Kenya Update 10/6/09 - Challenges!

For several months Allison and I have been reading through William Barclay's commentary on Matthew (okay, I guess that means we're reading Matthew too :) ) ... recently the message of the text and the commentary have been overwhelming clear and consistent with our experiences; Jesus calls us to be witnesses to God's love! I feel as if I have kind of watered down that call to evangelize during my time at ENC (even saying the word evangelize leaves a weird taste in my proverbial mouth). The text we are studying today is Matthew 10:32-33:


"I too will acknowledge before my Father everyone who acknowledges me before men. I too will deny before my Father who is in heaven everyone who denies me before men."


What a challenge, even in the "easy" circumstances I face every day - no one is threatening me or my family if I refuse to deny Christ, yet the temptation to deny the lordship of Jesus in my life is always there. In subtle ways, presenting myself as a Christian but with a disclaimer "Yes I am a Christian, but don't worry! I'm still normal, I'm still cool!" Perhaps it is an attitude born out of good intentions, not wanting to disenfranchise those who might see Christians as judgmental crazies, but I think more realistically it is born out of a self interested avoidance of being judged as crazy. Are we not crazy, living a life committed to Jesus' ideals? Living counter culturally (as Jesus taught us) is definitely crazy to most minds. yet we are not to be judgmental crazies, just Jesus people. Loving crazies, maybe - crazy about love, crazy about Jesus, crazy about showing people God's love. Perhaps that will result in us being judged, but provided our transparency is God breathed, it can only serve to bring about God's purpose. I need to stop apologizing for loving Jesus as much as I do. Or maybe, I need to stop apologizing before I love Jesus as much as I claim to love him.

Jars of Clay offers a different sort of challenge in their song entitled "Light Brings Heat". It's my understanding that several years ago they came to Kenya in efforts to start a ministry called Blood:Water Mission. This song is a reflection on that time and the complexity of working in Africa considering our western assumptions of superiority, our lack of understanding of African culture and the implications that has on being Jesus to people as an American in Kenya. Following are the final lyrics from the song, as well as the writers interpretation. The final refrain is a prayer I will embrace on a daily basis as I continue to face the challenges God is good enough to put in my life! :)

You treat me like I'm blind, setting fires around houses on the hill,
But light gives heat.
You segregate my mind, burning crosses from your fears, your fears,
But light gives heat.

Will you teach us how to love? To see the things you see,
Walk the road you walk, and feel the pain that you feel.
At your feet I kneel, I want to see you shine,
See your light not mine... 'cause light gives heat...
your light gives heat... gives heat.

(Dan's explanation helps it make more sense!)
"This song represented being comfortable with sharing the moment we’re in about Africa. I have wrestled with the idea that we’ve been awful with the way we’re approaching Africa. Stripping them of their dignity, when that’s not the whole story. Starting the organization Blood:Water Mission served as the push into learning, trying to offer help, while giving people their dignity. Light Gives Heat is about learning a better way. It’s learning not even to approach it saying “I’m going to Africa to serve these people”. I wanted to write a song that was kind of part confessional, saying I’m sorry I am part of the problem. And the second part of the chorus is from an African perspective, which is “however you approach us, we find hope in the midst of what you offer.” That’s the picture of African dignity and African determination that is so powerful..." - Dan Haseltine (Jars Of Clay)