Don Dulo

COM 349 Final Project (1046 words)

Presented by: Don Dulo 08-0851

Presented to: Ms. Wamunyu

Sometime in early November, I had the privilege of catching up with one of my college mates on our way back to Daystar AthiRiver campus from Nairobi. It was one of a kind because the truth was we had not had the chance to have a heart to heart conversation since the semester began. Ideally, it was because of the all too famous “I have been busy” speech that everyone seems to recite, as an excuse for not creating time to catch up on our relationships.

A photo of A man praying

David “Skills” Oyuke is that good friend I got into a conversational mood with that Sunday evening in a thirty-two seater bus. Right from my freshman years, we found common ground sharing in our musical backgrounds. We had unconsciously built up on a conversation that touched on the practice of the Christian faith amongst ourselves and our peers. We were reflecting on our walk with Christ sharing on how we need to re-evaluate and renew our commitment and be able to defend it. We were talking about the challenges that we were facing as young adults in University trying to find out where we fit in this world, as well as our identity in Christ. Challenges that range from pre marital sex, drug and alcohol abuse, as well as esteem issues. The most profound thoughts in our conversation revolved around the fact that we struggle with the need to ‘fit in’ that we would do anything to feel accepted and appreciated. People are doing things out here that they do not even want to do just because they want to fit in. Even in a Christian institution like Daystar, the people (particularly students), who have a committed relationship with Christ feel left out from the larger Daystar populous that have found bliss in the forbidden fruits.

“People out here are living like they have no souls. We are trying so hard to fit in that we literally lose control of our lives!” David said in a reassuring tenor voice. There was a lull in the conversation owing to the intensity of the discussion, before we resumed the conversation. That conversation was very revealing to me. It had me thinking whether I am really genuine with my practice of faith not just as a Daystar student but as a Christian claiming communion with the ways of Christ.

On a different occasion I had another conversation with another trusted friend, Felix Brian. Felix is a strong willed lad with whom I share common ground especially in discussions based on politics, history and philosophy. I asked him on one occasion over lunch what he thought of the practice of faith among Daystar university students. “It is a cesspit of hypocrites who put up a show of ‘make believe’ yet behind the scenes they are devil apprentices.” As harsh as those words may seem to be, it is one reality that we cannot dismiss as based on mere grapevine. The argument still revolves around the issue of identity and acceptance. University is the place where people start identifying what they associate with and if what they are associated with is acceptable to their peers and the public at large. The challenge here is that we are struggling with identity crisis. And in that struggle, we find ourselves deceived because we do not have a forthright character based on our faith that we can jealously defend.

Until recently, I had not realized that when we talk about the practice of faith by students in Daystar, we fail to note that we are dealing with a group of young people who have serious issues surrounding their lives that has curtailed their urge to practice the Christian faith in a way that is genuine before God. I have met people in this institution- who for obvious reasons I cannot mention, that are struggling with terrible drug and alcohol abuses, addicts to pornography and other sexual vices, people that have aborted more than once, women that have been raped and have never healed emotionally, and products of dysfunctional families’ to say the least.

The question is how can you convince anyone to renew their walk yet they are bitter, angry and hurt? At this point, the practice of faith does not really make meaning to them that are struggling to fill the dots both in their lives and with their walk with Christ.

I had another interesting conversation recently with one Carrine Basimaki over the practice of faith among Daystar students. Carrine is one of my good friends and Year mate at Daystar University. She said that we are failing in the practice of our faith in Daystar because we do not express it with LOVE! “There is no love amongst us. Even amongst the people we look up too like lecturers. There is a lot of disunity amongst us.” said Carrine in her mellow francophone accent.

Her sentiments were an aura of freshness. It redefined what I had struggled to put together. The aspect of genuine LOVE for one another. That love that compels you to empathize with the sincerity that Christ portrayed.

Faith has to be practiced in love. Therefore it is a duty for those who have found the love of Christ to share it and share it in love. Its starts with having a heart to heart conversation with those who are close to you and going through a rough patch in trying to consolidate their identity as well as deal with issues in their lives and past that have caused them to hurt inside. The more opportunities you give them to reveal their inner troubles, the more leverage they have in trying to heal. People need to heal. A healing that is not only of the body and mind, but a healing of the soul.

A little lass Praying

After redemption from the anger and pain, consecrate them in the truth. A truth that recognizes real healing in the love of Christ. The reality is once we individually experience the love of Christ and share it in love; we would not be asked to practice faith in any way. It should naturally reflect in your life and people will marvel at the harmonic life that you lead.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.' II Corinthians 5:7”