We are all Africans

The children were grateful their mother had returned to their little village in Tanzania. It was dark in the mud hut when Edith arrived after a seven-day trip.
They could not see her face, but they could feel her hug, smell her skin.
But in the morning, they looked in her face confused.
"Who are you?" they asked.
They did not recognize her because the cleft lip that had marred Edith's face since birth had been repaired.
"And that," said Father Damien Milliken, "is the story of Easter."
Just as Jesus had not been recognized by the disciples after the resurrection, so had Edith been transformed by an act of kindness, Milliken told the congregation Sunday at St. Mary Our Mother Church in Horseheads.
Milliken's life has also undergone a transformation. A native of Elmira, Milliken joined the Benedictine order and 50 years ago was assigned to missionary work in Tanzania. He had returned to thank Father Chris Linsler of St. Mary Our Mother for his support for the past 15 years in hosting African priests who were studying at Elmira College. The church took up a second collection to help Milliken's mission.
In Africa, the election of Barack Obama was an inspiration, Milliken said. However, what was even more inspirational was in watching how graciously John McCain conceded, saying that the better man must move forward and be president.
"This is democracy?" the people in Africa said to themselves. On a continent where those in power often hold on to it through force of arms, McCain concession to Obama was a timely lesson about the power of free government. Africa is watching us as an example of how democracy works, Milliken said, let's be mindful of that.

For all of the foreign aid sent to Africa, about 95 percent of it could be set out in a parking lot and set on fire for all the good it does for the average African, Milliken said. Most of the aid is siphoned off for the wealthy to buy luxury goods and build high rises, Milliken said.

Copies of a letter written by Milliken was made available to the parishioners. It read, in part:

"The African ... does not want, nor need a handout. He wants a fair shake and not a shakedown. Example: There is rice from Arizona, USA,, on sale in the Lushoto market today. (Lushoto is a town about 10 miles down the mountain from Mainde Juu -- where Milliken is based.) This USA rice undercuts the rice grown in our own river valleys. This is not because the Tanzanian rice is so costly to grow, but that the subsidy to the American farmer drives the price of US rice sold in Tanzania way below normal production costs for the Tanzanian farmer. 'Fair' trade not is what can get Africa off its knees and on the road to equal opportunity.'
"I have been in Africa now since 1960 and I am convinced that the school room will be the engine to bring peace and prosperity to this part of the world."


Tax deductible contributions may be made payable to:
St. Paul's Abbey
Benedictine Missionaries
Newton, N.J. 07860
Indicate on memo: Fr. Damian's Mission Work.

http://www.dioceseoftanga.org/offices/education/mazindejuusecschool/index.html

As I listened to Milliken's talk, I kept remembering a lesson from science:

The human race began in Africa, and then took thousands of years to spread around the globe. We spend a lot of time and energy establishing our heritage. But it is not that we are Irish or English, French or German, Spanish or Arab or Jew or Chinese or Japanese or American Indian.

In the end, we are all African.