Just the other day, I was on a call with one of our leaders and he surprised me with these words: “Perhaps God is creating refugee situations in Africa in order to make mission happen. Perhaps if we want God to stop war, we need to be voluntarily sending missionaries.”
Who would say something like that? I will tell you that those seemingly outlandish statements were made by one of our African leaders. Still seem crazy? What if I told you that he was a refugee himself? What if I told you he fled when his parents were murdered during a period of intense conflict in his country? What if I told you about the life and death struggles of his refugee life, not knowing where food would come from, not knowing where to call home, in a context of so much hopelessness and suicide? What if I told you he was given the opportunity to emigrate to the West (twice!) and refused both times? What if I told you that, in the middle of so much hardship, he planted a church? And that church has grown into a family of more than seventy churches? And that he continues to enable churches and followers of Jesus to plant more churches? What if I told you that he is helping this still-fledgling conference to learn and grow in self-sustainability? And what if I told you that he is now poised to leave this new home of his, and this wonderful ministry, and pass it on to those he has trained so that he can go elsewhere to begin a new chapter of mission… in another challenging context… so he can allow the conference of churches he started to take flight and he can foment their missional activity by allowing them to support him in a new context?
Do those first statements still seem outlandish? Crazy? Insensitive?
Perhaps it pushes us to question our end goal, or to question our sight, about how far (or not far) we are seeing. Or perhaps, more simply, it pushes us to question our faith.
In the Book of Hebrews, it says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful… encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:23,25). “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (11:1).
Unswerving faith with the end in sight. We can’t see it, yet we know it’s there, in the distance. And it’s worth it. He’s worth it, as is the kingdom he rules.
My friend in Africa? He’s seeing far. No question.
How’s your seeing?
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.”
PRAY
Lord Jesus, give us the eyes of faith to see your kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven, and help us to live with the same passion, courage, and self-sacrifice as this African leader. Lord Jesus, bless our African brothers and sisters as they face war, famine, and other hardships, and as the Church grows and multiplies in the middle of it all. Lord Jesus, give them strength and wisdom, and help us to support them in prayer and partnership, and also to follow in their footsteps as they follow you.
