Listening to the world news, hardly a month goes by without another saddening revelation of the breakup of the family of a high profile pastor or a tragic family murder or the passing of a piece of legislation further distorting our picture of the fundamental social building block.
In East Africa, the on-going social revolution and the multiple attendant crises affecting the family have been the subject of increasing discussion in the media (cf. ‘Kenyan family unit faces collapse’, Daily Nation, 28 Sept. 2015).
In the new issue of Conversation Magazine, a range of writers seek not only to analyse the problem but to find gospel answers to these issues. These answers are not simply a predictable, reactive conservatism that re-asserts ‘family values’, rather they seek to push into the radical impact of the death and resurrection of Christ in redefining the family and where it fits in the Kingdom.
The son of an unmarried virgin, whose father Joseph most likely died while he was young, Jesus hardly came from a stable family unit. During his ministry, some of his statements regarding family are also hard to square with family values. He speaks of ‘hating’ one’s father and mother and siblings for his sake (Luke 14:26), and he appears to associate more with his disciplines than his own flesh and blood (Matt. 12:46-50). [CM p.8]
The biggest Conversation Magazine yet (68 pages) is packed with comment and original content addressing issues from singlehood to the state of the Anglican church, from bride price to the Trinity. Get your print copy from iServe Africa bookstore, from major supermarkets and bookstores nationwide (Kenya & Uganda) or get your e-copy from Lulu.
