I bet if you asked 100 people about what they think the problem with the world is and how to solve it, you would probably get dozens of answers. You might hear that the problem is corruption in governments and the solution is democracy. Or you might hear that there is not enough peace and unity and we all need to just try harder and be better people. You might even hear that the problem is being caught up in materialism and the answer is to be more spiritual and separated from the physical and worldly. And if you are a Christian, you will probably say that the problem is sin and the answer is Jesus.
It does not take long living overseas to see that the world needs help. But have you noticed that the idea of “helping others” has become trendy. Businesses are trying to be more socially responsible and “help” people. When someone asks a young person what they want to do, they will probably say, “I want to help people”. And while those are good things, I think the idea of helping people is used to so much that it has become a little vague.
As Christians we see a huge world that is broken and has so many needs. But how can we help? How can we truly change a world so big and with so many needs? As Christians we know we are supposed to share Jesus with the world, but how do we address all the other issues like poverty and sickness? And if we address some, how can we possibly address all of them? In answer to this, people have created organizations that address injustice or poverty or sickness. Some share the gospel. Others focus on physical needs. And many do a great job of alleviating some problems.
And while I agree with organizational help, I think there is a crucial piece missing. The problem is that it has become about what “we” have created. If one organization does not work well or we don’t agree with it, then maybe we will go to another organization. We have become so organizationally focused. In this mentality, there is a trap. We assume too often that we know what is best and how to do. It’s become all about “us” and our ideas and our systems and our western way of thinking. We want to be the superheroes far too often. But do we have all the answers? Are we even supposed to be the heroes? Eventually there is a point when we realize we don’t have all the answers. So why do we try to come and be the superhero? We say the world needs God, but then we go and try to do things our way and with our solutions and our methodology.
I have seen and heard of many organizations that set out to save the world. I admire their optimism and their enthusiasm. But I think there is a time to stop and think. What about what Jesus did and started and created? Isn’t He supposed to be the hero? Are we putting Him up on the pedestal or are we putting our organizations and ourselves on a pedestal? How would He balance sharing the gospel and serve hurting people today? What was the method Jesus would be using now to touch the lost and heal the sick?
So this is what I want to say. Somehow in our grandeur ideas of saving the word, we have greatly overlooked God’s greatest agent for change (which He implemented thousands of years ago, long before the first NGO) in the world: the local church! It’s always been God’s method for change, not money, not power, and not governments. IT’S THE LOCAL CHRUCH!
How have we forgot about His hands and feet! If Jesus is to be the hero, then certainly His feet will be the ones that reach the lost and His hands that touch the sick. As a Christian with a worldview founded in the Bible, I believe this crucial and most important piece. It is the local church that is the answer to the world’s problems. It is the answer to poverty and hunger and injustice and seeing the lost saved. And if the local church is not the method to which we reach the world, then we are not doing what is best. Why? Because the world needs Jesus and the church is His body. That is the message I have become convinced of more and more as I spend time overseas.
Now I am not saying that aid is bad or even organizations. But what I am saying is that if these organizations are not working through the local church, then we are not following the model that Jesus implemented. Let me emphasize I think the “local” church is the answer. It’s not the American church, or the Western church. The local church is the answer. When we think that our church is right and other churches are wrong, we have greatly limited God. No congregation is perfect. But… the model that Jesus set up was to use a church in a community to reach out to that community.
This is the key difference. We have to empower the local church around the world to be the change. Our role is not to invade churches or to spread our own culture to them. God created cultures to reflect Him in a unique way. Christianity supersedes culture and it penetrates and transforms culture. But His intention was never to create one culture through Christianity. God’s desire is to be loved and followed by people of every tongue, tribe and nation; to worship Him with their local tongue and through their own unique God-given way.
Everyone loves to quote Gandhi when he said, “be the change you want to see in the world”. Well I want to change that and say, “You, local church, be the change God wants in the world”. So if the local church is to be the change in this broken world, then our role as those who follow Jesus is this: to empower the local church to be that change. That is how we can help. I think if we begin to see “helping the world” through this lens, we will find our organizations supporting and empowering the local church instead of suppressing them. And most of all, Jesus will become the true hero in this great story of redemption.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Leaving for Kenya!
I woke up a few days ago with a strange kind of feeling. For the past few months I had spent so much time thinking about raising support to start this job with CARE for AIDS in Kenya, that I never sat down to process all changes and challenges that lie ahead of me.
For that moment when I lay on my bed, I thought about the depth of my decision to leave, and it hit in me an uncommon chord of fear. The worrying and fearful side of me began was thinking about all that I am giving up to move to another country: working in a different culture away from friends and family, missing out on the comforts of a “normal” American lifestyle, and starting over with many relationships. But as I began to spend time in the Word and praying, the peace of God reclaimed much of the fear that had swept over me. I realized at that point that stepping out in faith almost always comes with a mix fear and excitement.
I had been feeling the excitement for months. I was thinking about going to another country and exploring another part of the world rich in culture and tradition. And I get to be apart of seeing people come to know Jesus! What could be better? But it’s the fear I had not dealt with. The fear of change that tries to hold us back; to stop us from going to a place of complete dependence on God. This fear is a way that Satan tries to stop us from making progress in the kingdom of God.
The fear and anxiety of making a huge life change is not one that I had anticipated. But I am realizing a hard truth: following God never plateaus to a point where we feel comfortable about taking leaps of faith. Faith never gets easy. God is always calling us to a higher place of more faith and hence greater risk. There will always be the fear of the unknown, fear of something we cannot control. In this instance it was also a fear of being ready to go to another country and learn a language and meet new people, make new friends and find a church. On top of that, there is the fear of unworthiness. I feel so unworthy and prepared to represent Jesus. Who am I to go? I am a sinner like everyone else. I am broken and weak and tainted by sin. Then again, that is the point. We are all unworthy sinners humbly telling other unworthy sinners that Jesus is our only hope.
We must not let fear overwhelm us and stop us. We have to push through fear in faith. Take skydiving (which I recently did) as an analogy. Most people would say that skydiving is mixed with both great fear and excitement. And everyone who has done it will most likely tell you it was one of the most incredible and exciting experiences of their life. But it did come without a little fear. It usually precludes events of great excitement and faith. It can be expected. What matters is our reaction to that fear. If we back away, we have fallen prey to our emotions and perhaps missed out on a great opportunity. But…if we continue on in faith, chances are we will never regret taking that leap.
So my conclusion is this. If fear is of the unknown and lack of control in a situation, then logically fear will come before any opportunity to trust in God. Because leaps of faith, by definition, put us in a place where we are less in control and God is in the driver seat. But we must not give into the fear and stop there. We must move forward in faith. Then we will see that situations that bring fear are in fact opportunities trust and glorify God more. They are opportunities to draw nearer to Jesus and be more like Him. When I finally thought about it like that, I realized that I could not possibly pass that up!
For that moment when I lay on my bed, I thought about the depth of my decision to leave, and it hit in me an uncommon chord of fear. The worrying and fearful side of me began was thinking about all that I am giving up to move to another country: working in a different culture away from friends and family, missing out on the comforts of a “normal” American lifestyle, and starting over with many relationships. But as I began to spend time in the Word and praying, the peace of God reclaimed much of the fear that had swept over me. I realized at that point that stepping out in faith almost always comes with a mix fear and excitement.
I had been feeling the excitement for months. I was thinking about going to another country and exploring another part of the world rich in culture and tradition. And I get to be apart of seeing people come to know Jesus! What could be better? But it’s the fear I had not dealt with. The fear of change that tries to hold us back; to stop us from going to a place of complete dependence on God. This fear is a way that Satan tries to stop us from making progress in the kingdom of God.
The fear and anxiety of making a huge life change is not one that I had anticipated. But I am realizing a hard truth: following God never plateaus to a point where we feel comfortable about taking leaps of faith. Faith never gets easy. God is always calling us to a higher place of more faith and hence greater risk. There will always be the fear of the unknown, fear of something we cannot control. In this instance it was also a fear of being ready to go to another country and learn a language and meet new people, make new friends and find a church. On top of that, there is the fear of unworthiness. I feel so unworthy and prepared to represent Jesus. Who am I to go? I am a sinner like everyone else. I am broken and weak and tainted by sin. Then again, that is the point. We are all unworthy sinners humbly telling other unworthy sinners that Jesus is our only hope.
We must not let fear overwhelm us and stop us. We have to push through fear in faith. Take skydiving (which I recently did) as an analogy. Most people would say that skydiving is mixed with both great fear and excitement. And everyone who has done it will most likely tell you it was one of the most incredible and exciting experiences of their life. But it did come without a little fear. It usually precludes events of great excitement and faith. It can be expected. What matters is our reaction to that fear. If we back away, we have fallen prey to our emotions and perhaps missed out on a great opportunity. But…if we continue on in faith, chances are we will never regret taking that leap.
So my conclusion is this. If fear is of the unknown and lack of control in a situation, then logically fear will come before any opportunity to trust in God. Because leaps of faith, by definition, put us in a place where we are less in control and God is in the driver seat. But we must not give into the fear and stop there. We must move forward in faith. Then we will see that situations that bring fear are in fact opportunities trust and glorify God more. They are opportunities to draw nearer to Jesus and be more like Him. When I finally thought about it like that, I realized that I could not possibly pass that up!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Waiting
I hate waiting. And in most things I would not consider myself a patient person. But the funny thing about learning patience is that you don’t really have a choice. Usually the reason you are waiting is because you can’t do anything. We are accustomed to getting what we want, when we want it. I am not sure if that’s just an American mentality, or just basic to everyone. But I think times like that that are some of the most frustrating times in life. That is the situation I feel like I am in now.
After coming to Ethiopia for my internship, I expected to work as hard as I could to make a difference and be a part of saving peoples live. (That of course is the exaggeration of my mind). However, that is not the current reality. My current situation looks nothing like that. I am definitely in a time of waiting now. After all the expectations to “do something” and “make a difference”, it is a harsh reality to be in a place where I can do nothing but sit and wait. In fact, it’s been over two weeks of waiting. Waiting to find out what is going to happen with the situation here. Waiting to go on with the process and get the verdict. These last two weeks have been full of ups and downs, not knowing what the next day will be like. One day we think we will leave, the next we are convinced we are staying. Its physically mundane and emotionally a roller coaster. The other interns and I literally spent an entire week thinking “this is probably our last day here”. Then 24 hours later we realize nothing has changed, we are in the same situation saying the same thing, waiting for more direction and clarity.
All I want right now is closure. I am the point where I feel I don’t even care what happens, what the verdict is, I just want an answer so I can get on with my life. Times like this make me realize how hard it is to live in the here and now, in the waiting in the confusion, in the unknown. Because in the waiting, doubts rise to the service. I can do nothing but sit and trust God. And often the holes in my trust and faith come to the surface.
It seems much easier to trust God when we live life at normal speed. We have a direction and some clarity and a general idea of the future. We have some sort of purpose. (Even if it is small.) Times of waiting are not that simple. Often there is no direction, no clarity, and no idea of what the future holds. It’s the times when we have absolutely no idea what is happening. We feel as if we are not going anywhere. In fact we are literally stagnant; maybe emotionally or physically. There is little we can do to change the situation. Most people usually just say “just wait it out”. I don’t know if that is a very comforting thing. First, who knows how long that waiting will be? Second, there is no guarantee that the outcome will be better.
But I realized something the other day. God is in the silence. He is in the quiet and the waiting just as much as he is in the “normal times”. Realizing this does not of course change the fact that I have to wait, but it is a different perspective. It’s a perspective that changes the thoughts off of me and my future and focuses it on God and His plans.
I am convinced waiting is one of Gods favorite ways to build people into who He wants them to be. I know He does it with me. And I know He does it with other people. Just look at the Old Testament. Whether it is forty days in the dessert or forty years, God has people wait. And it’s in the waiting that He readjusts our perspective. His timing is never ours. He is so much more patience. And he is much more concerned with our character than what we can “do” for Him.
Sometimes we need to just rest. Waiting can actually be a joy rather than a burden when we use the time to focus on God and just enjoy His presence. And there is joy in His presence. God is a God who gives rest. But we so easily become anxious to do something. As if we need to earn His love. Why can’t we just rest and enjoy Him? He wants to love us. Waiting is not meant to be a punishment, but rather an opportunity and a joy to experience God more intimately.
I guess what I am saying is that in times of waiting, which I am well acquainted with now, the best thing do is enjoy His presence. What a blessing! How excellent is His presence. I realize more and more that I have only scratched the surface of how powerful and amazing and satisfying the presence of God is. Spending more alone time with Him has not given me any more answers, but it has given me comfort that He is good. He is with me. He has a plan and He is in control.
I am seeing more and more that God is a God of love. His loves to pour his love on us. His goal is not to take our love, but to give love. (After all we really have nothing to give in the first place. He is the only one who can really give anything, since after all, everything belongs to Him and is from Him.) Sometimes when we have no direction, He just wants us to step back from our normal life and just let Him love us, and enjoy Him. It is those times where we draw close in intimacy with Him. It is a strengthening for our future. And I have found that I cannot help but want to praise Him the more time I spend with Him and realize how great He is.
After coming to Ethiopia for my internship, I expected to work as hard as I could to make a difference and be a part of saving peoples live. (That of course is the exaggeration of my mind). However, that is not the current reality. My current situation looks nothing like that. I am definitely in a time of waiting now. After all the expectations to “do something” and “make a difference”, it is a harsh reality to be in a place where I can do nothing but sit and wait. In fact, it’s been over two weeks of waiting. Waiting to find out what is going to happen with the situation here. Waiting to go on with the process and get the verdict. These last two weeks have been full of ups and downs, not knowing what the next day will be like. One day we think we will leave, the next we are convinced we are staying. Its physically mundane and emotionally a roller coaster. The other interns and I literally spent an entire week thinking “this is probably our last day here”. Then 24 hours later we realize nothing has changed, we are in the same situation saying the same thing, waiting for more direction and clarity.
All I want right now is closure. I am the point where I feel I don’t even care what happens, what the verdict is, I just want an answer so I can get on with my life. Times like this make me realize how hard it is to live in the here and now, in the waiting in the confusion, in the unknown. Because in the waiting, doubts rise to the service. I can do nothing but sit and trust God. And often the holes in my trust and faith come to the surface.
It seems much easier to trust God when we live life at normal speed. We have a direction and some clarity and a general idea of the future. We have some sort of purpose. (Even if it is small.) Times of waiting are not that simple. Often there is no direction, no clarity, and no idea of what the future holds. It’s the times when we have absolutely no idea what is happening. We feel as if we are not going anywhere. In fact we are literally stagnant; maybe emotionally or physically. There is little we can do to change the situation. Most people usually just say “just wait it out”. I don’t know if that is a very comforting thing. First, who knows how long that waiting will be? Second, there is no guarantee that the outcome will be better.
But I realized something the other day. God is in the silence. He is in the quiet and the waiting just as much as he is in the “normal times”. Realizing this does not of course change the fact that I have to wait, but it is a different perspective. It’s a perspective that changes the thoughts off of me and my future and focuses it on God and His plans.
I am convinced waiting is one of Gods favorite ways to build people into who He wants them to be. I know He does it with me. And I know He does it with other people. Just look at the Old Testament. Whether it is forty days in the dessert or forty years, God has people wait. And it’s in the waiting that He readjusts our perspective. His timing is never ours. He is so much more patience. And he is much more concerned with our character than what we can “do” for Him.
Sometimes we need to just rest. Waiting can actually be a joy rather than a burden when we use the time to focus on God and just enjoy His presence. And there is joy in His presence. God is a God who gives rest. But we so easily become anxious to do something. As if we need to earn His love. Why can’t we just rest and enjoy Him? He wants to love us. Waiting is not meant to be a punishment, but rather an opportunity and a joy to experience God more intimately.
I guess what I am saying is that in times of waiting, which I am well acquainted with now, the best thing do is enjoy His presence. What a blessing! How excellent is His presence. I realize more and more that I have only scratched the surface of how powerful and amazing and satisfying the presence of God is. Spending more alone time with Him has not given me any more answers, but it has given me comfort that He is good. He is with me. He has a plan and He is in control.
I am seeing more and more that God is a God of love. His loves to pour his love on us. His goal is not to take our love, but to give love. (After all we really have nothing to give in the first place. He is the only one who can really give anything, since after all, everything belongs to Him and is from Him.) Sometimes when we have no direction, He just wants us to step back from our normal life and just let Him love us, and enjoy Him. It is those times where we draw close in intimacy with Him. It is a strengthening for our future. And I have found that I cannot help but want to praise Him the more time I spend with Him and realize how great He is.
Don't Get Comfortable!
This last week in Ethiopia has been anything but normal. Last Saturday I finally arrived in Awassa where I was planning on being the rest of the internship. I was in Awassa getting used to the city and the work I would be involved with down there. Awassa is a beautiful town. Kind of like a tourist town in Ethiopia. It is located right by a large beautiful lake. It almost has the feeling of a tropical island town. I was living at the office compound, so there was not even a commute to work. Work was literally the room next to my bedroom. And the compound was just a minute walk from the lake. It was a great set up. Of course, as we all know, good things don’t always last.
On Wednesday evening last week I received a text from the country director saying that I needed to be back in Addis. There were few details, but I knew I needed to pack all my things and be ready for anything. So early the next I packed all that I owned (which I had just unpacked) and headed back to Addis with one of the other interns. We found out that the two other interns were being called back to Addis as well. Luckily our car ride was only four hours compared to the fifteen hour car ride the other two interns had. As we rode back we pieced more of the puzzle together.
There had been an incident previously of an individual who had an agenda against SP-Ethiopia. It started months earlier, but no one figured it would escalate to the scale it did. Unfortunately this man has many connections within the Ethiopian government. Last week we found out that all the international SP staff was in danger of being kicked out of the country. I don’t think any of us were really expecting to come to Ethiopia only to be deported. We interns spent most all of Friday at the immigration office debating with the government why we should be allowed to stay. Not to mention all the long term international staff had been there for the previous three days pleading their cases as well. It seemed straight forward that we were in the right and should be allowed to stay in Ethiopia. But it felt like they had an agenda against us and convincing them otherwise seemed just about impossible. No matter what we said, they had some case or complaint against us. It was more than frustrating.
In Ethiopia the government is already distrustful of NGO’s and foreigners. It does not help when a national intentionally sets out to bring down a specific NGO, like SP. In the midst of all the drama and headaches and stress, we are all learning very important lessons on how the world works. In America we are a democracy founded on due process, trials, and the right to be treated fairly (be very grateful of this). Well that is not the case in most of the world. Most of the world is run through relationships. Is not about what you do, it’s who you know. If you happen to know important people with power, or are someone with power, you have the ability to get what you want. If you don’t have power or influence, the chances that you can get what you want is very slim. I am not saying that America is perfect, but it is sure nice to know that most of the time we are given a much more fair trial. Still, I am realizing more and more than the world is not as fair, friendly, and forgiving as I thought it was growing up.
Of course, one of the biggest lessons in all this is trusting God. It’s hard to trust God when nothing seems to be going your way. I mean SP is here to save lives. We are trying to give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Why would God allow this to happen? It seems silly that one man could single handedly stop an organization from helping thousands of people. It does not seem fair. But then again, we/I don’t see the big picture. And the fight is not over. There is still hope in God. Trusting God does not mean that we always understand why something is happening. It is a decision in our heart to accept that He knows what is best even when we have no idea what is going on. Even when great situations turn terrible. It’s hard to trust. I loved the situation I had in Awassa before all this. Now I don’t even know if I am going to get to finish my internship.
Real life changes fast. I think that in American we search for comfort and security. To an extent we worship them. How many of us find security in a job, comfortable house, family? We want the most comfortable bed and the best home security system. As Switchfoot (a great band) said, “nothing is sound”. Nothing in this world lasts, nothing. Anything can change at any time. Have you really thought of that? At any time we can lose people we love or things we love, or even our own lives. That is a sobering truth. But we are so quick to settle and think our world is safe and ok. As I write this, one of the interns just found out his close friend from back home passed away. Life is not a guarantee. Where is your hope? If it’s in this world, you will be sadly disappointed when bad things happen. Isn’t that how life works? When everything is going best, something bad happens. Yet we continue to put our hope in our lives and circumstances. When in reality nothing in this world can be counted on. I don’t say this so that we live scared lives. I say this so that our hope and trust is in its proper place, in God. In John 14:1 Jesus says to his disciples before he is crucified, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”
I think it’s dangerous when become too comfortable. We set up a false security that the world is a safe and perfect place. Well it’s not. The Bible says that the world is full of evil. It is full of people who neither know God nor seek Him. In fact they choose to persecute those who do know God. It’s in the midst of changing circumstances we must learn that nothing is safe and nothing is consistent, except for God. I have learned how precious and valuable it is to know a God that is always the same; a God that promises to never change and to always have the best interest of those who know Him. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. I think one of the greatest promises in the Bible is when God says He will be with those who trust in Him. Those are encouraging words if I ever heard them.
While this situation still persists here with SP in Ethiopia. There is still hope. Not in our circumstances or the in the world, but in God. Why? Because I trust that He is in control. He has a reason for this. He will be shown through this situation. He asks us to be faithful to Him even when we don’t understand, even when the situations don’t look hopeful from a worldly perspective. Look at Jesus. He was not an ignorant optimist. He knew the world was filled with evil. Yet at the same time he was full of hope; not in the world, but in the Creator of heaven and earth.
With a looming court date this week and possibly being kicked out of the country, I am learning not to become complacent. Don’t get comfortable! This world is not a safe place. Anything can happen at any time. Nothing is a given in this life expect for God. Fortunately, He is a God of love and faithfulness. I am so glad that I know Him!
Posted:
This last week in Ethiopia has been anything but normal. Last Saturday I finally arrived in Awassa where I was planning on being the rest of the internship. I was in Awassa getting used to the city and the work I would be involved with down there. Awassa is a beautiful town. Kind of like a tourist town in Ethiopia. It is located right by a large beautiful lake. It almost has the feeling of a tropical island town. I was living at the office compound, so there was not even a commute to work. Work was literally the room next to my bedroom. And the compound was just a minute walk from the lake. It was a great set up. Of course, as we all know, good things don’t always last.
On Wednesday evening last week I received a text from the country director saying that I needed to be back in Addis. There were few details, but I knew I needed to pack all my things and be ready for anything. So early the next I packed all that I owned (which I had just unpacked) and headed back to Addis with one of the other interns. We found out that the two other interns were being called back to Addis as well. Luckily our car ride was only four hours compared to the fifteen hour car ride the other two interns had. As we rode back we pieced more of the puzzle together.
There had been an incident previously of an individual who had an agenda against SP-Ethiopia. It started months earlier, but no one figured it would escalate to the scale it did. Unfortunately this man has many connections within the Ethiopian government. Last week we found out that all the international SP staff was in danger of being kicked out of the country. I don’t think any of us were really expecting to come to Ethiopia only to be deported. We interns spent most all of Friday at the immigration office debating with the government why we should be allowed to stay. Not to mention all the long term international staff had been there for the previous three days pleading their cases as well. It seemed straight forward that we were in the right and should be allowed to stay in Ethiopia. But it felt like they had an agenda against us and convincing them otherwise seemed just about impossible. No matter what we said, they had some case or complaint against us. It was more than frustrating.
In Ethiopia the government is already distrustful of NGO’s and foreigners. It does not help when a national intentionally sets out to bring down a specific NGO, like SP. In the midst of all the drama and headaches and stress, we are all learning very important lessons on how the world works. In America we are a democracy founded on due process, trials, and the right to be treated fairly (be very grateful of this). Well that is not the case in most of the world. Most of the world is run through relationships. Is not about what you do, it’s who you know. If you happen to know important people with power, or are someone with power, you have the ability to get what you want. If you don’t have power or influence, the chances that you can get what you want is very slim. I am not saying that America is perfect, but it is sure nice to know that most of the time we are given a much more fair trial. Still, I am realizing more and more than the world is not as fair, friendly, and forgiving as I thought it was growing up.
Of course, one of the biggest lessons in all this is trusting God. It’s hard to trust God when nothing seems to be going your way. I mean SP is here to save lives. We are trying to give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Why would God allow this to happen? It seems silly that one man could single handedly stop an organization from helping thousands of people. It does not seem fair. But then again, we/I don’t see the big picture. And the fight is not over. There is still hope in God. Trusting God does not mean that we always understand why something is happening. It is a decision in our heart to accept that He knows what is best even when we have no idea what is going on. Even when great situations turn terrible. It’s hard to trust. I loved the situation I had in Awassa before all this. Now I don’t even know if I am going to get to finish my internship.
Real life changes fast. I think that in American we search for comfort and security. To an extent we worship them. How many of us find security in a job, comfortable house, family? We want the most comfortable bed and the best home security system. As Switchfoot (a great band) said, “nothing is sound”. Nothing in this world lasts, nothing. Anything can change at any time. Have you really thought of that? At any time we can lose people we love or things we love, or even our own lives. That is a sobering truth. But we are so quick to settle and think our world is safe and ok. As I write this, one of the interns just found out his close friend from back home passed away. Life is not a guarantee. Where is your hope? If it’s in this world, you will be sadly disappointed when bad things happen. Isn’t that how life works? When everything is going best, something bad happens. Yet we continue to put our hope in our lives and circumstances. When in reality nothing in this world can be counted on. I don’t say this so that we live scared lives. I say this so that our hope and trust is in its proper place, in God. In John 14:1 Jesus says to his disciples before he is crucified, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”
I think it’s dangerous when become too comfortable. We set up a false security that the world is a safe and perfect place. Well it’s not. The Bible says that the world is full of evil. It is full of people who neither know God nor seek Him. In fact they choose to persecute those who do know God. It’s in the midst of changing circumstances we must learn that nothing is safe and nothing is consistent, except for God. I have learned how precious and valuable it is to know a God that is always the same; a God that promises to never change and to always have the best interest of those who know Him. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. I think one of the greatest promises in the Bible is when God says He will be with those who trust in Him. Those are encouraging words if I ever heard them.
While this situation still persists here with SP in Ethiopia. There is still hope. Not in our circumstances or the in the world, but in God. Why? Because I trust that He is in control. He has a reason for this. He will be shown through this situation. He asks us to be faithful to Him even when we don’t understand, even when the situations don’t look hopeful from a worldly perspective. Look at Jesus. He was not an ignorant optimist. He knew the world was filled with evil. Yet at the same time he was full of hope; not in the world, but in the Creator of heaven and earth.
With a looming court date this week and possibly having to leave the country, I am learning not to become complacent. Don’t get comfortable! This world is not a safe place. Anything can happen at any time. Nothing is a given in this life expect for God. Fortunately, He is a God of love and faithfulness. I am so glad that I know Him!
On Wednesday evening last week I received a text from the country director saying that I needed to be back in Addis. There were few details, but I knew I needed to pack all my things and be ready for anything. So early the next I packed all that I owned (which I had just unpacked) and headed back to Addis with one of the other interns. We found out that the two other interns were being called back to Addis as well. Luckily our car ride was only four hours compared to the fifteen hour car ride the other two interns had. As we rode back we pieced more of the puzzle together.
There had been an incident previously of an individual who had an agenda against SP-Ethiopia. It started months earlier, but no one figured it would escalate to the scale it did. Unfortunately this man has many connections within the Ethiopian government. Last week we found out that all the international SP staff was in danger of being kicked out of the country. I don’t think any of us were really expecting to come to Ethiopia only to be deported. We interns spent most all of Friday at the immigration office debating with the government why we should be allowed to stay. Not to mention all the long term international staff had been there for the previous three days pleading their cases as well. It seemed straight forward that we were in the right and should be allowed to stay in Ethiopia. But it felt like they had an agenda against us and convincing them otherwise seemed just about impossible. No matter what we said, they had some case or complaint against us. It was more than frustrating.
In Ethiopia the government is already distrustful of NGO’s and foreigners. It does not help when a national intentionally sets out to bring down a specific NGO, like SP. In the midst of all the drama and headaches and stress, we are all learning very important lessons on how the world works. In America we are a democracy founded on due process, trials, and the right to be treated fairly (be very grateful of this). Well that is not the case in most of the world. Most of the world is run through relationships. Is not about what you do, it’s who you know. If you happen to know important people with power, or are someone with power, you have the ability to get what you want. If you don’t have power or influence, the chances that you can get what you want is very slim. I am not saying that America is perfect, but it is sure nice to know that most of the time we are given a much more fair trial. Still, I am realizing more and more than the world is not as fair, friendly, and forgiving as I thought it was growing up.
Of course, one of the biggest lessons in all this is trusting God. It’s hard to trust God when nothing seems to be going your way. I mean SP is here to save lives. We are trying to give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Why would God allow this to happen? It seems silly that one man could single handedly stop an organization from helping thousands of people. It does not seem fair. But then again, we/I don’t see the big picture. And the fight is not over. There is still hope in God. Trusting God does not mean that we always understand why something is happening. It is a decision in our heart to accept that He knows what is best even when we have no idea what is going on. Even when great situations turn terrible. It’s hard to trust. I loved the situation I had in Awassa before all this. Now I don’t even know if I am going to get to finish my internship.
Real life changes fast. I think that in American we search for comfort and security. To an extent we worship them. How many of us find security in a job, comfortable house, family? We want the most comfortable bed and the best home security system. As Switchfoot (a great band) said, “nothing is sound”. Nothing in this world lasts, nothing. Anything can change at any time. Have you really thought of that? At any time we can lose people we love or things we love, or even our own lives. That is a sobering truth. But we are so quick to settle and think our world is safe and ok. As I write this, one of the interns just found out his close friend from back home passed away. Life is not a guarantee. Where is your hope? If it’s in this world, you will be sadly disappointed when bad things happen. Isn’t that how life works? When everything is going best, something bad happens. Yet we continue to put our hope in our lives and circumstances. When in reality nothing in this world can be counted on. I don’t say this so that we live scared lives. I say this so that our hope and trust is in its proper place, in God. In John 14:1 Jesus says to his disciples before he is crucified, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”
I think it’s dangerous when become too comfortable. We set up a false security that the world is a safe and perfect place. Well it’s not. The Bible says that the world is full of evil. It is full of people who neither know God nor seek Him. In fact they choose to persecute those who do know God. It’s in the midst of changing circumstances we must learn that nothing is safe and nothing is consistent, except for God. I have learned how precious and valuable it is to know a God that is always the same; a God that promises to never change and to always have the best interest of those who know Him. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. I think one of the greatest promises in the Bible is when God says He will be with those who trust in Him. Those are encouraging words if I ever heard them.
While this situation still persists here with SP in Ethiopia. There is still hope. Not in our circumstances or the in the world, but in God. Why? Because I trust that He is in control. He has a reason for this. He will be shown through this situation. He asks us to be faithful to Him even when we don’t understand, even when the situations don’t look hopeful from a worldly perspective. Look at Jesus. He was not an ignorant optimist. He knew the world was filled with evil. Yet at the same time he was full of hope; not in the world, but in the Creator of heaven and earth.
With a looming court date this week and possibly being kicked out of the country, I am learning not to become complacent. Don’t get comfortable! This world is not a safe place. Anything can happen at any time. Nothing is a given in this life expect for God. Fortunately, He is a God of love and faithfulness. I am so glad that I know Him!
Posted:
This last week in Ethiopia has been anything but normal. Last Saturday I finally arrived in Awassa where I was planning on being the rest of the internship. I was in Awassa getting used to the city and the work I would be involved with down there. Awassa is a beautiful town. Kind of like a tourist town in Ethiopia. It is located right by a large beautiful lake. It almost has the feeling of a tropical island town. I was living at the office compound, so there was not even a commute to work. Work was literally the room next to my bedroom. And the compound was just a minute walk from the lake. It was a great set up. Of course, as we all know, good things don’t always last.
On Wednesday evening last week I received a text from the country director saying that I needed to be back in Addis. There were few details, but I knew I needed to pack all my things and be ready for anything. So early the next I packed all that I owned (which I had just unpacked) and headed back to Addis with one of the other interns. We found out that the two other interns were being called back to Addis as well. Luckily our car ride was only four hours compared to the fifteen hour car ride the other two interns had. As we rode back we pieced more of the puzzle together.
There had been an incident previously of an individual who had an agenda against SP-Ethiopia. It started months earlier, but no one figured it would escalate to the scale it did. Unfortunately this man has many connections within the Ethiopian government. Last week we found out that all the international SP staff was in danger of being kicked out of the country. I don’t think any of us were really expecting to come to Ethiopia only to be deported. We interns spent most all of Friday at the immigration office debating with the government why we should be allowed to stay. Not to mention all the long term international staff had been there for the previous three days pleading their cases as well. It seemed straight forward that we were in the right and should be allowed to stay in Ethiopia. But it felt like they had an agenda against us and convincing them otherwise seemed just about impossible. No matter what we said, they had some case or complaint against us. It was more than frustrating.
In Ethiopia the government is already distrustful of NGO’s and foreigners. It does not help when a national intentionally sets out to bring down a specific NGO, like SP. In the midst of all the drama and headaches and stress, we are all learning very important lessons on how the world works. In America we are a democracy founded on due process, trials, and the right to be treated fairly (be very grateful of this). Well that is not the case in most of the world. Most of the world is run through relationships. Is not about what you do, it’s who you know. If you happen to know important people with power, or are someone with power, you have the ability to get what you want. If you don’t have power or influence, the chances that you can get what you want is very slim. I am not saying that America is perfect, but it is sure nice to know that most of the time we are given a much more fair trial. Still, I am realizing more and more than the world is not as fair, friendly, and forgiving as I thought it was growing up.
Of course, one of the biggest lessons in all this is trusting God. It’s hard to trust God when nothing seems to be going your way. I mean SP is here to save lives. We are trying to give food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Why would God allow this to happen? It seems silly that one man could single handedly stop an organization from helping thousands of people. It does not seem fair. But then again, we/I don’t see the big picture. And the fight is not over. There is still hope in God. Trusting God does not mean that we always understand why something is happening. It is a decision in our heart to accept that He knows what is best even when we have no idea what is going on. Even when great situations turn terrible. It’s hard to trust. I loved the situation I had in Awassa before all this. Now I don’t even know if I am going to get to finish my internship.
Real life changes fast. I think that in American we search for comfort and security. To an extent we worship them. How many of us find security in a job, comfortable house, family? We want the most comfortable bed and the best home security system. As Switchfoot (a great band) said, “nothing is sound”. Nothing in this world lasts, nothing. Anything can change at any time. Have you really thought of that? At any time we can lose people we love or things we love, or even our own lives. That is a sobering truth. But we are so quick to settle and think our world is safe and ok. As I write this, one of the interns just found out his close friend from back home passed away. Life is not a guarantee. Where is your hope? If it’s in this world, you will be sadly disappointed when bad things happen. Isn’t that how life works? When everything is going best, something bad happens. Yet we continue to put our hope in our lives and circumstances. When in reality nothing in this world can be counted on. I don’t say this so that we live scared lives. I say this so that our hope and trust is in its proper place, in God. In John 14:1 Jesus says to his disciples before he is crucified, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”
I think it’s dangerous when become too comfortable. We set up a false security that the world is a safe and perfect place. Well it’s not. The Bible says that the world is full of evil. It is full of people who neither know God nor seek Him. In fact they choose to persecute those who do know God. It’s in the midst of changing circumstances we must learn that nothing is safe and nothing is consistent, except for God. I have learned how precious and valuable it is to know a God that is always the same; a God that promises to never change and to always have the best interest of those who know Him. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. I think one of the greatest promises in the Bible is when God says He will be with those who trust in Him. Those are encouraging words if I ever heard them.
While this situation still persists here with SP in Ethiopia. There is still hope. Not in our circumstances or the in the world, but in God. Why? Because I trust that He is in control. He has a reason for this. He will be shown through this situation. He asks us to be faithful to Him even when we don’t understand, even when the situations don’t look hopeful from a worldly perspective. Look at Jesus. He was not an ignorant optimist. He knew the world was filled with evil. Yet at the same time he was full of hope; not in the world, but in the Creator of heaven and earth.
With a looming court date this week and possibly having to leave the country, I am learning not to become complacent. Don’t get comfortable! This world is not a safe place. Anything can happen at any time. Nothing is a given in this life expect for God. Fortunately, He is a God of love and faithfulness. I am so glad that I know Him!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Focus
I realized in Ethiopia how often people focus on what they don’t have in life. I am no different. Growing up in American its part of culture to focus on what we want. Maybe it’s big like a job or a car or maybe as small as a new pair of shoes. Either way, most of us live wanting the next thing. Sometimes we obsess over it in our minds. And if we don’t have it we just don’t feel satisfied. It may not even be a specific material thing. Sometimes we are just not satisfied with our comfort level and want a more comfortable life, whatever that entails.
I really began to see this as soon as I flew into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I immediately wanted all that I used to have in America: familiar food, good friends, and a warm comfortable bed. The list goes on. While those are all good things to an extent, I know I don’t really “need” them. In fact when I began to make visits out in the field in Ethiopia, I had even less. When I was out in the field I wanted to be in Addis. I began to focus on the comforts which I had in Addis. I wanted a warm cup of coffee and bagel, I wanted that rock-hard but warm bed, and people that I got to know at the office. I realized there was a trend. People want what they don’t have. It’s human nature. And I think because of this, we are rarely satisfied with where we are and what we have. Why? I think we are not satisfied because we focus on the wrong things.
I keep running into people in Ethiopia who have so little, yet still satisfied with life. I went to a school earlier this week where most kids had to walk miles to get to and then cross a lake. Not to mention many of the kids had to swim in order to cross the lake to get school. In reality they may not know that their life is much harder than mine. But then again, they might not even care. Most of them are not the kind of people to focus on what they don’t have. When the interns and i made it to the school, the kids were so happy to see us that they sang for us. They were so happy to be there. Its the same for many Ethiopians out in the country who have to walk miles and cross rivers just to get to school or a clinic or work. Yet there is little complaining about it. It’s just the way things are. I have seen kids playing in the streets with flat soccer balls, yet they are just as happy (if not more happy) than kids I see playing in the US. And the kids are not complaining because their shoes are not the newest. Many don’t even think to complain that they eat the same meal three times a day. It’s the way things are. In fact, I think they are satisfied with the simplicity of it all. And that may be the key. It’s the simplicity that leads to satisfaction.
I think it’s what we focus on that determines if we live simple and satisfied lives. When I say simple I don’t mean that you only do one thing every day. I only mean that you focus on the most important things. It’s like the human eye. We can see lots around us all the time, but we only can focus on one thing. Depending on what we focus on determines what we think about. And really we can only be focusing on one thing at a time so that thing becomes the primary object and everything else is secondary. It’s the same spiritually. It’s this kind of focus that leads to simplicity.
What I mean is that I think at the deepest level, we think about what our hearts focus on. And often that focus can consume our minds. If we focus on what we don’t have, it can really distract us from enjoying life. Take, for example, the American rock star who seems to have it all but is still not satisfied because he always wants more. This wishing and lack of satisfaction stops us from living in the moment and enjoying life. Lots of people spend their lives focusing temporary and sometimes unattainable things; for some its money, power, and fame. For others it’s just getting through the day or finding the perfect husband or wife. Whatever that one thing is, it will draw our attention and hearts toward it.
I am learning that the only thing worth focusing on is Jesus. He is the only thing I really need anyway, so it makes sense to put Him first. I believe God wants us to focus on Him despite the distracting things in this world that can turn our attention.
If you really think about it, what is it that you really need? Like I was learning earlier, good food and friends and comfort are good things. But I don’t really need them. All I really need is God. It’s that simple. Since we are drawn to what we focus on, focusing on what we don’t have will never satisfy. But if we focus on what never goes away and we will always have (Christ), we will always be satisfied.
Now I am not saying that it is wrong to have other things and enjoy what we have. But I am saying that the goal of our lives should not be to focus on those things. I am also not saying that I have figured all of this out either. I am still learning. But I think that everything secondary in life, instead of being our focus, should help us concentrate our attention on the most beautiful and satisfying thing in our spiritual eyes, Jesus.
Focusing on Jesus has left me so much more satisfied in the place where I am at. It makes life so much simpler to just focus on Him. I don’t have to worry about my future, my safety, what I am going to eat, where I am going to sleep, or anything else. While those will always be things that are a part of my life, they will never be more important that God. The more I have been away, the more I am learning to just enjoy God and who He is. And I think the more we allow Him to be the primary focus of our lives, everything else that vies for our attention will fade to the side. Like in a race, we draw near to what we focus on. (Hopefully it’s the finish line for most people). Therefore when we focus on Christ we drawn near to him. And the Bible says that when we draw near to Him, God draws near to us (James 4:8).
Its this kind of simplicity that is a wonderful thing. Because when everything else is changing around is at a million miles an hour, one thing will always remain the same: Christ Jesus. Hebrews 13 says that Jesus never changes. He is always the same. He is the most predictable bet when we need someone to rely on. That’s why it makes sense to fix our thoughts, minds, and lives on He who does not change.
So here is what I want to say. I know from experience that life can be crazy. Africa especially is a very unpredictable place to be. I realize that every day that passes. But my life becomes so much more simple and satisfied when my focus is on Christ. There are a lot of things I could focus on, like what I don’t have and what I miss from the States. But focusing on that will never satisfy me (because those are circumstantial things). But when I focus on what I really need and want (God) I am completely satisfied, because He promises to always be there!
I really began to see this as soon as I flew into Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I immediately wanted all that I used to have in America: familiar food, good friends, and a warm comfortable bed. The list goes on. While those are all good things to an extent, I know I don’t really “need” them. In fact when I began to make visits out in the field in Ethiopia, I had even less. When I was out in the field I wanted to be in Addis. I began to focus on the comforts which I had in Addis. I wanted a warm cup of coffee and bagel, I wanted that rock-hard but warm bed, and people that I got to know at the office. I realized there was a trend. People want what they don’t have. It’s human nature. And I think because of this, we are rarely satisfied with where we are and what we have. Why? I think we are not satisfied because we focus on the wrong things.
I keep running into people in Ethiopia who have so little, yet still satisfied with life. I went to a school earlier this week where most kids had to walk miles to get to and then cross a lake. Not to mention many of the kids had to swim in order to cross the lake to get school. In reality they may not know that their life is much harder than mine. But then again, they might not even care. Most of them are not the kind of people to focus on what they don’t have. When the interns and i made it to the school, the kids were so happy to see us that they sang for us. They were so happy to be there. Its the same for many Ethiopians out in the country who have to walk miles and cross rivers just to get to school or a clinic or work. Yet there is little complaining about it. It’s just the way things are. I have seen kids playing in the streets with flat soccer balls, yet they are just as happy (if not more happy) than kids I see playing in the US. And the kids are not complaining because their shoes are not the newest. Many don’t even think to complain that they eat the same meal three times a day. It’s the way things are. In fact, I think they are satisfied with the simplicity of it all. And that may be the key. It’s the simplicity that leads to satisfaction.
I think it’s what we focus on that determines if we live simple and satisfied lives. When I say simple I don’t mean that you only do one thing every day. I only mean that you focus on the most important things. It’s like the human eye. We can see lots around us all the time, but we only can focus on one thing. Depending on what we focus on determines what we think about. And really we can only be focusing on one thing at a time so that thing becomes the primary object and everything else is secondary. It’s the same spiritually. It’s this kind of focus that leads to simplicity.
What I mean is that I think at the deepest level, we think about what our hearts focus on. And often that focus can consume our minds. If we focus on what we don’t have, it can really distract us from enjoying life. Take, for example, the American rock star who seems to have it all but is still not satisfied because he always wants more. This wishing and lack of satisfaction stops us from living in the moment and enjoying life. Lots of people spend their lives focusing temporary and sometimes unattainable things; for some its money, power, and fame. For others it’s just getting through the day or finding the perfect husband or wife. Whatever that one thing is, it will draw our attention and hearts toward it.
I am learning that the only thing worth focusing on is Jesus. He is the only thing I really need anyway, so it makes sense to put Him first. I believe God wants us to focus on Him despite the distracting things in this world that can turn our attention.
If you really think about it, what is it that you really need? Like I was learning earlier, good food and friends and comfort are good things. But I don’t really need them. All I really need is God. It’s that simple. Since we are drawn to what we focus on, focusing on what we don’t have will never satisfy. But if we focus on what never goes away and we will always have (Christ), we will always be satisfied.
Now I am not saying that it is wrong to have other things and enjoy what we have. But I am saying that the goal of our lives should not be to focus on those things. I am also not saying that I have figured all of this out either. I am still learning. But I think that everything secondary in life, instead of being our focus, should help us concentrate our attention on the most beautiful and satisfying thing in our spiritual eyes, Jesus.
Focusing on Jesus has left me so much more satisfied in the place where I am at. It makes life so much simpler to just focus on Him. I don’t have to worry about my future, my safety, what I am going to eat, where I am going to sleep, or anything else. While those will always be things that are a part of my life, they will never be more important that God. The more I have been away, the more I am learning to just enjoy God and who He is. And I think the more we allow Him to be the primary focus of our lives, everything else that vies for our attention will fade to the side. Like in a race, we draw near to what we focus on. (Hopefully it’s the finish line for most people). Therefore when we focus on Christ we drawn near to him. And the Bible says that when we draw near to Him, God draws near to us (James 4:8).
Its this kind of simplicity that is a wonderful thing. Because when everything else is changing around is at a million miles an hour, one thing will always remain the same: Christ Jesus. Hebrews 13 says that Jesus never changes. He is always the same. He is the most predictable bet when we need someone to rely on. That’s why it makes sense to fix our thoughts, minds, and lives on He who does not change.
So here is what I want to say. I know from experience that life can be crazy. Africa especially is a very unpredictable place to be. I realize that every day that passes. But my life becomes so much more simple and satisfied when my focus is on Christ. There are a lot of things I could focus on, like what I don’t have and what I miss from the States. But focusing on that will never satisfy me (because those are circumstantial things). But when I focus on what I really need and want (God) I am completely satisfied, because He promises to always be there!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Culture and Jesus
This past week was training on Ethiopian culture and language. The other interns and I were able to learn about the many people groups that live in Ethiopia (over 70). Many of these people have their own language and subcultures, but for the most part Ethiopia has a core culture. We learned about the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as a unique church just in Ethiopia (if you could not guess from the name). I was able to learn basic language skills so I can greet people and ask where things are and shop in the market.
Ethiopians in general have a unique culture that has both African and Arabic influence. Recent rulers actually did not consider Ethiopia as even part of Africa. The history of Ethiopia goes back thousands of years. They are a proud people, rich in culture that is very unique. They have a unique language which has similarities to Arabic. Their food is also unique with injera and rich spices. Not to mention their own Orthodox Church. The Bible actually refers to Ethiopians in several passages. In the New Testament, Philip helps explain the Gospel to an Ethiopian. He is one of the first followers of Jesus from the African continent. The Old Testament even refers to Ethiopians and there are several prophecies about the Cushite people (mostly Ethiopians).
It is amazing what learning about another culture will teach you. It’s hard to even imagine the variety of lifestyles and ideas and customs that are out there until you experience it. We grow up thinking there is only one way to see the world. There is only one way to eat food, relate to people, go about business, and live life. But of course there are thousands of ways, we just don’t know about all of them. With the language and culture orientation, I was able to see the world through a very different perspective. It is hard to see the world through a completely different lens growing up in America. We have people from all around the world come to America, but for the most part we are very ignorant of other cultures. In fact many think American culture is “the culture”. If a culture does not look like ours it is wrong. Some Christians would even call other cultures as “pagan”. But I think God has a very different view of culture.
God created culture. Genesis refers to this event as the tower of Babel. Gods plan was for people to multiply and spread throughout the earth. Well some people in Genesis did not want to do this. So God “helped” them in this process by creating many different languages. Culture is not a bad thing. God made different cultures. It is a beautiful thing. He created culture to reflect the diversity of humanity and human potential. In this way, culture reflects different attributes and characteristics of God. Seeing another culture, like Ethiopia, is a way to see God in a different way.
Of course being immersed in a culture completely different than your own is not easy. It is a hard transition for just about anyone. Why? Because it’s different! You cannot prepare for another culture because each is different and unique for a reason. It’s a different way of seeing and living life. I learned that culture is like an onion. It has layers. The deeper you go the more immersed you go. At first you just see what’s on the surface of a culture, maybe the food and clothes. Then you begin to see beneath the physical and begin to understand their core beliefs and values and ultimately their worldview. What makes them do what they do? At each level, like an onion, you will encounter something that will be uncomfortable and make you cry (maybe not literally, but I hope you get the point). It sounds cheesy but it’s true. Each culture is so unique and different. The more you get into a culture, the more you will feel uncomfortable because it will be differences than what you are used to. There is no avoiding it. But that uncomfortableness does go away over time. Humans are much more capable and adaptable than we may think.
One thing that made me uncomfortable at first was the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC). Behind the house I am staying is a view of a huge Orthodox Church, which looks a more like a mosque. And every morning with little exception the speakers blast loudly at 5am. I am not sure what they are saying on the speakers, but it kind of sounds like a call to prayer. For me, coming from a more evangelical background, I immediately raised objections to the Orthodox Church. From the outside I saw that they abstained from eating certain meat, they go to church sometimes as a daily routine, and they are very conservative in rules that they have, clothes they wear, and lives they live. But the more I learned, I realized that many of them have placed their utmost faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. They trust that because of the death and resurrection of Christ, they have salvation from God. Yes, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians are different, but God is clear about what He requires to follow Him. John 17:3 says, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” That is salvation. It is as simple as that. However, somewhere in the American Church we add stipulations to follow Jesus. We say you must also believe this and that. God is very clear on what kind of faith it takes to have eternal life: to know the true God and Jesus Christ.
Now I am not saying that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is perfect. And I am not saying everyone in the church knows Jesus Christ. Like many churches in the US people come and go and miss the point of actually knowing God. It is a church that has its flaws like any church. But I think overall, those of us who claim to follow Jesus need to be much more willing to accept those with different ways of living out their faith. We need to focus more on our similarities much more than we focus, argue, and debate on the differences. Yes, some believe in predestination, some more in free will. Some believe in infant baptism and some do not. And honestly some people believe things that are just not biblical. But that should be a secondary concern. No one is perfect. Not one has perfect theology. The point is that those of us who follow Jesus Christ need to encourage a church that is united. We need to come together under the authority of Jesus and stop arguing about matters that are just simple not as important. God sent Jesus Christ to be the Savior of this world! That is where our faith needs to rest. All other facts are secondary.
In the USA, so much of the view we have created of Jesus is cultural. We have limited Jesus to a person that we can understand. We assume that in American we alone reflect how Jesus would have acted and spoke and lived life. We have put God in a box. We have limited our knowledge of God to our culture. Many American Christians would say that Jesus would be a Republican. He would probably drive a truck and attend a huge mega church. Tell that to the street beggars in Addis Ababa who have faith in God despite having nothing material in this world. Tell that to the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.
Many times when we tell people from other cultures about Jesus, we push them to reflect the American church. We go to churches all over the world and tell them to be more like our churches. “Get more structure” we say. Or “you have too much structure”, “you need more money”, “you need to look more like this”, or “your church needs to be bigger”. I think this is foolish. Our goal should not be to create an American church all over the world. As believers we need to tell people of the love of Christ and the beautiful truth of the gospel. Let God transform people from different cultures into His image in His way, in His time. Our responsibility is simply this: to present Jesus and the one true God. The work of the Holy Spirit will transform people from every culture into the image of God in His way according to every tongue, tribe, and nation. Paul said when he was witnessing to the Corinthians, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified”.
What i want to say is that differences are a good thing. Of course no culture is perfect just as no church is perfect. every culture has parts that are sinful and do not reflect God. every culture has been effected by sin. but in the big picture, God created different cultures, and God allows people to see Him and experience Him in different ways. How boring it would be if we all experienced and saw God in the same way. Personally, I think I can learn a lot from many Christians here such as the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. I really admire and respect the amount of reverence they have for God. They way they approach God is really beautiful. They understand well that God is far above them and that we as humans really have nothing to offer God but our obedience. As American Christians, sometimes we come before God so flippantly. Yes, we can approach God freely because of Christ, but I think we have forgotten a certain amount of fear that we need in approaching God. We should never forget how far above us He is. Sometimes we act as if we deserve God and His grace. We don’t. I want the kind of reverence they have. And not to mention how much reverence they show the Word of God. People do not throw Bibles in their back pockets and sit on them. They carry Bibles as if it is one of the most precious gifts we have from God (and it is).
All to say there is a reason why God made people different and unique in variosu cultures around the world. It helps us see life in a much bigger picture. More than that it helps us see God as more creative and huge. The cool thing is that God is above culture. He understands all culture. And when Jesus comes back, he will finally unify his body (the church) under his authority. That is why the New Testament is so clear about preaching to every tongue, tribe, and nation. Our role is not to make believers look the same and act the same. We need to just point people to Christ. He is the heard of the church and alone has the authority to unify (Colossians 1:18). When Christ does return, Jesus will bring together all believers from every culture to more completely reflect the image of God. It is really a beautiful thing.
Ethiopians in general have a unique culture that has both African and Arabic influence. Recent rulers actually did not consider Ethiopia as even part of Africa. The history of Ethiopia goes back thousands of years. They are a proud people, rich in culture that is very unique. They have a unique language which has similarities to Arabic. Their food is also unique with injera and rich spices. Not to mention their own Orthodox Church. The Bible actually refers to Ethiopians in several passages. In the New Testament, Philip helps explain the Gospel to an Ethiopian. He is one of the first followers of Jesus from the African continent. The Old Testament even refers to Ethiopians and there are several prophecies about the Cushite people (mostly Ethiopians).
It is amazing what learning about another culture will teach you. It’s hard to even imagine the variety of lifestyles and ideas and customs that are out there until you experience it. We grow up thinking there is only one way to see the world. There is only one way to eat food, relate to people, go about business, and live life. But of course there are thousands of ways, we just don’t know about all of them. With the language and culture orientation, I was able to see the world through a very different perspective. It is hard to see the world through a completely different lens growing up in America. We have people from all around the world come to America, but for the most part we are very ignorant of other cultures. In fact many think American culture is “the culture”. If a culture does not look like ours it is wrong. Some Christians would even call other cultures as “pagan”. But I think God has a very different view of culture.
God created culture. Genesis refers to this event as the tower of Babel. Gods plan was for people to multiply and spread throughout the earth. Well some people in Genesis did not want to do this. So God “helped” them in this process by creating many different languages. Culture is not a bad thing. God made different cultures. It is a beautiful thing. He created culture to reflect the diversity of humanity and human potential. In this way, culture reflects different attributes and characteristics of God. Seeing another culture, like Ethiopia, is a way to see God in a different way.
Of course being immersed in a culture completely different than your own is not easy. It is a hard transition for just about anyone. Why? Because it’s different! You cannot prepare for another culture because each is different and unique for a reason. It’s a different way of seeing and living life. I learned that culture is like an onion. It has layers. The deeper you go the more immersed you go. At first you just see what’s on the surface of a culture, maybe the food and clothes. Then you begin to see beneath the physical and begin to understand their core beliefs and values and ultimately their worldview. What makes them do what they do? At each level, like an onion, you will encounter something that will be uncomfortable and make you cry (maybe not literally, but I hope you get the point). It sounds cheesy but it’s true. Each culture is so unique and different. The more you get into a culture, the more you will feel uncomfortable because it will be differences than what you are used to. There is no avoiding it. But that uncomfortableness does go away over time. Humans are much more capable and adaptable than we may think.
One thing that made me uncomfortable at first was the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC). Behind the house I am staying is a view of a huge Orthodox Church, which looks a more like a mosque. And every morning with little exception the speakers blast loudly at 5am. I am not sure what they are saying on the speakers, but it kind of sounds like a call to prayer. For me, coming from a more evangelical background, I immediately raised objections to the Orthodox Church. From the outside I saw that they abstained from eating certain meat, they go to church sometimes as a daily routine, and they are very conservative in rules that they have, clothes they wear, and lives they live. But the more I learned, I realized that many of them have placed their utmost faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. They trust that because of the death and resurrection of Christ, they have salvation from God. Yes, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians are different, but God is clear about what He requires to follow Him. John 17:3 says, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” That is salvation. It is as simple as that. However, somewhere in the American Church we add stipulations to follow Jesus. We say you must also believe this and that. God is very clear on what kind of faith it takes to have eternal life: to know the true God and Jesus Christ.
Now I am not saying that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is perfect. And I am not saying everyone in the church knows Jesus Christ. Like many churches in the US people come and go and miss the point of actually knowing God. It is a church that has its flaws like any church. But I think overall, those of us who claim to follow Jesus need to be much more willing to accept those with different ways of living out their faith. We need to focus more on our similarities much more than we focus, argue, and debate on the differences. Yes, some believe in predestination, some more in free will. Some believe in infant baptism and some do not. And honestly some people believe things that are just not biblical. But that should be a secondary concern. No one is perfect. Not one has perfect theology. The point is that those of us who follow Jesus Christ need to encourage a church that is united. We need to come together under the authority of Jesus and stop arguing about matters that are just simple not as important. God sent Jesus Christ to be the Savior of this world! That is where our faith needs to rest. All other facts are secondary.
In the USA, so much of the view we have created of Jesus is cultural. We have limited Jesus to a person that we can understand. We assume that in American we alone reflect how Jesus would have acted and spoke and lived life. We have put God in a box. We have limited our knowledge of God to our culture. Many American Christians would say that Jesus would be a Republican. He would probably drive a truck and attend a huge mega church. Tell that to the street beggars in Addis Ababa who have faith in God despite having nothing material in this world. Tell that to the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.
Many times when we tell people from other cultures about Jesus, we push them to reflect the American church. We go to churches all over the world and tell them to be more like our churches. “Get more structure” we say. Or “you have too much structure”, “you need more money”, “you need to look more like this”, or “your church needs to be bigger”. I think this is foolish. Our goal should not be to create an American church all over the world. As believers we need to tell people of the love of Christ and the beautiful truth of the gospel. Let God transform people from different cultures into His image in His way, in His time. Our responsibility is simply this: to present Jesus and the one true God. The work of the Holy Spirit will transform people from every culture into the image of God in His way according to every tongue, tribe, and nation. Paul said when he was witnessing to the Corinthians, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified”.
What i want to say is that differences are a good thing. Of course no culture is perfect just as no church is perfect. every culture has parts that are sinful and do not reflect God. every culture has been effected by sin. but in the big picture, God created different cultures, and God allows people to see Him and experience Him in different ways. How boring it would be if we all experienced and saw God in the same way. Personally, I think I can learn a lot from many Christians here such as the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. I really admire and respect the amount of reverence they have for God. They way they approach God is really beautiful. They understand well that God is far above them and that we as humans really have nothing to offer God but our obedience. As American Christians, sometimes we come before God so flippantly. Yes, we can approach God freely because of Christ, but I think we have forgotten a certain amount of fear that we need in approaching God. We should never forget how far above us He is. Sometimes we act as if we deserve God and His grace. We don’t. I want the kind of reverence they have. And not to mention how much reverence they show the Word of God. People do not throw Bibles in their back pockets and sit on them. They carry Bibles as if it is one of the most precious gifts we have from God (and it is).
All to say there is a reason why God made people different and unique in variosu cultures around the world. It helps us see life in a much bigger picture. More than that it helps us see God as more creative and huge. The cool thing is that God is above culture. He understands all culture. And when Jesus comes back, he will finally unify his body (the church) under his authority. That is why the New Testament is so clear about preaching to every tongue, tribe, and nation. Our role is not to make believers look the same and act the same. We need to just point people to Christ. He is the heard of the church and alone has the authority to unify (Colossians 1:18). When Christ does return, Jesus will bring together all believers from every culture to more completely reflect the image of God. It is really a beautiful thing.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Making Changes
I made it to Ethiopia! Getting here was about two seven hour plane rides and a 12 hour layover in London (it could have been worse). The first thing when i got here (Addis Ababa) was checking into the guest house where I will be in and out of the whole summer. In African standards it is a really nice house with a kitchen, four bedrooms, several bathrooms and a living room with a TV. I have also been at the office the last few days getting oriented and meeting the staff. The staff here is great. It has just been tough learning the names of everyone, especially the national staff whose names are much different than the average American name. As far as what I am doing, the first month I will be touring around with the other interns to see the various projects around the country. There are a wide variety of projects ranging from HIV/AIDS prevention in the city to water and food distribution projects in the country. After the first month I will be spending most of my time in the southern region. I still am not sure of the specifics of what I will be doing. I just know I will get to be very involved with the projects down there. Most of them revolve around getting people food and water.
For now I am in Addis Ababa, the capital. It has lots of stores and shops and restaurants like any city, but there is no question I am in a developing country much different than America. Many buildings are run down, the streets are not marked, and it does not take long to see people in poverty literally laying on the side of the street begging for money. Many are blind or cripple. Children, many homeless or orphaned, are eager to beg foreigners for money. The culture here is beautiful but incredibly different too. It is very unique and unlike any other in the world. It is part Arabic and part African. In general Ethiopians are very proud of their heritage and history. They have many traditions and practices that will take me a long time to understand. Their clothing, language, customs, and food are very different. They love coffee (not unlike addicted Starbucks Americans) and claim to be the creators of it. For some, every morning or for certain circumstances, they perform a coffee ceremony including brewing fresh coffee and pouring three cups. The food is very different too. The main dish usually involves injera, which is like sour spongy pancake type bread. You typically sit around with the other people and eat food communally. You grab a piece of the injera and use it as your utensil to pick up the food placed in the middle to eat. Basically you eat with your hands (every child’s dream). Meat and lentils other spiced foods are placed in the middle for people to share and pick up with the injera in hand.
If I have learned anything it is that change is a good thing (even if it feels way outside my comfort zone at first). I am in a completely different culture with people I have never met for more than a week. In the past I have usually at least known someone closely when I have travelled or worked. Now it’s just me and strangers, soon to be friends I hope. But the point is that it seems uncomfortable for a little at the beginning, and a bit lonely. But that uncomfortableness and change is a good thing. It means I am being stretched and changed. When left on my own, I am prone to stick to routines and what is comfortable. Those are good things to an extent, but it means I might miss out on all the adventures life has in store for me. I am learning that when I am far out where I have never been before, even alone, my view of life and my purpose and God is expanded. That is a wonderful thing.
Jesus said that he came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10). I believe that with all my heart. I don’t think there is a single person in the world that does not want that. Everyone wants life to the fullest, it’s just that most people don’t look to Christ to have it. Or they do not choose to follow God when He calls them somewhere else. Jesus also said that anyone who wants to follow him must be willing to give up everything (Luke 14:33). Those two statements are not contradictory when viewed in the right perspective. Why? Because life to the fullest is a life lived with God. Life to the fullest is not so much an ends but a process of going through life with God. It is a process of ups and downs and it begins with Him living inside us. The excitement and liberation comes from living life with God, walking with Him, and talking with Him. It certainly is not based on circumstances because a life with God involves giving up the temporary things in this world and trading them for His plans and eternal things. There is another problem though. Its hard for us to see His plans or eternal things unless He breaks us free from that which ties us to the world. This is a difficult process that involves change, growing up, moving on from the past, and looking forward to the new things God has planned for us.
God is a God of excitement and change. While He never changes, because He is perfect (Hebrews 13:8), the way He grows us and teaches us is through change. Change helps grow us up physically and mentally and closer to Him. This is an exciting process because it means breaking free of past addictions, idols, and comforts. When we pray for adventure and freedom and life to the fullest He gives it to us. However, it often does not come in the way we expect. We would like it to come in the form of some sort of comfortable bliss that lasts forever. Some sort of lifestyle or event that makes us feel brave and bold and on top of the world all the time. That is not realistic. We as humans are broken, scared, and prone to mediocrity. Therefore the path to life to the fullest and growing closer to God often takes the form change, moving on, and uncomfortable and sometimes overwhelming new circumstances.
There are two verses pertaining to this that God put on my mind lately that have brought me a lot of peace about change. The first is Isaiah 43:19. It says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Not it springs up’ do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”. Basically saying that God always wants to move us forward. He paves a way for us through the tough times (the desert) to lead us to new places. New places and new experiences, even when they can be tough, are the avenue God uses to live a life to the fullest. AKA get us where He wants us and bring us closer to Himself. When you think about living a life with God it really is God teaching us new ways to trust Him through different circumstances and situations. Our role is to not dwell in the past but be hopeful of the future and move on to the new place God calls us. It can be scary but there is hope and peace in Christ. The second verse is one of comfort. Isaiah 48:17 says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” That is the Lord saying that he knows and teaches us what is best for us. He does this by directing our lives. He knows what is best and we should trust Him in that. Therefore the best thing for us is to just listen and obey. Verse 18 goes on to say that “if only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea”. We will never regret living a life trusting in God and His plan because he gives peace (despite our circumstances) and righteousness (another way of saying a right and good relationship with God) for those who listen to Him. That often means following Him into new places and uncharted waters. But that is life to the fullest!
For now I am in Addis Ababa, the capital. It has lots of stores and shops and restaurants like any city, but there is no question I am in a developing country much different than America. Many buildings are run down, the streets are not marked, and it does not take long to see people in poverty literally laying on the side of the street begging for money. Many are blind or cripple. Children, many homeless or orphaned, are eager to beg foreigners for money. The culture here is beautiful but incredibly different too. It is very unique and unlike any other in the world. It is part Arabic and part African. In general Ethiopians are very proud of their heritage and history. They have many traditions and practices that will take me a long time to understand. Their clothing, language, customs, and food are very different. They love coffee (not unlike addicted Starbucks Americans) and claim to be the creators of it. For some, every morning or for certain circumstances, they perform a coffee ceremony including brewing fresh coffee and pouring three cups. The food is very different too. The main dish usually involves injera, which is like sour spongy pancake type bread. You typically sit around with the other people and eat food communally. You grab a piece of the injera and use it as your utensil to pick up the food placed in the middle to eat. Basically you eat with your hands (every child’s dream). Meat and lentils other spiced foods are placed in the middle for people to share and pick up with the injera in hand.
If I have learned anything it is that change is a good thing (even if it feels way outside my comfort zone at first). I am in a completely different culture with people I have never met for more than a week. In the past I have usually at least known someone closely when I have travelled or worked. Now it’s just me and strangers, soon to be friends I hope. But the point is that it seems uncomfortable for a little at the beginning, and a bit lonely. But that uncomfortableness and change is a good thing. It means I am being stretched and changed. When left on my own, I am prone to stick to routines and what is comfortable. Those are good things to an extent, but it means I might miss out on all the adventures life has in store for me. I am learning that when I am far out where I have never been before, even alone, my view of life and my purpose and God is expanded. That is a wonderful thing.
Jesus said that he came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10). I believe that with all my heart. I don’t think there is a single person in the world that does not want that. Everyone wants life to the fullest, it’s just that most people don’t look to Christ to have it. Or they do not choose to follow God when He calls them somewhere else. Jesus also said that anyone who wants to follow him must be willing to give up everything (Luke 14:33). Those two statements are not contradictory when viewed in the right perspective. Why? Because life to the fullest is a life lived with God. Life to the fullest is not so much an ends but a process of going through life with God. It is a process of ups and downs and it begins with Him living inside us. The excitement and liberation comes from living life with God, walking with Him, and talking with Him. It certainly is not based on circumstances because a life with God involves giving up the temporary things in this world and trading them for His plans and eternal things. There is another problem though. Its hard for us to see His plans or eternal things unless He breaks us free from that which ties us to the world. This is a difficult process that involves change, growing up, moving on from the past, and looking forward to the new things God has planned for us.
God is a God of excitement and change. While He never changes, because He is perfect (Hebrews 13:8), the way He grows us and teaches us is through change. Change helps grow us up physically and mentally and closer to Him. This is an exciting process because it means breaking free of past addictions, idols, and comforts. When we pray for adventure and freedom and life to the fullest He gives it to us. However, it often does not come in the way we expect. We would like it to come in the form of some sort of comfortable bliss that lasts forever. Some sort of lifestyle or event that makes us feel brave and bold and on top of the world all the time. That is not realistic. We as humans are broken, scared, and prone to mediocrity. Therefore the path to life to the fullest and growing closer to God often takes the form change, moving on, and uncomfortable and sometimes overwhelming new circumstances.
There are two verses pertaining to this that God put on my mind lately that have brought me a lot of peace about change. The first is Isaiah 43:19. It says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Not it springs up’ do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”. Basically saying that God always wants to move us forward. He paves a way for us through the tough times (the desert) to lead us to new places. New places and new experiences, even when they can be tough, are the avenue God uses to live a life to the fullest. AKA get us where He wants us and bring us closer to Himself. When you think about living a life with God it really is God teaching us new ways to trust Him through different circumstances and situations. Our role is to not dwell in the past but be hopeful of the future and move on to the new place God calls us. It can be scary but there is hope and peace in Christ. The second verse is one of comfort. Isaiah 48:17 says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” That is the Lord saying that he knows and teaches us what is best for us. He does this by directing our lives. He knows what is best and we should trust Him in that. Therefore the best thing for us is to just listen and obey. Verse 18 goes on to say that “if only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea”. We will never regret living a life trusting in God and His plan because he gives peace (despite our circumstances) and righteousness (another way of saying a right and good relationship with God) for those who listen to Him. That often means following Him into new places and uncharted waters. But that is life to the fullest!
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