The River of Life: We Are What We Have Been Becoming

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.” —John Newton

Nim Njuguna’s life journey has been made more meaningful by being in dialogue with marginalised communities and individuals in the rich global North (Austria, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Germany, and Czech Republic) and the global South (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Somaliland).

In this lecture, he will share a framework for personal exploration that has informed his sense of purpose and mission, opening his eyes to the broader issues of social justice from a spiritually transformed mindset.

Leader(s)

Nim Njuguna, one of Pendle Hill’s current Friends-in-Residence, has been a Baptist minister, university and prison chaplain, and restorative justice trainer. He has taught spiritual direction courses at the London Centre for Spirituality and tutored courses on spiritual accompaniment and racial justice at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre. He has worked within the non-governmental sector in the UK, in housing and mental health, and as a trainer and therapist in Kenya.

He has written a number of articles, mainly on racial justice, for Quaker publications in the UK, as well as an article for Quaker Religious Thought (“Quaker Youth Ministry and Theopraxis in a Multicultural Context”). He was one of the Eva Koch scholars at Woodbrooke in 2018, completing a project on becoming a Quaker diversity ally. A forthcoming book, Enlarging the Tent: Two Quakers in Conversation About Racial Justice, described as dialogues between seasoned activist and willing novice, is based on co-interviews with Nim and his co-author developing their thoughts on racism and right responses.

Within the past year, Nim has moved back to Kenya with his wife Liz, and they are building on activities begun over 20 years ago related to food security and community empowerment in their home area near Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley. Their vision includes an art centre, community open space, and retreat centre. They have links with Nakuru Environmental and Cultural Trust, a UK-based Charity.

Travel directions to Pendle Hill. Please make sure to review our health and safety expectations at https://pendlehill.org/stay/covid-19-information/.