Bows and Arrows

Returning from church one Sunday morning, I heard a lot of yelling. “A rugby match?” I thought. Rugby matches can be pretty fierce here, but this sounded more like ‘fight’ than ‘play,’ and besides, it was not from the direction of the rugby pitch that the shouting was coming from.

As I walked towards a spot where I’d have a view across the ravine, I heard a ‘boom.’ Definitely a rifle. Thankfully there was only one boom; the shooter must not have had much ammunition.

Getting closer, I could hear ‘kilim em,’ which you can probably guess can mean ‘kill him.’ It can also mean ‘hit him,’ and hopefully the latter was the case, but it all sounded pretty intense so I couldn’t be sure. By this time I’d seen a number of men running up a ridge into a small wood on the opposite side of the ravine. They were obviously running towards the fight.

I got home and pulled out the camera. To document a fight or not to document a fight, that is the question. I’d witnessed one before, and they’re not really the types of events you glory in. Anger and a desire for revenge drive these encounters, and unfortunately a fight is rarely the end of the matter. On survey we often hear, “Now that Christianity has come, we don’t fight any more.” I’m sure there is much less fighting than there was before, but the human desire to pay back evil for evil remains strong.

As you see these pictures, be grateful for systems of law and order that prevent this from happening in your neighborhood, but also remember the many countries where conflict between ethnic groups is regular and deadly. And don’t forget to pray that people everywhere would hear and learn this: that sin has been atoned for, that peace can reside in the hearts of those who have been wronged, and that—by God’s grace—we need not seek revenge.

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