Fear

While we were in Uganda we spoke with and prayed with many people.  In one village we were asked to pray that the lightning would stay in the sky because many people were being killed by it.  This became a bit of a theme in other villages as well and I realized that for many rural villagers this is a real fear for them. 

Another fear for them is demons.  Witch doctors and the powers of darkness are very real in Uganda and in one village one of my team members asked the children we were working with, "What are some things you are afraid of?"  One child raised his hand and replied "being sacrificed" because in his village the witch doctors sacrifice children.  Some members of our team actually had a child in their group who had a demon in her and there was one room where we stayed that the girls in that room experienced many scary things at night.  Demons are a real fear in Uganda and even I spent much time in prayer about them because I was fearful too, especially for Mike.

Kids who were afraid of being sacrificed.

The biggest fear I saw in the people of Uganda, though, was sickness and death.  They see so much of it.  The people of Uganda fear malaria.  Everywhere we went the nurses on our team were treating malaria.  Access to treatment for this is nearly impossible for many because of cost.  Many, many people die of preventable and treatable illness every day in Uganda because they can not afford the prevention or treatment.  They fear AIDS.  We saw AIDS orphans everywhere we went.  They fear death.

graves in the village

AIDS Orphans

My comfortable, suburban, American life doesn't easily relate to these things.  I am not afraid of lightning.  I do not worry about children being sacrificed.  I have never stayed awake at night praying for protection from demons for my 12 year old son.  I have access to adequate medical care in the event that I or one of my kids gets sick.  I do not fear death because I know it is only a doorway to life. 

I had the priveledge of speaking to a group of women, wives and mothers, while in Uganda.  I chose scripture from the end of Mark 4 and all of 5 to remind them of the power of Jesus.  He has power over all nature as seen in the calming of the storm.  He has power over lightning.  He has power over demons as shown in the account of Him casting them into the swine.  Demons need His permission for anything they do.  He has power over all sickness as shown by the healing of the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of His garment.  He has power over death as the story of the synagogue ruler, Jairus, clearly shows.  I reminded them that lightning does not have the final word.  Demons and witch doctors do not have the final word.  Malaria does not have the final word.  AIDS does not have the final word.  Most of all, death does not have the final word.  Jesus has the final word.  Faith in Jesus is not confidence that bad things won't happen but confidence that He is with us in them.  Jesus' power is most clearly displayed by walking with us through the bad stuff not keeping us away from it.  Even if we are not healed from physical disease He always makes us whole.  Even if we encounter demons, our salvation is safe with Him.  Even though we die, we live. 

The women I spoke to.

Our fears may look different than those rural villagers in Uganda but I was reminded in a BIG way that Jesus has power over anything that we fear.  He is always with us. He cares for us.  He calms the storms of life. We are safe in Him.  He brings peace.  Praying for my Ugandan friends today.