The World I Can’t Admit I’m In (aka: The Cradle of Civilization - Africa)

During this chapter I learned more than a few things.  Here is a sampling:

• I am ignorant about Africa’s history and “that Africa played significant geographical roles in our biblical history.”  (p.50)
• The church supported the transatlantic slave trade as much as the rest of the world, and aided its success for over four hundred years.
• As nations fought for control of Africa’s resources, greed overshadowed any concern for a sustainable economy, so although, “billions of dollars have been poured into the continent…, Africa is poorer today than ever.” (p.54)
• For more than 14 years and counting, we have witnessed the atrocities of genocide (the systematic killing of an entire group of people, see p.55 for more detail) throughout the continent of Africa leaving millions without homes and countless more dead.

What hit me while taking these notes is that these are some of the realities that make me run screaming, “It’s too much; it’s too big! How is it ever going to change?”  And I know that’s just me putting God in a box again - as if he can somehow only function at my pace, in my reality, with my personal limitations and resources.

So how?  Through each of us being Jesus to and seeing Jesus in those we meet - not just in far away lands, but starting in our own homes.  What is my attitude toward my kids (for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven), my spouse, my employer, the teller at the bank who speaks broken English and hasn’t gotten my order right once in the last two months of weekly withdrawals?? And I could go on…but honestly, am I willing to change my view?  To see the world for all it is and embrace my purpose here?  And if not, then I might ask in the words of my favorite band, Caedmon’s Call, “How can I preserve and light the way for a world that I can’t admit I’m in?” (Standing Up for Nothing)

My reality moment this week was fussing over having to wait an additional 15 minutes for my son’s prescription (which was precautionary at best, certainly not required) and in the same moment hearing the Holy Spirit say, “Really?  Fifteen minutes is really that tough?  For something he MIGHT need?  Are you sure you want to complain about this?”  When there are mommy’s all over the world who don’t even hope for a medicine to cure their dying child because they know it isn’t available to them, or if it is, they wait for days, weeks, months even, sometimes losing their child to death during the wait…should I really do anything but give thanks?  This is the world I live in, and I am immensely thankful to be on this end of the justice issues we face, so I will give thanks and extend my hand to those who cannot.

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