Buy a Donkey! (Baie Dankie!)

"Buy a Donkey!" It's an important phrase in South Africa, but probably not for the reasons you might think. No, it doesn't literally mean to buy a donkey (which could come in handy in some parts of Africa), it just sounds like that and it's the easiest way to remember how to say "Thank you very much" in Afrikaans. Afrikaans is the language spoken by the white South Africans who are not of English decent. Most Afrikaner people come from Dutch, German, French, and Italian background.

About three and half days ago I boarded a plane with my friend Carli. Thirty-six hours later after a night in a hotel, three different planes, numerous movies, and the quickest layover on record in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we touched down in Johannesburg, South Africa. It's a different kind of Africa than I have experienced before. It's cold, so far we've met more vanilla faces than chocolate ones, and I don't think we've hit a pothole yet. At the same time, it is evident that God is at work here too. We have been hosted by some amazing people who worship God through their work with the least of these, who love their rugby, and are always up for a braai (barbeque).

It's been a little bit strange and surreal to finally be walking around in a country that I've wanted to visit for quite some time. I am thankful for this opportunity to see how God is working in anther part of the world and to form new friendships. A few nights ago we attended a worship service on the top of a small moutain overlooking the city of Pretoria. As we joined with young adults from this part of the world, I sensed that the cry of our generation is the same--God we want more of you! We want you to come in power to heal the brokenness of our land, to be glorified, to be known. And we all know that we are part of the answers to our own prayers. We must be the generation that pushes through, that takes God at His word, that does not give up or back down, but claims back the territory that the enemy has taken.

Today as we toured a museum that highlighted the history of the Afrikaner people in South Africa, many of us were struck by the fact that our countries' histories have similarities. We're only beginning to comprehend the cultures in South Africa, but at least we have more insight into the heritage and experiences that have influenced and shaped our hosts.

I am truly thankful to God for giving me and the rest of our team of nine the opportunity to come here and we are thankful to our new friends for their hospitality. Please pray for us, that we would be a light, full of peace and grace, and bring hope, healing, and refreshment to all we meet. Dankie!

Things God Whispers 3

"People of God should be people of integrity!" declared the speaker. Instead of the confident, resounding "yes" that I expected to feel in my spirit, I found conviction. Instead of a blank slate, I was confronted with a memory of a time when I had not acted in complete integrity. So I confessed it to God, received his forgiveness, and moved on, or so I thought.

A few days later I still felt the guilt. I wondered why I was sill walking around with it. Didn't I believe that God had forgiven me? Why couldn't I let it go? As the days progressed I couldn't shake the feeling that things still weren't resolved in my spirit. I sometimes suffer from an overactive conscience, feeling guilty about insignificant things, but this felt different. What was the problem?

Here's how I knew what it was--the thought of confessing to someone else horrified me. I realized that I hadn't just sinned against God, I had sinned against a person. I didn't want her to know what I had done. When I realized that, the real struggle began--could I confess my actions to her? How would she react? What would the consequences be? I thought through all the scenarios and some of them seemed pretty awful at the time. I thought if I could just push the feeling down and keep it between me and God it would eventually go away. In my heart of hearts, though, I knew that wasn't true. I knew that it would nag me, it would erect a wall between me and God that would continue to grow.

Finally, I decided in my heart that I could not consciously choose to disobey God. I was willing to deal with the consequences whatever they may be. So I resolved to tell her what I had done. It was hard, it was humbling, but I wrote to her, confessed, asked for forgiveness and suggested ways to make it right. I wanted her to know the reason I felt compelled to confess, that it wasn't that I was a good person, but it was because I call myself a Christ-follower and he had convicted me to come clean.

Amazingly she wrote back full of grace, expressing her respect for me, telling me what a good person I was and had always been. It was such a relief! At the same time, my prayer is that she would come to know and understand the one whose goodness lives in me. Without him I am nothing. Without him, my spirit is filled with darkness. Without him, what a wretched person am I. But with him, I am full of courage. With him my spirit is filled with light. With him I can do something. And I will.

The post-script of this story is that about six months later I was talking to a friend. She revealed that she was struggling with long-term guilt, something she couldn't shake from an incident many years before. In some ways what she had done didn't seem like a big deal and others had said as much. But when I heard her speak about her struggle, it sounded just like mine. I told her my story and it gave her the courage to confess to someone who had been in authority over her at the time. God revealed that his timing was perfect. Due to circumstances, if she had waited any longer the opportunity to bring it into the open would have been gone.

God is good. He is patient with us. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Sometimes for some of us it's hard to distinguish between guilt and false guilt. My simple principle that I follow now is that nagging conviction is not something to live with for very long. Get rid of it--confess it to God and to the person affected as soon as possible. Bring it into the light. Even the worst consequences you can imagine are better than a living with a conscience that is not at rest and separation from God.

Things God Whispers 2

"Just relax!" If I had listened to those words at the beginning maybe things would have turned out differently or at least I would have saved myself from a lot of grief. Looking back, I know that they were from God, but somehow I let my emotions take over and I didn't relax, I didn't surrender. I just let myself get more worked up. It's interesting how sometimes you can think that you're walking in obedience and your temper tantrums are justified, but they never really are.

Those words were a second invitation that God had given me to surrender to him in a certain area of my life. The first time he had asked me a question, "Are you willing to....?" My response had been, "Yes, but..." As a friend actually pointed out to me, that "but" says it all. "Buts" are never words of surrender. I mean when we read the story of Abraham, do we hear him saying, "Yes God, I will sacrifice my son, but only if..."? No, he just began to take the steps to do it. Of course we are not told of the conversations that he had with himself and God along the journey, but we do not see him throwing any tantrums and trying to manipulate God out of his command. And what do we see from God? It is a most gracious and merciful response of provision. That should encourage me to listen next time I think I know better than God.

The most interesting part of this whole thing for me has been in reflecting on what God has spoken to me regarding this area of my life in the past. Almost exactly four years ago I very clearly surrendered to God. In response he gave me this word to hold onto: "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided." That sentence is straight from that same story of Abraham's surrender to God. The words are a reminder to me of God's gracious provision when he asks us to do something that doesn't seem to make sense or isn't exactly what we want. What it tells me is this--God's got my back if I would just cooperate with him! I hear him whispering, relax, just relax. This time I'm saying, ok!

Things God Whispers 1

"Do not be afraid!" The words were so unexpected that I knew that they had to be from God. I had asked him to give me a word for a particular area of my life and his answer jumped back at me. They were startling words because I didn't think I was afraid. But why am I surprised that God knows me better than I know myself?

Over the next several weeks those words became my gage for making decisions regarding what to say or do or what not to say or do. It's amazing how many times I found myself motivated by fear and had to change course so that I would not be acting out of that fear.

The more I dwelt on this phrase, the more my fear subsided. The more I allowed it to guide my thoughts, words, and behaviors, the more I saw my fear replaced by courage and confidence. And guess what? Usually my fears were quite unfounded. Things often turned out a lot better than I expected.

The phrase "Do not be afraid!" is repeated throughout the Scriptures. We see God encouraging Joshua with it as well as Joseph and Mary and others. It's interesting, but usually it's because something big, something significant is about to happen. God is up to something different and he wants his children to be prepared, to have something to come back to and remember when times get tough. I'm not really sure what big thing God might be up to in my life. It might just be healing me from a significant amount of fear, but whatever it is I want to listen and I don't want to be afraid!

Letters from Africa: B is for Bwana

The nervous laughter in the audience was replaced by an uncomfortable silence as I paused, gazing out at the crowd of community leaders in front of me. Then I asked, “Is it true?” It was the type of question you can only ask if you’ve lived in a place long enough for those you’re asking to trust you—to trust that you know what you’re talking about and to trust that your reason for asking it is not to condemn, but to challenge, to trust that you desire good and not evil toward them. It was evident that the Holy Spirit was working as all around the room people slowly released the breath that they had been holding and began to nod their heads in agreement that yes indeed it was true. Some began to give verbal confirmation, looking at their neighbors with understanding on their faces. Several raised their hands wanting to share an example of how they had seen Bwana mkubwa at work in their community.

Mr., master, lord—the word bwana in Kiswahili has many variant meanings, but when paired with the descriptor mkubwa which literally means “big,” it embodies the leadership paradigm present in many Kenyan communities. At his best a bwana mkubwa is a benevolent figure, caring for those who look up to him for protection and provision. At his worst a bwana mkubwa only looks out for his own at the expense of others. In many cases he uses his position of influence and authority to amass wealth and power for himself, lording it over others, extorting bribes and favors, expecting to be catered to and served.

This worst side stands in direct contrast to what the Bible teaches about leadership. In Mark 10:42-45 Jesus says,

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (NIV).

Prior to Jesus' words, James and John had come to him in private, asking for special places of authority in his kingdom. It was a scene that I had seen played out in front of me in Kenya and so I painted it for my listeners. A high ranking official would come to town and a large contingency of people would follow him around, trying to get close to ask for personal favors. This type of thing happens in many parts of the world, but in Kenya it happened in plain view with people literally hanging onto the coat-strings of important persons as they walked around at public events. It was as I started to pantomime this last picture of people holding onto a bwana mkubwa's coat that the crowd began their nervous laughter and settled into an uncomfortable silence, which prompted my question.

Some people might say that I did the wrong thing on that day when I openly talked about the idea of bwana mkubwa in a public setting in Kenya. They might say that we shouldn't judge other cultures, that their ways are simply different from our ways. Though reserving judgment is definitely important when living and working in other cultures, I believe that the Bible offers us a lens through which to look at all cultures, including my own. We do a disservice to others and to ourselves if we shy away from holding a mirror in front of them and in turn discount the one that they hold in front of us.

In the end, the response of my Kenyan friends speaks for itself. Rather than taking offense at my indirect critique of their presiding culture, they seemed relieved to have it out in the open. They could clearly see the parallel between what happened in their community and the story in the Bible. In a land ridden with corruption and tribalism, they seemed excited about making changes and doing things in a different way. One woman told me that she had been thinking about what she could give her young son for a graduation gift. After our time together, she said that she would give him a towel, a symbol of servant-leadership, which she hoped he would walk in all the days of his life. Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!)

Chapter 1: The Beginnings

Once upon a time in a vast and beautiful Kingdom not so far away, a baby was born. Now for some this may not appear to be a very extraordinary thing—babies are born all the time, everywhere. However, this baby, this girl-child, was very special—she was loved by the King of Kings. (In fact all babies are very special and are loved by this same King, but this is not a story of all babies, it is the story of one baby in particular.)

     

It happened that this girl-child entered the world amidst highly unusual and dramatic circumstances. (For what hero enters a story in any other way?) Yet the true reasons for deviating from the general birthing customs of the land when it came to this girl-child even now are known only to the King. It was according to His will that Victorious, for that was the baby’s name, make her entrance in such a grand and rapid fashion that there was no time to summon the mid-wifery.

In fact, Tori, for that is a shortened version of her name much more appropriate for a small child of her age, gave her parents little warning that she was coming. Within minutes of the first labor pains it was apparent that her birth was imminent, but the family was traveling on the open road in another part of the Kingdom! Tori’s parents made a decision, inspired by the King, to veer off their chosen path and make for Sir Vincelot’s estate and not a moment too soon.

Before long on that early, frigid, winter morning the baby’s first cries were heard. She was ushered in by her dear father and his friend, Sir Vincelot, and the rest is history in the family-lore of the Knights.

But it is that very history of which we are concerned now. In looking back it is hard to determine at what time an impish and troublesome creature began to hover about Tori. Her name was Impatience and though we cannot pinpoint an exact time when she began visiting Tori, the circumstances of Tori’s rapid birth lead one to conclude that Impatience, even in a very shadowy and faint form, was present from the beginning.

~~~~~

But let me back up. This story really begins much earlier with another story that took place before Tori was even born. And I should warn you—this tale is full of lots of light, but of course there is the lurking darkness that is always present in every fairy-tale.

     

The story begins on a barren beach, where Tori’s father, Lame Knight, would sit each day, feeling hopeless about his disability and the family profession. A lame knight was simply useless to everyone or so he thought. He spent his days starring off at sea in despair.  He thought perhaps someone, anyone, would find him and give him some hope.

And as it happened his hope did come from over the sea. A group of mariners came upon him one day. Later it was told that the King had sent them for he had heard of the hopeless lame knight who would sit on the beach day after day longing for someone to find him and help him. And so the King had spoken to his chief navigator giving him orders to go and search for young Lame Knight and bring him into the Kingdom.

When the chief navigator and the other mariners had shared this good news with Lame Knight he felt hope rising in his chest and strength entering his legs. He agreed to go with the chief navigator and meet the King, who had spent so much to seek him out and find him. And this happened not a moment too soon. (Is it any wonder that it was at just the right time? This is always the case in every story involving the King.)

Only a day after the chief navigator’s visit it was heard that messengers from the Moon Prince had also come to the beach in search of Lame Knight. Their dark lord had schemed to bring Lame Knight into his kingdom by sending messengers masquerading as children of the light. But according to the will of the King, Lame Knight had already moved on.

Hopeful Knight, for that is the new name given to him by the King, stayed by the chief navigator’s side for a few years, traveling by sea to nearby lands, though never too far from home. They waged war together in the King’s name, Hopeful Knight taking up his armor and sword and the chief navigator charting the way. Hopeful Knight tried to learn everything he could about the King from the chief navigator since he had worked with the King for so long. And during that time Hopeful Knight’s legs were strengthened even more and his demeanor so changed that those who heard his story were amazed that he had ever been known as the Lame Knight without hope in the world. People remarked that Hopeful Knight was beginning to resemble the one who had saved him from despair—he was beginning to look like the King.

~~~~~

But there is yet another story within this story. I should point out, that Hopeful Knight did not journey solely with the chief navigator. No, the King had arranged for a fair, foreign maiden to be his helper. Now this maiden was a mysterious and rare beauty, yet the fact that she was a foreigner in a land not her own gave her reason for dismay. Things were not quite right, she did not have the same privileges as citizens of the land, but she knew she could do nothing to remedy the situation.

However, just a few months before Hopeful Knight’s encounter with the mariners, she also met messengers of the King. They were crusaders, sent out not with the sword, but with a message of peace. They invited the fair, foreign maiden to become a full citizen of the Kingdom, with all the rights it afforded. It was an offer she could not refuse and so she readily agreed to accept the King’s gracious invitation.

Lame Knight, for he was still lame at the time, had heard of her encounter, but soon the crusaders were on their way again and so he had not been able to see if they could help him as well. But he noticed a change in the fair, foreign maiden, she radiated peace and the beauty that had been hers became altogether irresistible.

Beautiful Citizen, for that was her new name, began to enjoy participating fully in the Kingdom as a true citizen, but she longed to learn more about the King and to know him better. So when Lame Knight, who had just become Hopeful Knight, shared his news with her and introduced her to the chief navigator, she asked to journey with them and they happily agreed.

Soon after, Hopeful Knight and Beautiful Citizen were married and those that knew them began to refer to them as the Great Knights. They settled in a land not too far away, spending their days about the Kings business, waging war with the King’s enemies and bringing light and peace to those who were far and near.

~~~~~

To Be Continued

Preparing to Sail

All hands—Wake  up! Wake up!

Return from your slumber and rest,

And turn your thoughts to sailing west.

Let your nighttime dreams pass away,

As you prepare for the dawning

Of a brand new, fresh day.

All hands—Stand up! Stand up,

For the time to sail has come at last.

One climbs to the crows nest atop the mast.

Let your mind be at peace, watch, and pray,

As he searches the horizon

For any signs of today.

All hands—Raise up! Raise up

The sails, pure, spotless and white,

Raise them high and secure them tight.

Let the steady wind fill them without delay,

An unseen power to move the ship

At the sun’s first golden ray.

All hands—Look up! Look up

To your master and commander now,

Who stands strong and tall at the bow.

Let Him, your captain, chart the way,

As your vessel embarks again,

His great glory to display!