Tuning Our Lives to the Love of God

I had the opportunity to sit down for lunch with a missionary from Africa today. This man moved into the Zambian bush with his wife where they lived among a tribe in an area with no water or electricity. The area had many orphans who could not be supported by their extended families, so this couple began an orphanage and a small school, which they built. They now have 17 children living with them, plus 2 of their own that they have had since living there. They are also providing the necessary supports for the extended families of another 130 orphans. In these cases, the extended family members have mostly been able to feed and shelter the children since losing their parents. Also, this missionary couple has began employing the community widows to help in the orphanage and school. As he told me his story I just kept thinking of James saying faith that is real it the faith that takes care of the widows and orphans.

This man is uneducated and unread and yet his perspective and stories conveyed some of the best thinking I have encountered in terms of missiology, ecclesiology and community development. He spoke about the dangers of charity creating dependency, the necessity of love to have a long view of development, and the reality of joining the work that God is already doing among the tribe. When asked about books and theories he earnestly said "I just read the Bible and do my best to listen to his Spirit." I immediately thought of how many others that I have heard say similar things but looked nothing like this man who looks so much like the Jesus that I know and follow. I am so grateful for the affirmation that we get from just meeting with brothers from around the globe. We live in different worlds and face such different challenges and yet we are contextualizing and living for the exact same kingdom. Our lives are tuned to the same tuning fork and when we meet our hearts immediately recognize one another.

Here is a link to their website in case any of you want to learn more and/or support their efforts. They are definitely a place that I would recommend investing in and they have very real and pressing needs in Zambia. An immidiate need for them is the money to drill another well because they are quickly running our of water.


One last thought: Jako spoke briefly about the place of children in the families there. He said that within a family kids really have a sense of belonging. They each have a role to play and when anyone does not do their part the family may not eat that night. He contrasted the way the families there depend on one another with children here in the States never feeling like they belong. They have no purpose, task or practical value, and many of us that grow up in the States feel alone and worthless. Our orphans here are not dying from a physical hunger but many of us are dying from a starvation in our psyche and spirit.

Below is a video of Clayton playing a song he wrote that conveys this same truth.

Our purposelessness seems to me to be connected with our addictive lifestyles that consume so much and feel entitled to everything. We are both spoiled and neglected.
I am reminded of Tyler Durdens words to Fight Club:

We're the middle children of history, man.

No purpose or place.

We have no Great War. No Great Depression.

Our Great War's a spiritual war...

our Great Depression is our lives.

May we all hear that tuning fork that has been ringing throughout history since Jesus laid his life down in total identification with those who suffer in this world and in His resurrection began a new epoch in our world. May we all adjust the tone of our lives accordingly as we pray for that kingdom of peace and justice to come on earth.