Reflections from my time in Africa

 My recent trip to Senegal and Gambia flooded me with many new, and old, experiences and gave me many potential ponderings for deeper learning and understanding.  At some level, it might be interesting to talk about the surface experiences that were so similar to my childhood in Suriname - crossing rivers by ferry, tropical architecture, delicious mangos and bananas, and even the same cookies, at times.  (In fact, they even had Zwan... in the little cans!)

Ferry Crossing to Banjul

 Then, there were the abnormal experiences that I got to have: seeing a canon from 1895 still guarding a river crossing, being on national (Gambian) tv and in the papers, drinking water out of bag, seeing the sky turn orange from the dust of the Sahara, etc.  But simply mentioning those and giving a few pictures, probably fulfills their usefulness in my life narrative.  

Sahara in the Sky

Bag of drinking water

Canon at the Saloum River crossing in Senegal

Back end of the canon, marked 1895

 But, especially in light of current social topics in the USA, another point has caused me to ponder: the constant awareness of difference, created by skin tone. Often being white felt like a liability - particularly when it facilitated 'economic selection' towards us (higher prices). Yet the fact of the matter is that at the end of day, no matter how tight our budget was, it was able to deal with those prices. The disadvantage to us was minimal, though not marginal. But more disturbing than those higher prices was the fact that I was associated with a culture which is seen to be reaching over the globe and, intentionally or not, displacing older cultures and stirring trouble between the traditional and the modern - between values and self-gratification, morals and utility. Being automatically identified with this hegemony-grasping culture was far more troubling.

 With great honesty, a group of students dramatized for us the struggles they each face as they decide whether to follow older ways or not, to live within or abandon the morals and beliefs that have bound their cultures together for generations, or to respect or reject their elders. And the villain in the drama is a culture - maybe not a person or country per se, but a culture or system of thought that drifts in from the West and is most naturally identified with my country of birth.  So, now, simply because of skin tone, I am associated with a system which I largely reject.    

 What if these points had stretched on from 2-3 weeks into generations - different treatment, wrong assumptions? What if our ability to deal with the higher prices were stripped away, and we had to live more expensively simply because of who we are?  What if we were not honored guests of respected citizens? What then? Who would have spoken for us? Who would have cared for what we had to offer? Who would have listened to us?   

a view in Bakau, Gambia

Pessimist: one who sees the medicine in every spoonful of sugar

Pessimist: One who sees the medicine in every spoonful of sugar

Notes:
1.  These people often consider themselves realists.
2.  This definition arouse from accusations against this blogger.

Scatter together - thoughts on multiplication, image bearing and witness

  A series of connections arcing across the narrative of Scripture have caught my attention recently as I again read Genesis. In Genesis 1, God the Creator makes man and woman in His own image and charges them to 'be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth...' The idea being that God's image as reflected in the woman and man would be multiplied and magnified all across the creation. Obviously this purpose is not fulfilled by the couple who violate God's Law and are sent away from their specially-prepared home. At this point though, they do begin to multiply, but now it is a disfigured image which is spread.  And indeed, the corruption grows till the earth is 'filled with violence' (instead of with God's image). So God eradicates all but a single family whom He saves; they too are are tainted, however, they also look to His grace and promises of deliverance. (ch. 6)  After destroying the accumulated humanity, God commands this family to 'be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth' - again.  The point? Last time it was filled with the wrong thing - not people reflecting their Creator. 

  This pattern can be seen repeatedly through Scripture in small cycles and large; and indeed, we can see it continuing today in ways and with names both expected and unexpected. Because essentially this is the same task that Jesus Christ left to those who loved and followed Him when He left - 'Go everywhere, make more people who follow in my ways from every type of people there is...' And this command, like the original, is a communal command: no one goes everywhere or fills the earth by his or her self.  But a seeming paradox lies at the heart of this command - 'scatter as a community!'

Scatter together!

 Actually, we see this problem in the succeeding story in Genesis: after the great destroying flood and the re-creation, humanity decides to build a city and a tower to improve their own image and to prevent their being 'dispersed over the face of the whole earth.' (ch. 11) In other words, they were working aginst the very things they had been designed and commanded to do. As humans, we'd rather cluster and try to look good ourselves. And as God intervened this time, He used their word disperse instead of His word fill when He spread them on the earth. 

 Jesus' followers still have the same tendency towards anti-dispersal, collective-image-improving clustering instead of the communal, divine-image-reflecting earth-filling to which we have been called.

  If we are to carry out the original task, we must become like Abram who was told that he would become a 'great nation.' (Gen 12) This wasn't all that odd at the time (age 75), since his father had fathered at least one son at age 70. (Gen 11:26)  Yet as time went on, Abram's body and his wife's passed from possibility to impossibility; and while Abraham noticed, his faith in the promise not only didn't weaken, it grew, 'as he gave glory to God.' (Romans 4:18-21) If we would continue in this original work of filling the earth with image bearers, we will often have to look beyond what we see, like Abraham. We will have to look to the God who promised that it would be so someday, and we will have to trust that He can raise up image bearers from stony hearts - children to Abraham, 'the father of all who believe without being circumcised' and 'the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.' (Rom 4:11-12)

  May we together live the united, earth-filling life of reflecting the Creator's image, following His sent Savior. 

Gambia, observations in life and beauty

The Gambian students that I have gotten the chance to interact with and teach in the last three days have impressed me (positively) more than any other class I've ever been in. They were selected by their schools to come for extra training, and the twelvish schools have been beautifully represented. Dozens of high school students living, studying, learning, and teaching together with little more than some teacher guidance and peer accountability.

While they were selected primarily for their academic abilities, the students displayed really strong leadership qualities, an unexpected depth and breadth of life skills, and, maybe most significantly, the motivation to continue pushing forward in their education. With just a few days of experience in The Gambia, I have caught the students' contagious expectation that they will be able to help their country grow and achieve greatly - their dreams are big, but their work ethic, consistent focus and passion for creating a chain of positive change makes me dare to dream with them.

At the same time, the two organizations that organized this summit have worked together beautifully. The EDGE Institute from the US partners with various organizations to help bring educational tools to bear in places where they would usually be unavailable. The point of this is to catalyze improved education, not simply to provide a bit of help nor alternatively to be an indefinite prop. Thus, the second part of this year's summit in The Gambia is sharing with teachers here. Sharing is the key word, for as I tried to express above, the students were really significant contributors to the summit, so we can expect the same from their teachers.

EDGE's Gambian partner in this summit was Side by Side Organization. It has been great getting to work with their members both individually and as an organization. They have been incredibly gracious in their help to us, but more significantly we have seen the value that they provide to students here and the great respect they are given in return. As an organization of young people, run by young people, and for young people, they showcase a beautiful model of servant leadership raising up more servant leaders.

In this first 20% of our trip, I have found myself to be deeply privileged to be here, getting to keep learning my teaching craft in this very different setting. If this all sounds like a promotional bit, that's perfectly ok (though not necessarily the point) because I'd be more than happy to recommend The Gambia, EDGE or Side by Side.

Afraid of what?

  I came across this poem again tonight, and was reminded of it.  Soon the one who introduced me to this poem will 'feel the spirit's glad release' and 'pass from pain to perfect peace.' As he so often reminded us, those who have gone before have said, 'NOT AFRAID!'

Afraid? Of What?

by E. H. Hamilton

Afraid ? Of What?

To feel the spirit's glad release?

To pass from pain to perfect peace,

The strife and strain of life to cease?

Afraid - of that?

Afraid? Of What?

Afraid to see the Savior's face

To hear His welcome and to trace

The glory gleam from wounds of grace?

Afraid - of that?

Afraid? Of What?

A flash, a crash, a pierced heart;

Darkness, light, O Heaven's art!

A wound of His a counterpart!

Afraid - of that?

Afraid? Of What?

To do by death what life could not -

Baptize with blood a stony plot,

Till souls shall blossom from the spot?

Afraid - of that?

Recent quotes on Learning and Education (+bonus)

'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.' (A whole Gambian class quoted the second half when a speaker said the first half.)

Teaching is about helping someone learn.  Education is about learning, not 'teaching' or spoonfeeding information.

"Remember that if the other students are learning, they won't tolerate others disrupting their class, so you can expect help from them."

Bonus quote on leadership:

'I don't believe in future leaders, we are leaders starting now.' Ebrima, Gambian student youth leader