Worth reading

I've been reading a really interesting book. Quite depressing in some ways, but definitely a good read. It's called 'The Shackled Continent' by Robert Guest. He's a writer for the Economist who has been stationed in sub-Saharan Africa for cumulatively a long time. He's worked in most of the sub-Saharan countries. The question he poses is why Africa has become poorer and more destabilised since independence, rather than less? Very interesting question, especially at the current time when the ANC has just had their election for president.

Guest is at pains to point out that he knows that there is much beauty in Africa, and bucketloads of potential. However, given the nature of the book, there is not much that is 'happy' in this book. It is, at times, a very emotional, difficult read, but I think his insights are eloquent and spot-on. This is something I have often wondered about, and Guest makes some very insightful comments - maybe I'm just not much of a political thinker, but I've learnt a heck of a lot about my own continent from him.

Reading this book, I have a fresh understanding of how God's heart must break when he looks at sub-Saharan Africa. I shudder at the hatred and violence we perpetuate, or that our leaders stir up in us. I struggle to understand how it is that we allow ourselves to think and behave the way we do, yet I know that when I examine my own thinking, the roots of the same evils I denounce are sitting in my own heart.

I haven't finished it yet, so I hope that the ending gives some hint about how to change the circumstances. The only criticism I have had so far is that the information he gives does rather leave one thinking there is no hope for Africa, and that one really would be better off emigrating. (Actually, SA politics at the moment leaves me feeling the same way.) I know that's not his intention; as he said, there is a lot going for Africa, and there is a lot of good in it - but his book deliberately does not deal with that.

Definitely worth reading, but not what I would call bed-time reading.