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CALL TO REFLECTION

CALL TO REFLECTION
By  Stephen Ojang*
 
    Dear browsers, it is with a lot of excitement that we welcome you all to this maiden edition of CALL TO REFLECTION. This is a window that will enable us all ponder on what we have to do for our society and our nation at large.

    Our excitement of creating a web blog has been turned into a multitude of worries and questions we are only learning how to ask, and whose answers are far too difficult to provide. We were moved by the ugly happenings in the North-West and South-West Regions of Cameroon.

    Three years down the lane, children are still indoors, our girl children raped, impregnated, humiliated, tortured, traumatized while our young boys are gunned down almost on a daily basis as games. We now ponder on what prompted us, why did we choose this path and worst still, how did we get where we are. Were we  able to tell our people the real story of picking up arms? The answer for sure, is like a candle blowing in the wind.

    The recently ended Major National Dialogue was a glorious opportunity for the Government of Cameroon not to speak on behalf of the English speaking Cameroonians, it was rather, a rare opportunity to speak to God about the plight of the Anglophone people and the nation. Many were more concerned about the internal injustices of the oppressed people who are often marginalized.

    Despite government's efforts to bring back peace, we have not been told how and when the end of the hostilities would be. Tired of living in the smell of gun powder, the minority anglophone community, feels marginalized, undervalued, exploited, excluded and does not seem to be listened to by the powers that be. This situation degenerated into an armed conflict with the result of many deaths, homeless people, destruction of property, many living in exile while others live in very precarious conditions in bushes and refugee camps. Just like Peter in John 6:68, these oppresed people, in a shaky faith, turned to God as they asked themselves, "Lord, to whom shall we go?"

    The reason for such a question lies in the failure of the government of the people to resolve the ongoing Anglophone Crisis. These people turned to their politicians and elites and all they got is failure times failure equals to failure. The international community and the Church through their silence also failed them. At this junction of confusion, the helpless people of this country have only one place to go; Jesus Christ, the last resort, but the priority in times like these.

    Call for reflection is a column that challenges men and women of God to rethink their approaches towards non-violent methods for resistance and renew their commitment to overcoming violence and war that pervades our land and our people. Will my belief in God strengthen me or fail me? In times of crisis, seek God's face. 

www.ojslim.blogspot.com
Stephen Ojang studied Print Journalism at Impact Polytechnic Kumbo. Presently Officer in Charge of Communications, Public Relations, local Partnership and Cooperation at the Wum Council in the Northwest Region, he has taken a profound interest in all facets of journalism with a soft spot on peace journalism. Ojang is the founder and CEO of OJ SLIM MEDIA
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