September 26th... were you praying?

South Africa is looking to you, Zimbabwe to show Africa how to manage race relations.

That is what Angus said, when he spoke Saturday night to a group of about 4,000 (mostly white) Zimbabweans.

This event kicked off Operation Trumpet Call which is a call to the churches to unite together for the transformation of the country. It is obvious to anyone who spends even a short amount of time in Zimbabwe, with either white or black Zimbabweans, that racial tension must be dealt with before the nation can be transformed, unity is necessary. Operation Trumpet Call rolled out its vision on Sunday morning after asking all of the churches in Harare to cancel their services and meet together at the Civic Centre. They announced that Zim is facing record food shortages this year and that in order to feed the nation, we are going to have to find a way to come up with the 1,000,000 tons of maize that we are estimated to lack. Scott Marques, the visionary behind

OTC said that we only have 3 options:

1. Beg (Once again taking aid from organizations and nations that have created donor dependence in Zimbabwe for decades now.)

2. Steal (Seems unlikely)

3. Plant (Individuals must make up what the commercial farmers are not producing)

OTC is asking each Christian home to plant 25 meters x 25 meters of maize in the manor Foundations for Farming teaches. Obviously not every family will have the space but if some do more and some do less we will average out with a surplus of maize to feed our people and our animals! Zimbabwe will not NEED maize donations this year!

On Sunday morning, Angus Buchan joined forces with Zimbabwe’s church leaders to encourage Christians to do what they can to make a difference. However, for me the true “trumpet call” was when Angus stood on stage Saturday night and spoke to a much smaller group of people. The stage was in Chisipete a suburb of Harare and the audience was mostly white. As an observer I would say that many of the people there, would not be found at the Sunday morning meeting the next day, nor would they normally be found in a church.

Angus started by saying “I am a foreigner, I was not born in Zimbabwe, but I am here because I love you.” Tears poured from my eyes as my heart deeply related with the words that caused this older man’s voice to crack as he spoke.
He spoke of love, which he called the greatest of all forces. He spoke of the love that Jesus has for all of us, and the love that he personally has for Jesus- which motivates him to come to Zimbabwe now. He told a story of the night that Jesus took a towel and washed the feet of His disciples. He said that Jesus chose to wash the feet of these friends, even though He knew that Thomas would doubt him, that Peter would deny knowing him- three times and that Judas would betray Him and hand him over to the ones that would crucify Him. Even knowing all of that, Jesus still chose to humble himself before His friends and wash their feet.

Angus called us to forgive. He said that he knew that many people have been hurt, black and white alike. He said that many have lost farms, loved ones and cherished possessions. He related that to the story of Job who in the Bible, lost everything. That many have been betrayed, mistreated and oppressed. He recognized the sin of this nation and he said like Job’s friends, he came to us- the nation-of
Zimbabwe to weep and mourn with us in our time of greatest loss.

But then he got on his knees and He prayed with us, asking for forgiveness where we have been wrong; wrong to God and to each other. And He asked us to pray as well. He asked us to unite, to put aside our prejudices and hardened hearts and to forgive one another- to walk in love with one another.

And then He said, tomorrow (Sunday Sept 26, 2010- the international day of prayer for zim) that many people around the world were going to be praying for the people of Zimbabwe. And he said that the people of South Africa who have their own racial problems were looking to Zimbabwe, to the Christians of Zimbabwe, to lead the way. To mark out a path, showing others how to overcome the injustice and hate in the world.

I know that Zimbabwe has faced massive difficulties. I know that people have been killed or beaten in wars for this land; people have been killed or beaten as land has been taken from white farmers. People have been oppressed and mistreated; others have been retaliated on in violent ways. This country has been separated by hate, pride and greed for far too long. I believe that if the church will step up, this nation CAN unite together to overcome the circumstances we have caused for ourselves by hate, pride and greed and we WILL find a way to forgiveness and unity.

The transformation of the agriculture in Zimbabwe that Operation Trumpet Call is asking us to be a part of, is only possible if we unite: black, white, Indian or Asian and put aside our differences and our bitterness and work toward a common goal: the feeding of our people.

Please continue to pray with the people of Zimbabwe for this nation. As one pastor said as we departed on Sunday, “This is not over, this is just the beginning”. My prayer is that each Christian home in Zimbabwe is preparing their plot of land, getting ready for November 25, when we are told by FfF to plant, and preparing their hearts to forgive, for we cannot accomplish such a massive task as producing 1,000,000 tons of maize, with the heavy load of bitterness weighing us down.

My heart is grateful that I am blessed to be in Zimbabwe as such a time as this. I hope the world is watching as this nation united together to display what can happen when people allow God to heal their hearts!