Kinshasa Christmas

Editor’s Note— This article is part two of a three-part series on Christmas on the mission field, where EFCA missionaries share their Christmas experiences. You can read part one here.

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“Fireworks or gunfire?”  

Waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of a loud explosion, we waited expectantly. When we heard the sizzle of sparks falling, we breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that this time it was just fireworks.  

Five years ago, after many delays, the Congolese people held elections for a new president. Tensions ran high as rampant rumors spread while the various political parties tried to make their voices heard. Several demonstrations erupted into violence.  

Elections took place in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Throughout the week, from a house at the top of a hill, we looked over the city and saw the bright flashes of fireworks for miles around.  

The realities of Christmas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, like the first Christmas, create a backdrop of uncertainty and darkness against which the bright truth of God with us shines all the brighter. 

Political uncertainty 

This year, we anticipate presidential elections in the week before Christmas. The heightened tension of political uncertainty brings with it challenges in safety, communication and planning. 

WhatsApp is a favorite social media application in Kinshasa. Most people are part of multiple group chats for church, work, family, ministry, event planning and much more. These groups are fertile ground for passing information, both true and false. One of the groups I am a part of shares encouraging Bible readings and messages. Others are less uplifting in the information shared.  

When tragedies take place, people share graphic pictures and videos. In many ways this allows people to process what they hear and see and to pray together. In other cases, it increases fear and agitates emotions in unhelpful ways. 

To reduce the organization of demonstrations and the spreading of rumors or fear-mongering, at times, the government shuts down all internet and texting. Other times, they only restrict access to social media.  

Emails from the U.S. embassies often remind citizens to “Avoid large crowds and demonstrations.” In many cases, crowds gather and demonstrations happen out of the people’s desire for their voices to be heard. However, emotions run high in these settings and a peaceful gathering can turn violent.  

With the unpredictability of communication, and the risk of accidentally joining a demonstration, the political uncertainty of the Christmas season translates into a logistical challenge. The church I attend is advising everyone to connect to their WhatsApp group to stay informed, as much as possible, of any unexpected changes in our Christmas celebrations. 

Real help 

For many Congolese, Christmas celebrations start with a Christmas Eve church service that extends to the early hours of Christmas morning. After a few hours of sleep, the family returns for another service on Christmas morning. In remembrance of Jesus coming like a child, the main meal of the day includes the children’s favorite foods and possibly small gifts or new outfits for them.  

These modest recognitions of the day are still a financial burden on families struggling to make it day by day. One ministry partner shared that he saves up his rewards points from a grocery store all year, so he can buy something special for his family for Christmas. 

In 2020, the families of students in one of our GlobalFingerprints/Tabitha Center sites were struggling to provide food. The student’s sponsors sent funds for a special food gift. This gift of love amazed the families. The program manager shared, “This [giving of food] was something they had never seen. Nothing was asked of them in return.” This gift led to questions about the Jesus we serve and eventually to several family members giving their lives to Him. 

Christmas is a great opportunity for ministries, churches and individuals to demonstrate this kind of practical love to our coworkers, employees and church members.  

Making new traditions  

Two years ago, our church canceled their Christmas Eve service at the last moment, as COVID-19 cases were on the rise. Our family made alternative plans to watch the service online, but we have another Christmas Eve tradition that took more thought to modify. 

For years after moving to Kinshasa, we would get stuck in traffic for hours on our way home from the Christmas Eve service. Since our international church holds an early evening service, we would leave the church just in time to be caught in traffic with others going to their late-night services. 

As frustration with the drivers around us rose and we remembered all the things needing to be done at home, it was hard to hold on to the remembrance of Christ’s birth that we had just been celebrating. 

One year, another family invited us to join them at an Indian restaurant, not far from the church. We discovered that by waiting a few hours and enjoying fellowship with friends, traffic was greatly reduced, and we got home at almost the same time we would have by leaving directly from church. 

Now, even if traffic is not an issue, like when the service is canceled, we still look forward to Indian food on Christmas Eve. Luckily, at least one Indian restaurant in Kinshasa delivers. 

Light in the darkness 

Although the uncertainty of life in Congo is a reality all year round, it feels especially poignant around Christmas time. Still, I’m reminded that this isn’t the first place or time to feel the struggles of this world at Christmas. 

The very first Christmas was a time of political uncertainty under Roman rule. It was a time of relational uncertainty as those around Mary reacted to her pregnancy. It was a time of uncertainty for their physical safety with the threat of Herod near at hand. 

Even so, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). 

Like fireworks against a night sky, the hope of Christ is seen more brightly against the darkness and uncertainty of this world. It is seen in the joyful celebration of believers, amid political uncertainty. It is seen in the practical gifts of food, given in love amid financial uncertainty. It is seen in new traditions bringing families close, amid the uncertainty of traffic and planning. 

As each of us walk through the struggles of this world, may we wait expectantly for the ways we will see the hope of Christ this Christmas season.