Out with the old ... in with the new?

On May 31, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) issued new currency notes - the first change of denominations since 1979. The change was made to help fight money laundering and reduce incidents of counterfeit, part of the President’s commitment to “stamp out corruption.”  The notes have been introduced gradually over the past three months and as of October 01, some of the old Kenyan shillings notes will be retired.

Not surprisingly, the change elicited public criticism. CBK was responsible to ensure a sufficient distribution to local financial institutions and there is now a shortage of the notes already.  Some Kenyans were upset over the design which includes a photo of Kenya’s first President, Jomo Kenyatta, stating that “money should not feature a portrait of an individual.” Others backed the choice as a sign of respect for the country’s founding father. Human Rights activists argued that there was a lack of public participation in designing the notes.  

As the new notes trickle into the everyday market, people are recognizing what differentiates the new from the old.  One appealing feature is how life in Kenya is identified on the bills – agriculture, green energy, social services, tourism, and government.  Enhanced security features are ensuring authenticity. Hold up a new note to the light and from both sides, you will see a watermark of a perfect lion’s head, the CBK text, and the value of the banknote.  Touch the edge of the notes for barcodes (50 = 1 bar; 100 = 2 bars, etc.). They are both seen and felt, intentionally included this way for visually impaired consumers.  Distinguishing what is fake from what is genuine is the goal. 

The response to this currency conversion confirms that change is a process.  Change comes in varying ways. Sometimes it has minimal consequences, a temporary irritant. Other times, it is life-altering. Sometimes it’s inevitable, other times unexpected.  Exchanging what has ‘always been’ for something different can naturally trigger resistance, worry, and chaos.  Change happens in the places closest to us like our family, work, social connections, and community as well as in broader spheres like world economics, technology, and global infrastructures.  We have all seen changes in education, government, healthcare, and spiritual formation networks.  Here’s a thought - change is consistent.  Sounds like an oxymoron, yet it’s true.  

I had a short conversation with a local educator recently. It was an impromptu chat. While I was visiting some officers in their home, this gentleman, one of their church members, came into the house.  I can’t quite remember how the conversation began but very quickly he was talking about change. To my surprise, he spoke of how ‘his country’ has moved away from ‘what was’ to ‘what is’ at a rapid rate and he was a little apprehensive.  He spoke of how Kenyans are becoming much more individualistic and a lot less community-minded - a value which has long been part of their heritage.  He shared his deep concern with seeing so many parents giving their children mobile devices to use as ‘baby sitters’ instead of being fully present with the little ones.  It struck me in that moment how universal many changes are – even when pace and context differs.  I responded to the gentleman with how I still see much more community based living here than in my Western homeland. But for this man, the change is real and creating anxiety for him. Interestingly, this conversation happened in an officer’s house where the door is always open.

Sometimes we approach or evaluate change by putting it into two categories – success or failure, good or bad – but I’m not convinced it is that easy. Life is too complex to label something so commonplace by compartmentalizing it. I think it may be much more “grey” than black & white. In my opinion, change is seldom an “either/or” of winning or losing. It is more likely to land inside a “BOTH/AND.”  I guess the question is how do we maneuver through our changes, embrace what is in front of us, and keep well through the process.  

Here in Kenya, we watch people every day persevere in less than ideal situations and sometimes with limited resources AND we see resilience - in the face of change.  While the country moves forward with changes that can be ‘for the good of the whole’, the adjustments have had consequences. One example is road construction.  It is improving traffic safety and transportation accessibility increasing economic productivity and development, which is great.  AND in the midst of that, some people have been displaced from their homes, left stranded with no compensation – that’s tough.   Then there are large supermarkets coming to the bigger rural towns.  Consumers benefit from increased conveniences and more choices AND local small businesses (markets) suffer from up-scale competitors. 

These practical examples remind me of other significant paradigm shifts. What about the change we see in the emerging younger generation?  Young adults are stepping forward in various sectors of life (family, social networks, work, church, etc.) and offering a different perspective (something new) in light of ever-changing moral and intellectual world views?  This change could, for many, include some real adjusting to fresh ideas resulting in BOTH losses and gains.  (I encourage you to follow General Brian Peddle’s most recent devotional series called Millennials).  Or what about when there are changes to the culture which have been deeply embedded for generations.  How do we maintain positive regard for what has been AND move forward to creatively discern what is needed for the days ahead? I believe we need much compassion, wisdom, integrity, and mutual support from one another.

How we navigate change, how well we manage to move through the chaos, depends much on the situation and personal cost.  Sometimes lack of communication complicates a turbulent time or maybe there is a lack of resources or skills needed (personal or professional). Maybe there are barriers which are higher to overcome then we realized and we need to be patient with ourselves in the change process. Maybe there is a deep need for greater loyalty and the ‘helping hand’ of people we can trust AND the freedom for open dialogue.  This reminds me of something critical in all of this.  We are formed best in relationships and moving toward one another in times of change can be a healthy way of being, making us even stronger than we thought we could be. 

For me, what matters most through change is that we search deep within to find what grounds us. What are the unchanging values that will sustain us? AND what supports will we purposefully create and hold to more tightly as we find our way?

I realize in closing this blog the example of introducing new Kenyan notes may not be as drastic as other life changes. It did, however, bring to my mind the universal truth that few things in life remain the same. AND that “out with the old… in with the new” is not simple. It can be tangled, many-sided and puzzling like a spider’s three-dimensional cobweb. AND in its midst, a discovery of beauty, strength, and light just might arise.

As I often do, I let someone else’s Word be the best and final say on this topic:  “But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and He shines forever without change.” (James 1:17, TLB) Thank goodness!!