francine
a beautiful, sixteen year old girl who asked that i take her to america when i return. an intense experience to say the least. but when she returned the next day with her mother, her mother's blessing, and her three siblings, it intensified even more. she wanted me to know that she was serious. and she wanted me to know that her mother had approved. what does one do with that? obviously, i cannot bring her, but the experience has forced me to contemplate many things.
i wonder what was going through francine's mind? what were her siblings thinking? what was her mother thinking? still processing. still thinking.
i wonder what was going through francine's mind? what were her siblings thinking? what was her mother thinking? still processing. still thinking.
posted by peripheral in africa at 07:39
2 Comments:
Kris, This reminds me of all of the little children in the villages of Mozambique. They had nothing so had nothing to lose. I like your observation on the power of touch. When you return, reach Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux. He traveled overland from Cairo to Capetown. With your experiences you will be intrigued. Thanks for keeping up the blog. I had trouble accessing it yesterday so I was glad to catch up with you. It sounds like you're doing meaningful work. Shelly
Kris,
It is within the person of Jesus Christ and the pages of the New Testament that God has most completely revealed himself as a being of compassion and comfort for those living in a world of suffering.
In the fourth chapter of Luke (4:16-21) is found the account of Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth. He was invited to read from the Scriptures and chose the following passage:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
The reading that Jesus chose was taken from the book of Isaiah (61:1-2). The passage certainly describes the ministry of Jesus. Not only did he bring the good news of salvation but also a ministry of healing. It was Jesus who was willing to reach out to touch the leper, to heal the woman of her bleeding disorder, and to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead.
The message of Christ is still one of healing, hope, and comfort. God is truly the God of all comfort and has not left us alone or without hope in our suffering.
Many people naively believe that if one is a Christian, then God will somehow bless them with a life free of pain, anxiety, sorrow, or unhappiness. Christianity is not, however, a vaccine which makes one immune to pain and suffering. People need only look to the examples of the early Christians found in the pages of the New Testament or to those living around them to see that Christians also hurt. Yet we need not despair, for just as in the days of Jesus and the apostles there is good news for those who are in Christ. The message of Christianity is one of hope. Through the compassion and comfort of God and the power of the resurrection Christians can overcome not only pain, suffering, and illness, but even death itself.
We can't turn back the clock or change the terrible things that some men inflict on others...the terrible phyical abuse you saw last week in Goma or the equally terrible emoitonal scars left by parents on their children here in America., for example. But what we can do is...
Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Hopefully, this will help you sort out and focus your thoughts on the things you have seen and heard these past few days and what you can do that will really make a difference.
May the POWER of God's love, compassion, touch, healing and words of hope and encouragement continue to flow from you to every person that you enounter on the rest of your trip and, that by so doing, YOUR words and acts of kindness will make an eternal difference in the lives those you touch this week.
We love you,
Mom and Dad
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