Mission Safari: The Next Chapter(s)

More Technical Problems

Dear Blog Readers,

For some reason you have not been notified of my recent posts over the past week (about 8 or 9 posts). It should be corrected. I invite you to read the last three or four posts, especially, "Sam's Ministry" and "Goodwill?".

Sorry for the inconvience.

Sam the Surgeon?

Life has a lighter side here in Kenya raising a 4 year old boy. Last night was an example.

Before I start, one disclaimer: I do not talk about doctors of one speciality being more important than others.

At dinner last night we were talking about God. Somehow Sam asked if God was in your stomach could He see. I asked Him why. He said, "because it is dark in your stomach." Then I said, "Yes, I suppose if God were in your guts He could see." Marti frowned. She doesn't like the word, "guts". She knows Sam will use that word. So I corrected myself and said "intestines." Sam wanted to know what intestines were. So I said, "let's go to my study and look at some pictures of intestines." I figured that would satisfy him.

We started with my gross anatomy book. He was enthralled. He asked about one question every 15 seconds. We then looked at a pathology text. This just picqued his interest more. I finally opened up my orthopedics book. He started pointing out the fractures! He was wearing me down, but hey, we were having fun together. This lasted about an hour.

During all this he was asking all kinds of "surgery" type questions. He wanted to know about "if this was wrong would you do surgery?".

Finally Marti asked him, "Sam do you want to be a SURGEON when you grow up?"

Without hesitation he said, "NO! I want to be a man who FIXES people!"

Sorry, Surgery colleagues! I guess the saying really is true. "Out of the mouth of babes.."

Treatment Guidelines

The more I thought about my previous post, "Goodwill?", the more I realized that I needed to make the point that I am NOT saying we should do NOTHING. On the contrary, I think there is much to be done. But I think we need to be very wise in our approach.

In fact, this morning my wife and I had a conversation about this topic. As we were talking about "giving" and "helping" in Africa, we started talking about some principles that I use in medicine to guide me (hopefully) in treating patients. I was wondering if they were applicable in our work in Africa. Just because there are risks in helping sick people, as doctors we do not usually withhold treatment just because it "might" cause problems down the road. In fact, as I have worked with medical students I have tried to help them with these priniciples or guidelines.

I am sure there are some gaps here and that I may have extended this analogy beyond its ability to help us in developing plans of outreach, but I don't want us "NOT TO TREAT" or "not be involved" just because there is risk inherent in the work.

Guidelines for Treating People (and Nations)

1. First, "Do No Harm". - Our treatment should not be worse than the disease.

2. Weigh the Risks and Benefits of a treatment plan. Although almost every medicine or treatment can result in a bad outcome, we need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of treating versus not treating. Sometimes you will choose to treat knowing that there are certain risks but that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

3. Make Sure You Have the Right Diagnosis. The right treatment plan for the wrong diagnosis can be worse than no treatment at all.

4. Always try to treat the underlying disease, not just the symptoms. Treating a cough with cough medicine is not very helpful if the underlying cause is pneumonia, TB, or cancer. Just because we are "treating the symptoms" does not mean we are doing the right thing.

5. Use Good Evidence Whenever Possible. There are some treatments that are better studied than others. Sometimes the newer medicines are not necessarily better. Not all treatment plans are based on using the best evidence of what actually works.

6. Never Force Medicine Down the Throats of Patients. They won't continue to take the medicine if they don't believe that it will help. They have to "buy in" to the treatment plan.

7. Listen to What the Patient is saying about their problem. They may actually be telling you one thing, but asking for something different. A classic example is the man who "complains" of a cold to the nurse and to the doctor. When the doctor is "finishing up" the interaction and getting to walk out the door, the patient says, "Oh yeah doc. One more thing. Do you think I can get that little blue pill I see them advertising on TV?"

Goodwill?

Did you ever wonder what happened to the used clothes that didn't sell at your last yard sale and that you "generously" dumped donated it to the Goodwill or Salvation Army?  Or even if your motives were pure and you wanted to help those in need, did you ever wonder where your "old" shirt or blouse ended up?

Last week, I was talking to a pastor in the slums.  We were talking about industry (or the lack thereof) and he told me about the collapse of the textile industry here in Kenya.  He told me that all the clothing brought in from the West destroyed the cotton industry here. 

I had never really thought about that before.  Then, after discussing it with a friend here, we came across this article (For sale -- cheap: 'Dead white men's clothing') from the LA Times.  The article was written in July, 2004.  It was part of a series, "Living on Pennies".  The articles are pretty well done and described in very good detail the things that I am experiencing here in Kenya; I encourage you to click on the link and read the article and the series.  (Or to continue reading it, click on the tab at the end of this post.)

That got me thinking about how sad it is when good intentions bring about bad outcomes.  Someone tries to give something to help someone and the very people it was intended to help it destroys.  The issues of poverty and the aid to those in poverty are extremely complex.

It takes more than just good intentions to bring about the resolution of such conditions.  It takes prayer, strategic thinking, excellent implementation, long term commitment, and more prayer.  Trying to solve the problems that we see here in Africa in a couple of weeks or months is impossible.  In fact, it can be very discouraging because it seems futile.

But, on the other hand, as Christians, if we have a proper Biblical Worldview, we are called to engage in this thinking.  We need to think through our "well intended" gifts.  I am not suggesting that we STOP giving or donating to organizations like Goodwill or Salvation Army, but I am suggesting that we "STOP and Think" about what we are doing.  The "feeling good about the good we are doing" feeling is only temporary.  The unintended problem it may be generating is longer term.

I don't know that I have any answers to this.  But I am appreciating the Swahili proverb "Haraka, haraka hiana baraka" (hurry, hurry has no blessing) more and more as I begin to wrestle with these big issues.

Amazing Love

I'm forgiven, because you were forsaken.

I'm accepted you were condemed.

And I'm alive and well your sprit is within me

Because you died and rose again.

Amazing Love how can it be,

That you my king have died for me?

Amazing Love I know its true.

And its my joy to honor you.

In all I do, I honor you.

You are my king, you are my king ,Jesus you are my king.

Jesus you are my king!

Amazing Love Lyrics by R Kelly

Sam's Ministry

Over the past month, I have posted some pictures of Sarah and Ben helping me in Kibera. Today, Sam and Ben went with me into Kibera as we joined Dr. Michael Johnson and his ministry, The Least of These. Along with over 15 Kenyan medical students, we saw over 250 children most of whom are orphaned.

Today, Sam had a significant ministry. One might be skeptical that a 4 year old could have much "ministry", but I am convinced that Sam did as much "good" as I did seeing the children in clinic. These pictures show exactly what he did. He played with the kids. He had fun with them. He laughed and giggled. He climbed on the monkey bars. He slid down the slide. He rode in the wheel barrow.

Sam showed no bias today. A kid was a kid. It didn't matter where he lived or what had happened to his parents. It didn't matter what his clothes looked like or how he smelled. He was just another person. He was just another kid that Jesus loved. And Sam helped show that love by just playing with these kids. He was having so much fun that I joined in and took some time to blow bubbles with the kids.

And as this last picture shows, ministry is hard work. It wears you out. It makes you dirty and tired. But man, it can be a lot of fun. Don't you think Sam will sleep well tonight?

Out of the Miry Clay

"He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth - praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:2-3.

This week these verses took on new meaning for me. As per my routine I went into Kibera on Wednesday. It rained pretty heavy on Tuesday night. As I walked into Kibera, I had to hunt for solid ground. Even when I thought I was stepping on something solid, I would often sink in the mud/trash/waste up to my ankle. I was glad I had on "gum boots" (rubber boots). The only thing that was truly solid was the rocks that seemed to jut up out of the earth. I have often disliked these rocks when it is dry as it causes me to stumble if I don't pick up my feet when walking. But in the mud, these were truly places of security.

I realized that life is like that. I often step out into what seems "solid" only to find myself ankle deep in trouble. The only thing that helps is well placed rocks that provide a sure footing. Interestingly, just like in Kibera, you can not remain on that rock. You must keep moving forward. And so, life is full of troubles. But it is also full of security when we see how it is God that is "establishing my steps."

I would prefer to stand on the rock. But that wouldn't fulfill what God has in mind. He moves me through the mud and sure ground to put a new song in my mouth. He wants me to praise Him through these times so that many will see it, fear it, and trust in Him. Praise God for the mud in Kibera. Praise God for the mud in our lives. And praise Him that He establishes our steps.

Another African Tragedy

This is a real African tragedy.  It shows the changes in life expectancy in 5 of the worst hit countries on the continent.  They all now have worse life expectancy than they did before independence from colonial rule.  Sadly the cliff shows a huge drop off.  This of course is due to HIV/AIDs.  I could go on and on about this, but a picture is worth a thousand words. 

No wonder the Africans struggle with fatalism. 

Two African Tragedies

As part of my "culture learning" process, I decided to read a couple of African novels written by Africans. I figured that it would give me some insight into the history and thinking of Africans. I chose for my readings two books by leading African authors. The first was Weep Not, Child by Ngugi Thiongo and the second was Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Both end in tragedy.

In the book by Ngugi, a Kenyan, the setting is Kenya during the time of the Mau Mau revolution. This event set the stage for independence for Kenya from Great Britian. It starts out by focusing on the hopes and dreams of a family to educate their youngest child. This dream moves forward with great aspiration despite financial and emotional set backs. But it ends very tragically with the family broken apart, murders committed, and the dreams devastated.

The second book by Achebe is considered an African masterpiece. It tells of the story of a clan in Nigeria. This clan undergoes a lot of change during the book. It spends the first part of the book describing the village ways including a lot of details about their ancestor worship and multiple gods. Then it talks about the changes that occur in the clan when the first missionaries come. Most of these changes are portrayed in a negative light. This book also ends tragically with the main character of the book also committing murder of the new colonialist.

I did learn a lot about some of the struggles of Africans particularly in light of the colonialists. But it was sad to see the authors have a very negative view of missionaries and the changes that occurred in the land and people. I am not defending the abuses of the colonialists or the missionaries. But I find it interesting that both stories end with death. It has a very fatalistic worldview.

And that is one of the lessons I am learning about Africans. They do seem to have a fatalistic outlook. In another book I am reading, Health, Healing, and God's Kingdom by W. Meredith Long, I find this very interesting quote:

"Dr. Dan Fountain wrote that transformation in Africa cannot take place until the fatalistic worldview of Africans is challenged and changed. As a physician, Dr. Fountain faced the daily frustration of trying to motivate change in health behaviors among local people who felt that their actions would have little or no effect upon the 'will of God'. Instead of taking action to prevent disease and lessen its effects, they responded either passively or with anger and anguish but not with positively directed action."

I think these books have helped me understand some of the heaviness I have felt about being here. Life is hard. It seems harder here. And people seemed resigned to this fact. There does not appear to be a lot of hope and optimism. And that can be depressing, literally.

But I also need to remember the great truth that we will be celebrating this Sunday. Jesus is Alive. Yes, He died. But His power was sufficient to break the bondage of death. That is Good News. And that is the answer to the Two African Tragedies.

A Foolish Thing

I did a foolish thing today. I helped my good friend, Michael Johnson, set up his own blog, The Peculiar Johnsons (http://thosepeculiarjohnsons.typepad.com). Why is this foolish? Because over the past several weeks whenever he sends me a good essay, I post it to my blog. And it attracts a lot of visitors. And now I have gotten rid of my best author on The Mission Safari.

(Maybe I will disable his blog since I know his username and password!)

PS. Go ahead and visit his blog. It will be a rising star in the blogosphere!

Sunrises

Over the past month, I have been able to get back into my routine of running. Not only have I been able to experience the benefits of regular exercise (weight loss, more energy, better sleep to name a few), but I have also really been able to experience some awesome sunrises. In fact, I even get up on my "non-running" days just to take in the sunrise.

And it has been an awesome witness to God's creativity. The views are different each day. Some days there are brilliant shades of pink, orange, and red streaking across the sky. Some days the colors are more muted when the clouds are stretched out. Even today, it rained around 5am. I thought it would be too overcast for a good sunrise. I contemplated just sleeping a bit more. But I am glad I didn't. Almost as if God were playing a symphony, that starts softly and then grows in intensity and intrigue, so did the sunrise this morning. The sky started out with soft blues and grays, softly but gradually grew with the pinks and oranges, until finally the strong glowing sun burst through the clouds to officially start the day.

Of an interesting cultural note, when speaking about time, 7:00 am is known as "saa mmjoa asubuhi" which literally means "the time is one in the morning." The Swahili time is 6 hours "behind" on a 12 hour clock. Since most of East Africa (where the majority of Swahili speakers live) is on the equator, the sun usually rises at 6:00am and sets at 6pm. There is little variation. Apparently, the early speakers of Swahili really appreciated the same brilliant sunrises and decided that this must obviously be the time that the day starts and so that is when "time" should start. 7:00am is "one hour in the day". Makes sense doesn't it?!

PS. Y'all are invited to the house in the morning to take in another gorgeous sunrise. I will put extra coffee on and we will watch it come up on the veranda (which, praise the Lord, faces due east!)

A Day in the Life

I think I have done this once before, but not in a long time. To give you an idea of what a "day in the life" here in Kenya is like, I scratched these notes together about how I spent last Monday. This is not necessarily a typical Monday, but since most days here are not "typical", I thought it would do. Enjoy.

4:30 AM - Give Sam ibuprofen for fever.

5:45 AM - Alarm goes off. Get up for a run.

6:00 AM - Download Emails.

6:10 AM - Go for run.

6:40 AM - Return and cool down.

6:45 AM - Boil water for hot green tea. Get coffee ready as well. Pour jug of water from tap into water filtration system.

7:00 AM - Start devotions.

7:10 AM - Devotions interrupted by Sam. Fix breakfast for this poor starving guy.

7:20 AM - Answer some emails.

8:00 AM - Shower.

8:25 AM - Breakfast

8:45 AM - Leave for Kibera. Marti drives me to meet my ride. She has to dodge bikes, cars, people and buses.

9:10 AM - Catch ride with another missionary to go into Kibera. I am 10 minutes late.

9:30 AM - St. Lazarus school. Set up for morning clinic.

1:15 PM - Leave the school in the slum after having seen 20 kids. Many are malnourished. A few have HIV and probably a few others who haven't been tested.

1:45 PM - Arrive at St. Mary's Hospital. Eat two pieces of white bread for lunch. Do 5 C-sections before I leave.

6:00 PM - Leave St. Mary's. Get ride home from a different missionary.

7:00 PM - Arrive home. Eat Supper.

8:00 PM - Start bed time routine.

9:00 PM - Talk with Marti about her day. Check and respond to more emails.

10:15 PM - Relax while reading a book.

10:30 PM - Fall asleep in the chair.

15,000 Hits

I started the Mission Safari blog just under 15 months ago. As of today we registered our 15,000 hit. It is amazing that over 5,000 hits have occurred since I returned from Sri Lanka in January. I hope that the blog has been and will continue to be a blessing to those that visit. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

Spiritual Growth in Our Children

As Christian parents we want our children to know and experience the richness of a relationship with Jesus. If we take Scripture serious, we start this training and discipleship from the time our children are born. And the Bible is full of wonderful promises to parents who "train up a child in the way they should go." We serve a God who delights in covenants and His primary covenants are made with families.

But sometimes it is hard to "measure" spiritual growth in children, especially when they are younger. It is even harder when you live with them and see the obvious sin in their lives (which we spend a lot of time dealing with). And when you focus only on the external signs (praying at dinner, reading their Bibles, learning the facts of the Bible, learning the Catechism) it gets even more complicated. However, I believe there are times when you can see the fruits of spiritual fruit. We experienced this yesterday while we went for Marti's MRI.

As we left the house, Sarah gave Marti a note. As we drove down the street Marti read it. The note was one of encouragement. It included a couple of scriptures including Joshua 1:9 "Be courageous." It really was an encouragement.

Later, over lunch and after we had a good report on the MRI, Ben and Sarah told us how they along with Sam, stopped and prayed for us after we left. They told us how Sam in particular prayed that the MRI would be ok so we didn't have to go back to America. I about choked on my spaghetti with such amazement.

And finally, this morning, Sam brought me this picture. I asked him what it was. He said, "the black is sin in our hearts, and the red is the blood that takes it away."

Praise God that they are "getting it."

What an MRI Can Reveal

This past week, a lot of my energy, physically and emotionally has been exhausted as we waited for an MRI appointment for my wife, Marti. She had been having some symptoms that required an evaluation that included an MRI of the head. As a physician, I never realized how anxiety provoking this waiting can be. Lest you be alarmed, we are glad to report that the MRI revealed no evidence of pathology. We are of course relieved.

However, this experience revealed something us. It revealed my lack of faith. Below is a portion of what I wrote our prayer supporters regarding what the MRI revealed.

"We must confess that not only did the MRI reveal what was and wasn't there in Marti's head, it also revealed the sin in our lives. We had to face the fact that we are weak, that we worry, and are given to anxiety. We must confess that our minds thought of the worst case scenarios. We must confess that it was difficult to trust in the Lord. But we also learned that we really must learn to depend on the Lord. We learned that He uses the body of Christ to encourage and strengthen us when we are weak. We learned that He can be trusted, that He is our deliverer, that He loves us.
We thank God for drawing us near to Him during the past 48 hours. We also thank you all for the many kind emails of encouragement. We thank you for the prayers. We ask that you continue to pray for us that we will draw closer to Him, that we will learn to lean on His arms and His understanding, and that we will grow in faith. Relieved and Humbled,
Tim"

Another Reason Why I Blog

Last night I was reminded of another reason why I blog.  I blog to connect people.  It is amazing how "small" it makes the world.  And yet, as a missionary, connecting people of God to further the work of the kingdom is very important.

As many of you have realized, my colleague and friend that I work closely with here in Kenya is an African American physician, Dr. Michael Johnson,  who has been in Kenya for almost 15 years.  Over the past couple of months I have posted some essays that Michael has written.  Although the message is for all believers, he writes particularly with the African American community in mind. 

One of his posts caught the attention of another African American missionary here in East Africa.  This wonderful lady was doing a Google search on "African American Missionarys in Kenya" and my search came up #3 on Google.  Long story short, she left a comment on the blog, I responded, and then by God's providence I met her in church here in Nairobi this past Sunday.  I took her phone number, gave it to Michael, and he and his wife had us all over for dinner last night.  It was a special time of fellowship, devotions, and prayer. 

It has been my one of my desires that our work here in Kenya would have an impact not only here but also back in the U.S.  One of the areas that I hope to encourage, challenge, and make a difference back home is in the area of racial reconciliation.  I do not believe that it is "enough" for the African American church to get more involved in missions.  I believe that missionaries of all color MUST learn to live and work together if we are going to have a witness to the redemption and reconciliation of the cross. 

If God is willing to work with us sinners, despite our past, shouldn't we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, be willing to work together despite our past.  How can we preach peace between tribes and people groups in Africa and beyond, without practicing what we preach at home?  The world KNOWS our history of racial tension and oppression.  Are we willing to rise above that history and set an example of mutual respect, love, and unity that can only come through the love of God?

As we sat together sharing and laughing it became obvious that we had way more in common with each other because of Jesus than we had differences because of color.  Sadly, I wondered why I had to move 10,000 miles from home to realize this sweet, sweet truth!

Here's Your Change Jesus by Dr. Michael Johnson

Johnson must be butter because he is on a roll!  Here is another devastatingly poignant essay on how we are squandering spending our talents.  Prepare yourself!  And may God use the essay to draw you closer to Him.

"We are familiar with Jesus’ parable of the talents.  But the passage as I read it lacked a little punch to it.  So, in the margins of my own Bible I added one more servant to the passage.  This guy was given not five, not two and not one talent.  This servant that I added was given 20 talents.  Yeah, I know I am not supposed to add to the Bible, but its only in the margins so I think I am okay.

Anyway, it just so happened that this guy took his talents and did not invest it like the other guys, nor did he hide it under a rock.  Instead, he had a party!  It was a great party.  Everyone who was anybody, or thought he was anybody came to the party.

He invited all of the movie stars, bought them the finest wines and liquors and brandished a lavish table on his friends.  He had major sports stars, recording artists and some of the biggest businessmen of his day.  He wanted to impress people.  He even invited the church leaders.  You can’t go wrong if you invite a preacher as that will add legitimacy to what you do. 

At the end of the party, when his master came and asked him what did he do with the 20 talents, he told him straight up: “I had a party and you should have been here!” 

Then the master asked, “Is that all you did?”

This guy, without shame says, “Oh yeah…, here is your change!”

Well I have big margins in my Bible, so I can write a lot.

We have been given a legacy as an American people of African descent.  We have been given the legacy of having survived being dragged from within the African inland, to the shores.  A few of us survived the journey which went from the shores of Africa, to some of the nations of Europe, North Africa, Southeast Asia, and the

Americas

.  We in

North America

were better off than many in these other destinations.  We actually saw white people fighting and killing other white people in order to free us, when we had no guns, armies or money to do so ourselves. 

We survived slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow segregation, lynchings, mob violence and persistent intimidation from the halls of government to the institutions of higher learning and healing.  We were last hired, first fired.  We could not vote, had no chance within the halls of justice, and lived in housing similar to that we see in much of the third world today.

Power Outage

I was at the hospital yesterday when I got an "emergency" call from home. "Tim, Kenya Power and Light just came and cut off our power!" "Oh, brother", I thought. I had just paid the bill two weeks ago. After trying to make a few phone calls to investigate the situation, I made my way over to KPL. As it was Friday afternoon, the pressure was on to get power restored by the end of the day.

Since the power bill still goes to my landlord (who forwards it to me), I called him. He said that the bill arrived this week, but of course there was no postmark on the envelope. Then, when I asked how much I owed, he said, "Oh. This bill was due February 25th, but I just got it this week." He then proceeded to help me with this problem.

By this time, I had arrived at the KPL office to pay the bill. However, as I did not have the bill with me, they would not accept payment at this location. I was told to go to another office. Fortunately I received a phone call from the landlord who told me to hurry home and someone from KPL would meet me there to restore the power. This of course is what we did.

What did I learn? One, that sometimes you might get your bill in the mail AFTER it is due. Two, that you can get your power restored BEFORE you pay it in full. And three, in Kenya, it is even more important WHO you know that WHAT you know.

Why I Blog

I have been blogging for quite some time now (since December 31st, 2003). I have enjoyed the writing. And it seems that those that read and follow the blog enjoy it as well. I got to thinking about the question "why do I blog?" That led to "what principles do I go by as I write on the blog." And this in turn lead to "what is the results of blogging." Here is what I came up with.

1. Why I Blog.

To Inform - I primarily write to keep folks up to date on what is going on here in our life in Kenya.

To Share Our Experiences - We have had our ups and downs in this journey. We have seen God work in us and through us. We think sharing what HE is doing is worthwhile.

To Entertain - I want folks to enjoy some of the funny moments we have living in a different culture.

To Process The Events of Life - So much has happened in this journey. I have found it easier to keep things in perspective by writing these things down.

To Challenge Others - We figure that you have to be half crazy to follow Jesus. We want to challenge and encourage others in their pursuit of an awesome God.

2. Blog Principles.

Be Transparent - We have tried to share the good and the bad. We share our humanity (which is fallen). Missionaries should not be put on a pedastal. They are not "holy" (I know too many of them to try and keep that farce up.)

Be Sensitive - Not everything that happens needs to be put in writing. Confidentiality is important. We don't gossip or rant. We don't complain about others specifically, although we will "complain" about institutions. We try to be sensitive to our Kenyan readers.

Be Creative - We try to be creative in writing, pictures, lay out, and content.

Be Humble - We try not to "promote" ourselves. We just tell our story. God does the rest. Besides, we are trying to be transparent.

Be Consistent - We try to write often. We usually write short posts that can be read in a few minutes. Occasionally we post a long one when it is really important.

3. What are the Results?

Better Communication - We stay in better contact with friends, family, and supporters.

Better Prayer Support - Folks know what is going on. They pray much more specifically because of knowing what is "going on."

Better Support - Several mission committees follow our blog on a regular basis. This definitely keeps the support account healthy.

Better Mobilization - We have had several comments that the blog helps challenge and keep folks involved with missions.

If you are a regular reader, leave a comment to let me know if I am meeting my "goals" and keeping to my "principles". Thanks.

Whores and Lepers by Dr. Michael Johnson

It is again my pleasure to post another poignant essay about missions by Dr. Michael Johnson.

"We cannot develop a passion for missions, unless we develop a passion for whores and lepers.  That is, until we feel the desperation of people who are considered untouchable, undesirable, and completely rejected and dejected by our society and our world, we will never know what it is like to have a passion for missions.

We must learn to touch the filthy, embrace the smelly, look at the ugly, and welcome the completely unwholesome into our midst if we are going to impact the world for Christ.

Unfortunately, for most African American churches, the closest we want to get to the disgusting things in our world is what we see on television, when we hit the wrong remote button.  We feel that we have somehow earned the right and privilege of not looking back from whence we came.  It is this belief that we are still amongst the most downtrodden of the world that prohibits us from truly identifying with them.  We carry the badge of honor of having ‘survived’ the brutality and inhumanity of slavery, but dare not impart our experience and survival techniques to the billions of rejected in today’s world.

It is this lack of passion and compassion that allows us to focus selfishly on a balanced diet and nutritional supplements that will cure impotency, hair loss, and help us remember where we put the set of keys for the second car.  While so much of the world is struggling to find food and water for the day, we look for special diets and spend more money on losing weight than they spend on food. 

We can’t identify with starvation because we don’t know hunger.  Our idea of a balanced diet is how to get from the buffet table with our tray, without spilling our soda into our mashed potatoes or cream pie.

We will never develop a passion for missions, until we develop a passion for whores and lepers.  Jesus had such a passion.  Jesus reclined at table of Simon the leper in Mark 14 and felt perfectly comfortable as a woman came and anointed His feet.  He did not withdraw from people whom most would have accounted as untouchable, either from reputation or disease process.  Quite to the contrary, Jesus knew it was His calling to meet the needs of those who would receive neither compassion nor counsel from the religious leaders of His day.

We neither visit the jails where tens of thousands of our sons and daughters are incarcerated, nor do we consider it our job to minister to the world beyond our church doors.  We consider our safe, comfort zones those areas that allow us to wear our white gloves, special dresses, and suits and sit on certain pews, where neither whores nor lepers dare enter.

We can begin by recognizing the passion that Jesus had for the corruption in our own lives.  We were ourselves at one time, untouchable as whores and lepers.  If we will admit to this, we will begin to develop a passion for missions. 

We were deep in sin which made us unacceptable to a thrice holy God.  We must realize that our salvation cost as much as it will for the very people whom we feel are too dirty to receive heaven’s greatest gift.

Let us awaken and get out of our clean, safe, untouched environment.  Let us not just watch as the untouchable billions pass by enroute from a painful existence on earth to an eternity of pain in hell.  Let us develop a passion for whores and lepers and go out and win the world for Jesus the Christ.