Forty days without power over Christmas would not be a cheering prospect for anyone. However BMS workers in freezing cold Kabul have recently been informed that the already limited electricity supply in the city will be off for 40 days. Because of this apparent technical problem, an already difficult existence during winter time will be made even more basic for the three million people living there.
For many of us in the West, having power and warmth in our homes is taken for granted. Indeed, Christmas is a time when we put thoughts of energy conservation on the back-burner, as we decorate our cities, towns and homes with countless pretty lights. So for those Americans who have been affected this month by the ice storm that paralysed their electricity grid, the loss of power will mean a drastically different experience of the festive season this year. Suddenly the trimmings and decorations seem trivial in the light of the loss of life and serious disruption to countless communities in the north-eastern US and yet similar challenges are faced by the citizens of Kabul every year.
Winter in the capital of Afghanistan is harsh; temperatures often reach well below zero°C and there is only an average of six hours of daylight in December and January. Snow lies on the ground for two or three months, and people rarely leave their homes. Even before this extended loss of power, electricity was only available every third day between 6.00pm – 10.30pm. One BMS worker shared how she had already minimised her dependency on the cities supply of electricity: “I wash my clothes by hand, I heat water and my living room with Kerosene, I light my home and cook with calor gas and my fridge draws power from a neighbour’s generator, I only really use city electricity for ironing”. She makes the point that some other foreigners who own washing machines, freezers, electric water heaters, televisions, and numerous other gadgets will find the news more disturbing especially when they consider the cost of fueling their generators. Therefore it is with a smile and creased clothing that she can say: “The simple life is best!”
Despite these hardships, she and others are seeking to celebrate and share the Christmas message in a simple and quiet way in this Muslim country; in her office the nativity story will be presented, and candles given to represent the Light that has come into the world. As a team they have also planned amongst other things, a ladies luncheon with carols and a speaker, an Advent party and a carol service on Christmas Eve.
"I'm glad I'm here and not trying to cope with the commercialism and materialism of the UK. It is always special to me that it is specifically those who know and cherish the meaning of the season who celebrate it. Like the first Christmas, it happens in hearts and minds, not in the shops.
So perhaps when we lose some of our comforts or privileges, the real power of Christmas is seen and felt more clearly; after-all, it was in a poorly-lit stable away from home that the saviour of the world was born and before he began his public ministry he spent 40 days of trial and deprivation in the desert. Again and again, we see this principle of spiritual power in apparent weakness. Whilst Christians in Kabul this year might not have chosen this extra inconvenience for 40 days, it may prove to be another opportunity to identify with the person at the centre of Christmas who said that we were the light of the world too.