Trail Mix, February 17th, 2010: A Kingdom Of Humility

Charles Wesley Mumbere lived in this country for nearly 25 years. He arrived to the US in 1984 on a scholarship sponsored by his native country of Uganda. When the scholarship stipend ran out in 1987 he gained political asylum and trained as a nurses aid, eventually taking a job at a suburban Washington D. C. nursing home. He chose that field because the work "was more reliable," he once commented. "Other jobs you can easily get laid off," he said. Seems reasonable since he now had a wife, a son, and a daughter to think about. He and his family moved in 1999 to Harrisburg, PA where they settled into the stereotypical normal life. And that could easily be the end of the story.

But Mumbere was keeping a secret of sorts. In 1963, his people, the Bakonzo ethnic group, demanded to be recognized as a separate entity. They named Mumbere's father, Isaya Mukirania Kibanzanga, their ruling king. When Mumbere was 9, his father took he and his family, and the group of secessionists to the Rwenzori mountains (known as the Mountain of the Moons) in protest over the oppression of their people by the ruling Toro kingdom. "It was very difficult growing up in the bush," he recalled.

His dad led the on-going resistance for four years, until he was killed in one of the battles. At the age of 13, Mumbere inherited the crown of the new kingdom, officially known as the Rwenzururu Kingdom, his father died to defend. Shortly after Kibanzanga's death in 1967, the president of Uganda banned all kingdoms, and demanded they succumb to his leadership. Mumbere's first and last official crusade as the new king was to lead his people down the mountain to turn in their weapons and return to life in the Uganda low lands. Again that could also be the end of the story.

However, fast forward to 2009. Mumbere, now 56, has been quietly living his suburban life with his family in Harrisburg for nearly 20 years. What practically no one around him ever knew was that everyday they worked with a king amongst them. Mumbere changed bed pans, assisted the elderly down the halls, swept the floors, and took out the trash. "He was very loyal, and a very hard worker," one supervisor commented. He didn't brag about his heritage. He didn't demand to be treated differently. He was a humble servant, quietly meeting the needs of the people he served everyday.

This story reminds me so much of the life of Jesus. He came from royalty into a world at war, spiritually, and taught of a day when weapons would be turned into plows. He simply served those he came in contact with. Although clearly a king, he didn't demand to be treated like royalty. He lived a simple life while meeting the needs of those around him. His message of love for His people, and His life of humility is an example we all can learn from. Jesus, in the flesh, had to leave His people behind. But he knew one day He would return. And so did Mumbere.

For the past 10 years, Mumbere has been quietly lobbying the current president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, to restore the kingdoms; interceding on behalf of his people. And late in 2009, "to the sound of drumbeats and thousands of cheering supporters wearing cloth printed with his portrait" an AP report stated, Charles Wesley Mumbere was crowned king of the 300,000 strong reinstated Rwenzururu Kingdom. "Old men clutching canes shuffled up the hill beside women in colorful Uganda dress," to celebrate the coronation. "Everyone is happy," stated native Masereka Tadai. The king had returned to his people.

Jesus will return to us one day too. In the meantime, life goes on. And until then, we are asked to love and serve the others around us; The ones who can't help themselves; The ones who don't know the King. In His absence, Jesus left us in charge here of His Kingdom. His passage through this land reinstated the Kingdom, and restored us to our royalty. We are now rulers along with Him. We rule not in arrogance though, but in humility, just like Jesus. Do you know that you are a king? You have been assigned a territory, an area of influence. How will you "rule"? How will you serve the people of your kingdom? Just as Mumbere interceded for his people, Jesus intercedes for us. And we are to intercede for those around us; those God has placed in our care. Rule my friend, as Jesus did. Rule with a love and humility that points your people to the Kingdom and the one true King.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Greg Tutwiler, CCLC, BCPC