This is another assignment for my Christian Discipleship class. After briefly studying Sub-Saharan African culture and Christianity in Africa, we were asked to put ourselves in the shoes of a native African and describe our first encounter with the Gospel.
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The hot sun beat down upon my head as I walked back to town, the Word of God in hand. The Word of God- that’s what they had said this was. The dust rises around my feet as thoughts swirl through my mind. How could this possibly be the word of God? How could something so wonderful, so powerful, be contained in such an unassuming form; paper bound by paper. I flip through the book, but cannot understand anything that is written. I know they are letters, printed in black and red on the onion skin paper, but I cannot read them. I was never able to go to school; there were too many things to take care of at home. My thoughts wandered to what awaited me at our hut. My younger brothers would be hungry, my sister’s baby would need to be fed…there might be enough food for them. My stomach grumbles but I pay it no mind; I’m used to being hungry. After a while, you barely notice the hunger pangs. I glance again at the book; maybe Adom will read the word of God to me.
While my brothers ate I went to find Adom. He was sitting outside of his parent’s hut, carving a piece of wood. “Hello Sisi. How are you today?” I hold the book out to him. “Can you read this to me?” He takes it from my hand and leafs through the pages, pursing his lips. “Where did you get this?” “From the missionaries.” He flips through it silently for a while before answering. “What do you want to hear?” I shrug my shoulders. I do not know to pick. He scans several pages before beginning to read. “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…..”
I listened to Adom read for a long time, trying to understand what the book was saying. I do not understand how I am blessed. How can my brothers’ hunger, my sister’s illness, be considered a blessing? How can I be pure in heart? Don’t I already see God? The Creator is everywhere, is present in everything. I don’t understand how I can be salt. I had always heard that Jesus was a great teacher, but now I wonder if his students were just as confused as I am. Maybe they could understand because they went to school…
I understand about sin, and about what is right and wrong. But now I am confused; what Adom says Jesus says is that we should let our enemies do bad things to us. To not give “an eye for eye” but instead to “turn the other cheek.” That isn’t how the Christians I know act. They fight back! I have heard of the fighting that is going on, between Muslims and Christians. The Christians are not turning the other cheek.
Adom asks me if he should keep reading. I feel bad, because he has tried to help me and I am disappointed. “Keep reading please,” I ask, hoping that the word of God will say something I can understand so that I can leave satisfied. Now he reads of forgiveness. Does this go along with turning the other cheek? Or is it more? I wish Jesus explained things more simply. Finally, Adom reads something that I can hold onto.
“Do not worry…” I wish I could not worry. I wish I did not have to wonder if I could feed my brothers, or if there will be enough water, or if my sister will live much longer. But, if this god takes care of the animals and plants, then surely he will take care of me? Even if I do not fully understand, Jesus says that God will provide for me. “So do not worry about tomorrow,” Adom concludes, “for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” He closes the book and hands it back to me. “Do not worry Sisi, you do not need to figure it out all at once.” “Thank you Adom.”
I turn and head back to my hut; my brothers are playing in mud, and my sister’s baby is crying. I tie her to my back while I do my chores, all the while thinking. I don’t need to worry, God will take care of me. Forgive others, turn the other cheek. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst…Jesus was talking about us. About my people, the African people. Adom is right; I don’t need to figure things out right away. But perhaps with Adom’s help, and the word of God, and the missionaries, I can understand.
