesus has done and continues to do in the lives of young people. Having conversations with students whose lives are filled with sin and brokenness and showing them how Jesus’ work brings them peace and reconciliation with God is far better than any newspaper headline. In this Christmas season we remember and retell the story of a glorious King whose work accomplished salvation, whose kingdom and reign will never end.