I recently returned home from a short-term trip to Africa; Lilongwe to be exact, the capitol city of Malawi. Seventeen men and women, young and old, made the journey. Our purpose was in support of a clinic called Partners in Hope, which responds to medical issues of all sorts, but principally exists to respond to people of Malawi infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The clinic has grown in just 2 ½ years to include five physicians supported by 70 full time staff.
For four days we worked on four different projects along side various staff members from Partners in Hope and people from the community. The projects targeted the issues of nutrition and education – both integral to the efforts of the clinic in combating this disease – as well as improving the facilities of a satellite clinic in a nearby village. In just four short days, we developed relationships with PIH staff and patients that only side-by-side, face-to face, physical work can produce.
Malawi has the dubious distinction of being ranked as one of the 10 poorest countries in the world. The nickname for Malawi is the “Warm Heart of Africa”, which is an accurate portrayal of the people. They are as a whole communal, gracious, open with the right amount of caution, friendly, engaging, and as most people are, full of promise. In the face of such poverty and promise, I found myself thinking the inevitable messianic thoughts; how can I save these people from their poverty (physical and spiritual) and from the affects of this horrific disease (Malawi has something close to 25% infection rate). The answer of course: I can’t.
But thinking messianic was not the wrong line of thinking, just the wrong messianic emphasis or focus. Our call to be like Jesus is not to fix all the physical problems; and it certainly is not a call to fix spiritual poverty. Ours, in being like Christ, is not to save. Our call is incarnation, going and being with others in their particular place and circumstances. What do we do when we get there? Whatever they are doing in work, in rest, in worship, in celebration, and in eating. It is only in being with others and along side of them in the “dailies” of life that God allows us to play a part in the Messiah’s work of salvation, reconciliation, healing, and redemption.
Vincent of Saragosa
Comments