Ancient Community

April, 19, 2008 It’s been a couple weeks since returning from Africa and I continue to try to lean into the things God has impressed upon my heart and mind. I have to say there is a lot of internal wrestling in my life as my default buttons return to my USA settings. I think the exercise of writing these thoughts out loud helps me as much as anything.This processing out loud is interesting for me, and these thoughts I am exploring on community are pretty challenging to me and make me think…

On this trip I was afforded an “inside look” at a very different, ancient culture and how they interact with each other. Most historians agree this culture dates back 5000+ years and is relatively unchanged. This has prompted me to consider the possibility there is something I/we might learn about family/community and how it should be.

During the week of being with Amal’s family-mostly in Adior, and especially Tot, where he was born-I observed and interacted with a group of people who were all in each others business and lives-all the time! The older men, the Elders, pretty much handle all the affairs of the community internally. If justice or punishment were needed, they took care of it. They spent hours and hours talking about the needs and concerns and issues of the community every day and took responsibility for them.

One such instance occurred when Amal and I agreed upon a young man who would receive a “pay it forward” gift/loan of $200 (2 years salary) entrusted to me to present to a person who had never had an opportunity in their life to advance economically. They would steward this gift for 12 months and then pass the $200 to another who could use it to advance themselves., and so on and so on-the gift that really keeps giving.

My idea was that once we found the right person would be to have a private, quiet little talk and presentation. Amal informed me that would not happen, and that a few of the Elders (2-3) would witness the gift and understand the agreement and help the young man succeed and honor the agreement. It was beautiful and helped me understand why things in ancient Biblical times were done on the testimony of two or three witnesses and maybe why some of our private deals done here end up failing, or worse yet, end up in court.

Acceptance and love into family was another wonderful lesson to me. Since we have become Amal’s family here in the U.S. , we were accepted without condition in Sudan , even though we were the first white people most of these new friends had ever seen.

When we arrived in the village, an animal was sacrificed and we had to step over the animal and “into” the family. They celebrated and had a “big deal” meal with us. When we departed the last day, the Elders washed our feet and put ashes on our face and blessed us, telling us how much of a blessing we are to them. Before we left they even presented our team with property (the best land with Mango trees) and offered to build us a compound and home there upon our return.

Often times when we were with them singing and dancing and talking they would look us in the eyes and put their hand on their heart and then put it on our heart-there was a deep heart to heart connection happening as we became more a part of the family. I often experienced eye contact that was like looking in to my soul, yet not threatening at all.

I guess it’s easy to see why we’d like to do “something” for our family in Sudan . They have basic needs and it is on our heart to help meet them if we can. We are thinking through this right now because we’d like to make sure we can fulfill our pledge to them and what we do is the most important thing they need.

I thank God for pushing me forward as I learn more about His family, my family and how we care and love for each other. I am thankful for our friendship and look forward to sharing these new family friends with you one day.