Ruslan Yarotsky is a religious scholar and an
Orthodox missionary from Hrodna who is also the head of a charitable fund, which
helps Orthodox Christians in Africa. He started doing his mission in St Elisha
Monastery in Laŭryšava, HR.
When you
get to know about the Orthodox Church on the African continent for the first
time, it will definitely feel “different” from what we, who live in Belarus,
Russia, and Ukraine, are used to. It doesn’t have the tranquility and pensive
atmosphere, the elaborate precision and rhythm of worship… It doesn’t have the
wonderful architectural edifices and populous religious processions… A Divine Liturgy
in Africa, with its drum beats and polyrhythmic African tunes, and with the
parishioners and priests praising God by dance, may appear strange,
unfathomable, and even unacceptable. An Orthodox believer in our traditionally
Orthodox lands always has the opportunity to look back into the past and find
support and comfort there. What do African Christians have in their past? Where
is their Seraphim of Sarov or Theophan the Recluse? Where is their glorious and
not-so-glorious history of struggle against “this fallen world”?
The
Church in Africa is like a young tree. It grows and has lush green leaves but
it does not have a strong root, a tall trunk, and a wide top, all of which make
old trees different from younger ones. Does it? Does the real power of the
Church on that continent lie in something else?
The
brothers first got to know African Orthodoxy in Kenya, where St Elisha
Monastery organises missionary outreach with the support of many parishes from
Belarus and neighbouring countries.
What is,
then, the aim of this narrative, which, of course, represents solely our own
subjective opinion? Hopefully, you will feel a closer connection to the Church
in Africa after you read this post. Sometimes, even simple concepts can take
years to soak into people’s minds. One of these concepts is the simple idea
that there is only one Church of Christ in the world; the names “Russian
Church”, “Belarusian Church”, “Greek Church”, or “American Church” mean
something only here on earth. Probably, we will be moved by compassion and love
and join efforts in helping our brothers and sisters in Africa. I’m optimistic
that the experience of a missionary outreach can “animate” our spiritual lives,
and add meaning, joy, and new substance to them.
Mass
media paint a bleak picture of Africa. Indeed, most African countries are
poverty-stricken, with absent or inadequate welfare, and teeming with
infections, ethnic and religious conflicts.
Sadly,
the mzungu (whites) left the continent with roads and buildings but not good
memories. After the independence, Kenyans had an extremely negative attitude
towards the British. Frankly, they were equally wary of all “whites”.
Nowadays,
the situation has improved. Tourists can easily visit many African countries,
with some precautions, of course. However, this positive change isn’t always
the result of a change in attitude. Rather, the locals have figured out that
tourists bring money.
That is
why if you board a plane from Paris or Amsterdam to Nairobi, you may see crowds
of European tourists with cameras, bristling with excitement at the thought of
being able to see exotic African animals and take a selfie with them. The
majority of those tourists will see a Kenya and a Tanzania adapted to their
liking. For instance, Mombasa, a city on the shore of the Indian Ocean, famous
for its white-sand beaches, has become the favourite place for many European
tourists. However, it’s just the façade of Kenya.
The
population of Kenya is 50 million people. When you travel around the country,
you will assume that the population numbers are largely out of date. Streets of
Hrodna, Minsk, and Vilnius look almost empty in comparison with an average
Kenyan village. How can you count the population of city slums like Kibera?
Most people there are constantly moving. Where are they going? Although they
don’t have jobs, they are very busy. Some of them are lucky enough to have
their own “business”, like a car wash. Just look at how they proudly sit on a
heap of old tyres with the name of their company on a cardboard sheet, some
soap, sponges, and water from the nearest river in rusty barrels…
It must
be noted that the advances of technology are evident in the cities and towns in
Kenya. Most people have mobile phones and work hard to buy a TV panel, which
costs almost as much as here in Belarus. With that said, living conditions of
most Kenyans may appear absolutely unsatisfactory. Why not buy wallpapers,
paint, or a vacuum cleaner instead? This way of spending money looks like an
escape from the brutal reality…
Kenyans
are very open and kind. If you’re in trouble, they will happily help you. The
general impression from the people is really positive. Of course, hard life
conditions and poverty leaves an imprint of people’s behaviour and world view.
Crime rate in the country is high: robberies, thefts, and murders are quite
common, for a lot of reasons.
As a
rule, a tourist does not encounter this side of the life in the country.
Sometimes this grim reality haunts you. When we brought humanitarian aid to Father
Michael, an Orthodox priest in a village named Gilgil, we were delighted with
his enthusiasm and kindness to such an extent that even that gloomy place
looked quite attractive, in spite of all its dirt and poverty. A week after we
left, we learned of a murder during a possible robbery attempt. The victim of
that murder was Elijah—a student of an Orthodox college who was studying to
become a teacher. Seeing Kenya and Africa in general also means seeing a
graveyard, where lots of new graves can tell you a lot about the true state of
affairs.
You
shouldn’t, however, look at Kenya through a black or a pink glass. Africa
appears different to everyone. The way you see it depends on what you are
willing to see and what means you have at your disposal.
Civilization
has transformed a modern tourist so much that he will be happy and excited to
notice a giraffe’s head in the savannah, a zeal of zebras, or some baboons on
the Naivasha–Nairobi road but will turn a blind eye on the yellowish whites of
children’s eyes, crowds of beggars that besiege his car when he drives to his
luxurious hotel after a delicious lunch in a restaurant, and the abject poverty
that he may encounter in rural areas and city slums. Personally, I felt ashamed
for the first time on Lake Naivasha, when we were feeding biscuits to a giraffe
named Eric, and the eyes of our guides followed each biscuit closely as it
disappeared in the giraffe’s mouth. In fact, you begin to think about it
seriously only later.
Kenya is
a country of stark contrasts. There is poverty and luxury side by side. The
incredible beauty of African nature and its rich animal world is combined with
inhumane living conditions for most people. It must be noted that the painful
reaction to the Kenyan way of life is our subjective experience. Kenyans
perceive the horrors, which make our hearts ache, with enviable calmness. They
dream of having their own plot of land and cultivate it to earn money and be
able to pay for their children’s education. They love, quarrel, dream, and wonder.
Their men do their best earning money, and their women do their best to look
gorgeous. Just like we do. It’s just the conditions that are different. It’s
easy to fall in love with Kenya.
Africa is
a continent where religion is still important. Although it may appear that
there isn’t anything noteworthy about Kenyan religious life, I’m assured that
Mircea Eliade could have found a vast field of study here. The majority of
people here view themselves as Christians. Indeed, there are signs that read “Pentecostal
Church”, “Church of God”, “Messianic Church”, “Adventist Church”, etc., in
every town and village. There is a sizable proportion of Catholics here, as
well as dozens of Neo-Protestant groups. Small but neat (at least in contrast
to the chaos that surrounds them) mosques can be found in bigger cities, along
with Hindu and Buddhist temples, and traditional cults, Hare Krishna followers,
Orthodox Jews, and many other religious communities.
It seems
that there is no need for an Orthodox mission in a country with such a large
Christian populace, is there? In my humble opinion, Kenyan society has become
more “Christianised” during the 20th century, albeit superficially. Missions
that can invest large amounts of money are the most successful in the
impoverished country. Locals tend to join religious organisations solely to
improve their financial standing and not after an “encounter with God”. You
can’t judge them. Of course, neither should you infer that everyone becomes a
Christian for ulterior motives. Many people are entirely sincere in their
faith.
You meet
religion at every corner during your travel in Kenya…
End of
Part I
St.
Elisabeth Convent
June 16,
2018
CONVERSATION