As you may have noticed in some of the previous posts, there are things within the Pokot culture which are very dark. The first thing we must mention is this: While there are very dark things within the Pokot culture, we are not ignorant of the darkness within our own cultures. The American culture is no more righteous before God than the Pokot culture. But that does not mean that we are free to remain in darkness! Jesus calls us to Himself, to embrace the culture of heaven, and to leave our culture behind!
Nonetheless, we cannot help but grieve when we see such darkness enslaving the people! If the light dwells in you, you cannot rejoice with darkness. As the Word says in the book of Proverbs: "the fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil." And dear friend, that applies to more than observing evil around you, it includes the evil within you! I must also mention that for those who are within the church, these things are becoming virtually non-existent as the Truth is preached.
There are several specific areas of darkness which stand out. The first issue is that of "FGM". Without going into the details, the word stands for "Female Genital Mutilation." When young girls reach the ages of 10-14, they are taken from whatever activities they are doing, and they are taught about becoming women. During this time, someone performs an operation on them. (This is not like going to a hospital, this is someone with a share knife and something to clean the blood.)
The second issue is that of Young marriage. After these young girls have gone through FGM, they are considered as candidates for marriage. Many girls are married by the time they are 14 and have 3 or more children by the time they are 20 years old. These girls have no choice in regard to who they marry, and often their husband is between the age of 35 and 55.
The third issue, related to the previous one, is that of polygamy. In the Pokot culture, it is not uncommon for men to have 3 or 4 wives. The more wives you have, the more children you have; and the more children you have, the more help with animals, the more you increase your clan, and the more chances you have to receive the dowry for your daughters.
This brings us to the fourth issue, within this culture, the live stock is considered more important than the children. When girls become an age which they might be married, all a man has to do is bring the right number of goats or cows, and then he practically buys the young girl at the determined price. Within the next few days the girl is taken to the man's place and will not see their family again unless the husband dies.
Many of the above issues can be addressed simply through education and the preaching of the Gospel. The fifth issue is illiteracy. So many people in the Pokot culture don't know how to read or write. However, this issue is deeper than a mere issue of knowing how to read.
One way that young girls can be rescued from some of the dark things in the culture is by sending them to a boarding school. However, when a girl finishes school and returns to her family, she is not welcomed by anyone. Everyone now looks at this woman as a prostitute. No one is wanting to marry this girl, because she has not followed the ways of the culture, she cannot be trusted. And if she is does not get married, she has no hope at home. There is no means for income, there is no security, there is no food.
Because of all the above issues, we come to the last issue we will discuss in this post: Practical slavery. Women are responsible for everything in the Pokot family. Raising children completely alone, cooking for the family, building houses, fetching water and firewood, tending to the flocks, laundry, caring for the crops, anything else that might come up.
All of these are heavy burdens upon those who are working as God's ministers in the Pokot culture. But, these are not impossible obstacles. Though the darkness is thick and oppressive, Jesus Christ is greater! The Light of the world has come and the darkness has not overcome it!
Who will share Christ with these people? He is THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life! Do we as believers honestly believe that? How much more should we be ready to go and share HIM with those dwelling in darkness?!
Nonetheless, we cannot help but grieve when we see such darkness enslaving the people! If the light dwells in you, you cannot rejoice with darkness. As the Word says in the book of Proverbs: "the fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil." And dear friend, that applies to more than observing evil around you, it includes the evil within you! I must also mention that for those who are within the church, these things are becoming virtually non-existent as the Truth is preached.
There are several specific areas of darkness which stand out. The first issue is that of "FGM". Without going into the details, the word stands for "Female Genital Mutilation." When young girls reach the ages of 10-14, they are taken from whatever activities they are doing, and they are taught about becoming women. During this time, someone performs an operation on them. (This is not like going to a hospital, this is someone with a share knife and something to clean the blood.)
The second issue is that of Young marriage. After these young girls have gone through FGM, they are considered as candidates for marriage. Many girls are married by the time they are 14 and have 3 or more children by the time they are 20 years old. These girls have no choice in regard to who they marry, and often their husband is between the age of 35 and 55.
The third issue, related to the previous one, is that of polygamy. In the Pokot culture, it is not uncommon for men to have 3 or 4 wives. The more wives you have, the more children you have; and the more children you have, the more help with animals, the more you increase your clan, and the more chances you have to receive the dowry for your daughters.
This brings us to the fourth issue, within this culture, the live stock is considered more important than the children. When girls become an age which they might be married, all a man has to do is bring the right number of goats or cows, and then he practically buys the young girl at the determined price. Within the next few days the girl is taken to the man's place and will not see their family again unless the husband dies.
Many of the above issues can be addressed simply through education and the preaching of the Gospel. The fifth issue is illiteracy. So many people in the Pokot culture don't know how to read or write. However, this issue is deeper than a mere issue of knowing how to read.
One way that young girls can be rescued from some of the dark things in the culture is by sending them to a boarding school. However, when a girl finishes school and returns to her family, she is not welcomed by anyone. Everyone now looks at this woman as a prostitute. No one is wanting to marry this girl, because she has not followed the ways of the culture, she cannot be trusted. And if she is does not get married, she has no hope at home. There is no means for income, there is no security, there is no food.
Because of all the above issues, we come to the last issue we will discuss in this post: Practical slavery. Women are responsible for everything in the Pokot family. Raising children completely alone, cooking for the family, building houses, fetching water and firewood, tending to the flocks, laundry, caring for the crops, anything else that might come up.
All of these are heavy burdens upon those who are working as God's ministers in the Pokot culture. But, these are not impossible obstacles. Though the darkness is thick and oppressive, Jesus Christ is greater! The Light of the world has come and the darkness has not overcome it!
Who will share Christ with these people? He is THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life! Do we as believers honestly believe that? How much more should we be ready to go and share HIM with those dwelling in darkness?!
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