Amazing Grace

So I have a new favorite song…make that a new favorite movie as well: Amazing Grace. This last weekend I was in South Africa while an airplane was in for maintenance. I once again found my way to the cinema and watched a great movie. I know my taste of movies don’t always match those of my friends, Dave and Shawn for instance, but I do believe this movie is a must watch.

I have sung Amazing Grace hundreds, if not thousands of times, and only now do the words really come to life.

Amazing grace how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost but now I am found,
Was blind but now I see.

The movie is about the life and work of William Wilberforce, a young British politician who fought in Parliament for the abolishment of the African slave trade. Outnumbered by his powerful opposition, he took a stand against one of the greatest evils of his time. Although he suffered many defeats he persisted until he eventually saw success.

Can silence and apathy ever be warranted in the face of injustice? What if standing up for what is right disrupts family and friends? What if correcting the wrong brings embarrassment to otherwise reputable people? What if it leads to undesirable economic outcome? What if it destroys careers?

I love this song because it reflects who I am. How often have I chosen apathy and psuedo-ignorance in return for the comforts of this world? We all are guilty of this sin in one form or another, whether it is the person who directly exploits those whom he considers a lesser human or the law abiding consumer who chooses to ignore the unjust means by which her goods were produced. How incredible it is to serve a God who can make even the vilest sinner clean? How miraculous is it to see a sinner restored to a rightful position in the Kingdom of God? Exciting stuff!

The movie is a must watch!

Thoughts on The Poisonwood Bible

"We constructed our lives around a misunderstanding, and if ever I tried to pull it out and fix it now I would fall down flat. Misunderstanding is my cornerstone. It's everyone's, come to think of it. Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization." p. 602

"Poor Africa. No other continent has endured such an unspeakably bizarre combination of foreign thievery and foreign goodwill." p.597

I just finished reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. The story is told by "the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959." Each of the four daughters present their unique perspective on both religion and the Congo. As the book progressed I became more and more attached to these fictional characters, in particular, Adah, the handicapped twin. She probably was the most cynical of the girls but also the most perceptive. The above quote by Adah is probably my favorite from the book. This family moved to Congo right before the independence of the Congo from Belgium - both a good and bad thing. Good in that they were freed from colonialism, yet bad in that their was little to no allowance for transition. Overnight the government and military was placed in the hands of the suppressed and uneducated Congolese. What I found most appalling was the west's (the U.S. in particular) meddling in the affairs of this struggling country. It would be one thing if we would have been there to assist this country as we said we were doing, but to my horror I discovered that we were manipulating the political leadership in our favor in order to rape the country of its natural resources. The Eisenhower administration convinced the American public that the newly elected Lumumba was a rabid Communist who urgently needed to be removed. And so it was. Although the CIA denies connection to his murder, Lumumba was assassinated several weeks later. What followed forced the Congo into a nightmare that lasted better than three decades under the brutal dictator Mobutu. Needless to say, Mobutu experienced warm relations with the U.S. because of his disdain for the Soviet communists and willingness to do business U.S. investors.

I guess the most important thing I am learning over here in Africa is that things are most often not as they seem. It amazes me hear stories told from opposing perspectives. The sad thing is that the most powerful people are the ones who determine how history is viewed. Corrupt intentions and evil actions can always be given a spin that places it in favorable public perception. What is it about a communist that makes them so evil? What is it about democracy and capitalism that makes them Christian ideals and an ultimate good? What kind of democracy is forced democracy? Is there not something wrong with the fact that capitalism's only path to success is through human greed? Why is socialism such a fundamentally flawed system? All these questions arise as I consider the cornerstones of my western worldview.

Until we humans learn to reevaluate the presuppositions behind of our worldviews we will continue to live in a world where "illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement beneath our feet." As Christians we say that we follow the Prince of Peace, yet we are content to live our lives in an illusion. Why should being a citizen of any nation shape our worldview more so than being Christian? My prayer is that I will always desire to seek the truth and walk in that truth no matter how difficult it may be.

Odds and Ends

Yesterday was a big day. My good friend Steve Bontrager took the leap and married the talented and beautiful Sari Vilen. Sari is a great Finish girl who works for a Christian NGO here in Lubumbashi called CORD. They met in Abeche, Chad and here lately decided that a Congolese wedding would suit just fine. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the wedding due a last minute change in our flying schedule, however, I was able to help organize a small wedding party last night for the them. Some of the local staff attended so it was a good time.

Take a look at this cake. This week when I ordered the cake, the lady wanted to know what we wanted written on the cake. How am I to know? The only thing I could think of was "Congratulations." Instinct told me that was not satisfactory. Later that day I had an epiphany. Why not write I love you in several different languages? She is Finnish, he is American, and they got married in Congo - Finish, English, French and Swahili. I am not ashamed to admit, it was clutch.

In other news, I hear our faithful chicken downstairs. Several weeks ago Steve and I bought nine hens and a rooster. The idea was to raise some free range chickens so that we have eggs on a regular basis. The only problem is that we only get two or three a day. Not all that impressive. But anyway, about this time every day we have one noisy hen who insists on coming into the house, through the dining room and kitchen to lay an egg next to our fireplace. At first we tried to chase it away but later discovered that it was only trying to deliver fresh eggs right into our house. I have a feeling that if we were to leave the refrigerator open, she would save us the trouble and plant her egg on the bottom shelf. Kinda cool.

I went to Goma last weekend. On Wednesday I was informed that one of the airplanes needed to go for maintenance and they wanted me to stay in Goma for several days to get familiar with some of the difficult airstrips in the area. Goma has some extra challenges because of the tall mountains and volcanoes as well as difficult weather. It was really fun. I finally got to go to infamous Walikie airstrip. Actually it is a regular road that is also used as a runway. On final approach you find two airplanes that have been taken victim to this unique and challenging strip. The really bizarre part is the curve three quarters of the way down the runway. It is not so bad on landing, but on takeoff we add full power and take the curve at 20-25 knots. It is a little intimidating not knowing what is around the bend. I was a little worried we were going to meet an oncoming Land Cruiser around the other side.

So that is the latest in my part of the world.