A dark moment of abandonment in Kenya and the whole humanity

By James Mwania (youth journalist in Kenya)

        On the morning of April 2nd 2015, Kenya and the whole world woke up to a rude shock after armed terrorists attacked Garissa University College located around 360km from Nairobi where they killed and wounded over 100 students. During the day-long ordeal, the terrorists took more than 800 students hostage; thankfully, more than 600 were rescued. The Garissa attack is a continuation of a very spirited effort by our enemies to divide us along religious lines. It was the most lethal terrorist attack on Kenya since the 1998 US Embassy bombing.

      Young people who were about to enter into the world and contribute a lot in building a more united world through their service to humanity. Very sad to parents and guardians who had spent to the last of their coin to see their children get education, only to see their dreams cut shot by terrorists. We have come to learn that some of the casualties were already the breadwinners in their families and now it has become difficult for some families because their breadwinners are gone so soon.

      Eye witnesses said that the terrorists divided the students into two, Muslims on one side and Christians on the other side whereby all the Christians were brutally killed. It took the effort of a special police force to rescue those who had been held hostage for over ten hours. The terrorists wanted to use religion as a tool to divide the country, by killing Christians only; we are convinced that they wanted to use religion as a tool to divide the people of Kenya. However, Kenyans have remained strong and such tragedy has made them become more united regardless of their differences. Religious leaders from all religions and especially Muslim have condemned the incident and said that it’s not related to any Muslim teachings.

      It was a very sad moment for the whole nation for losing the future and hope of the country through such brutal killing. The future of Kenya shading blood for their own faith and for the whole humanity. Questions are still lingering in our minds about the great plans and ideas all those young people had in their mind for the church and the whole humanity. Targeting and killing young people is killing a nation and it should be highly condemned by all people.

      During the holy period of Easter when the attack happened, the families and communities of the fallen should take solace in recalling that after the evil of the cross on Friday, and when the Devil thought he had triumphed, Sunday’s hope arrived. As we remember those that fell at Garissa Kenya, we recognize that the resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that the power of hatred and violence will never prevail. We shall prevail.

      This act on terror puts questions to the meaning of Easter at the same time the reaction of the Kenyan people is positive in the sense that it unites people spiritually, culturally and politically, statements that call people to be one by putting aside all their differences. Giving messages of hope and above all the burning desire of unity.

      In front of such terrifying thing what can we do??

      The secret of Jesus who experienced the abandonment on the cross is our answer and great consoler, what can we do to give hope to the nation and the people? Everybody is asking why did it happen? And we do not have an answer; the Holy Father's words and our vocation are asking us to go out. Kenyans and the whole world are calling for dialogue and unity. This call for unity is what we can offer so that we can concur the evil with good or to do something to those who lost their sons and daughters, friends, relatives. Prayer is not enough and we want to do something. Our hearts are yearning to do something and only Jesus on the cross can give us an answer on what to do concretely.

      Where Jesus cried asking the Father why he had forsaken him, that’s where especially the affected family are. They feel forsaken and abandoned. We want to make ourselves one with them in carrying this very heavy cross.

      Victoria, a friend who lives in Garissa, the place where the attack took place has been spending time in the hospital where the injured were first taken before being transferred to Nairobi. In Nairobi, at the morgue and at the rescue centers, some members of the movement have also been there to console the affected families.