Peace

In a beautiful, albeit unplanned, display of harmony three weeks ago two BRICC families had babies.  In the morning Alhaji's wife had a little girl.  That afternoon Doris, wife of Friday the carpenter whose shop is beside the BRICC office, had a boy.

One Muslim family; one Christian.  One girl; one boy.

This morning some of the BRICC family visited Friday's house to meet the baby.  Too many times we've had to go to offer sympathy to bereaved families, hoping that the encouragement of seeing Christian and Muslim visit together would offer a little consolation.  Today was going to be different, today we went to celebrate a new life and we enjoyed it, passing little Praises from person to person, laughing as Sadiq joked with Veronica about the best number of children to have, luxuriating in the sense that we are a family though from different tribes, nations and religions. 

Doris & Praises

Doris spoke wisely as she told us how blessed she felt.  BRICC was not able to shower the baby with the traditional largesse but she said that didn't matter.  All the riches in the world are not worth as much as family and she knew that BRICC was her family.  If she or those she loved were in trouble comfort would come from family, not from a cold pile of money, and all present were in agreement.

This morning was about life. This afternoon we thought of death.  I heard and felt the bomb blast in Jos which has broken so many lives and destroyed so much property. Nothing can prevail against such hatred except love.  Pray for Jos.  Pray for BRICC bringing lives together, offering hope, showing people can live and love together.  Pray for Nigeria.