. . .man, from the Amish to the wilds of Africa. . .I don't know if my heart can take this! I just finished devouring this book by Ben Freeth about his life in Zimbabwe during the horrific land seizure program in 2000. What struck me immediately when I started turning the first few pages was the disbelief that this was happening and I have no memory or knowledge of it being in the press. .. .I feel ashamed that I didn't know more about this. . .
About Mugabe and the White African:
Ben Freeth has an extraordinary story to tell. Like that of many white farmers, his family's land was "reclaimed" for redistribution by Mugabe's government.
But Ben's family fought back. Appealing to international law, they instigated a suit against Mugabe's government in the SADC, the Southern African equivalent of NATO. The case was deferred time and again while Mugabe's men pulled strings. But after Freeth and his parents-in-law were abducted and beaten within inches of death in 2008, the SADC deemed any further delay to be an obstruction of justice. The case was heard, and was successful on all counts.
But the story doesn't end there. In 2009 the family farm was burned to the ground. The fight for justice in Zimbabwe is far from over--this book is for anyone who wants to see into the heart of one of today's hardest places and how human dignity flourishes even in the most adverse circumstances.
While it was physically painful to read this book. .. (my body literally hurt). . .I was compelled to turn each page. Ben Freeth does an amazing job retelling these almost unbelievable events. The injustice is infuriating, the violence devastating. . .but amidst it all is the unwavering belief in doing what is right. ..ALL THE TIME. . NO MATTER WHAT. . in the face of blatant corruption I could see how it could have been tempting to "let the ends justify the means". . .Ben's belief was that the ends never justify the means if they are wrong! Pure inspiration and a solemn reminder.
This story hit home especially because Grant and I are farmers. . .there is something about land. . about boundaries that have an inherently spiritual aspect. God Himself designed the earth in such a way. . .the separation of land from sea, light from dark. . .form. Land is territory. .. .God blesses it and removes it, He honours promises made on it. . .and He gifts it. . .there is just something about land that is connected to the spiritual realm. . .spiritual territories. . .
The following is a letter that Ben wrote as encouragement to the farmers that were being bullied, brutalized and attacked. . .I think it's a great snap shot illustrating the qualities in the book that make it so valuable. Even though it is extremely hard to read about the events. . .the underlying story of faith, perseverance and trust in God are the jewels!
It is what you believe that will determine how you live your life.
It is what you believe that will determine the society that you live in.
If you do not live out what you believe, your life and the society that you live in will become unacceptable to you.
If you believe in truth, speak it! Live it! Do not compromise.
If you believe in a society without corruption, do not pay out money under corrupt circumstances! Do not compromise.
If you believe in a society without patronage, don't allow yourself to be patronized! Do not compromise.
If you believe in freedom of speech, speak out! Do not compromise.
If you believe in a happy family life, do not chase after other people! Make time for your family. Do not compromise.
If you believe in a community that helps each other, be the first to offer your own help!Do not compromise.
If you believe in God, do everything to seek Him! Don't put Him aside. Do not compromise what you believe.
If you compromise any of these things, the person that you are, and the society that we live in will become compromised.
Wow! Anyone sensing a theme here?! COMPROMISE. Ouch. Guilty. It's the little things that sneak up on you. .. the seemingly harmless inconsistencies in your life that you don't bother to correct because: Who's it hurting??. .. This story puts a spotlight on why it's important to NEVER COMPROMISE your morals. . .it magnifies the consequences of compromise and beautifully shows the rewards for courage and faith in the face of evil.
The PBS debut of Mugabe and the White African, the award-winning documentary of the same name, was on July 26. Watch now at PBS: http://www.pbs.org/pov/mugabe/.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for the review. . .if anyone within driving distance of me wants to borrow it just shoot me an email! You can also check out the Blog Tour for this book here if you are interested:)
. . .I'll admit, I can sometimes get bogged down and depressed about the state of the world and find myself "checking out". . .not wanting to hear. .. because (selfishly) it hurts to know. This book inspired me to see the hope in every circumstance. .. .to see that trusting God is ACTIVE and ONGOING. . .it's hard work. . and worth every effort.
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We have friends through FFI in Zimbabwe and have heard a little of their story. Amazing how they have had to live - trusting God for food, gasoline, clothing. Some days they have electricity, some days they don't. Some days the water is on, often it is not. Incredible people from a scary place - but their faith is unshakeable. I don't know how I'd fare in their shoes.
Posted by: Marsha | August 30, 2011 at 05:39 PM
Amazing! I often wonder how I would fare in such circumstances as well. .. God is so good. . .why is trusting so hard sometimes???
Posted by: Colleen | August 30, 2011 at 08:45 PM