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Add to NewsvineI am having such trouble writing these days... commenting on politics feels about as worthwhile as commenting on the nearest pre-school playground fight, commenting on God seems WAY above my spiritual level... so I am glad to be able to point to something beautiful my new friend Anne wrote on her blog - it makes me wish I'd gone with them on that part of the trip... if I had I wouldn't have seen the hospital... part of me really wishes I hadn't. More generally it would have given me time to process with my new friends. Anyway, read Anne:
The hardships of the trip – the pain we saw, the poverty, the brokenness…those things didn’t disappear or float away in the rapids of the Nile. But taking that day to rest…to go to a quiet place and be reminded of the incredible power of the Creator, if anything, more tightly knit His sovereignty and hope to the terrible things we did see.Rest bound together the incomplete to the complete.
We cannot be dependent on ourselves and dependent on God at the same time. When we consider the practice of rest unnecessary, we also will inevitably lose sight of the necessity of God.
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I know what you mean about the comments on politics seeming silly right now. Still, it's what is going on, and your insights usually give me some meter-stick to gage the spiritual depth of what's going on in the world of politics.
My question to you is this: When you see the atrocities and hopefulness that is ripe in Africa, and then you literally contrast that with the bickering and one-upsmanship that you find in Washington, how do you respond? Do you find meaning in how Christ responded to the Pharisees who chided him on healing on the Sabbath or his disciples not washing their hands--instead of seeing the real needs out there?
I guess that's what I am projecting onto you based on some of my own experiences in the past. Still, I would be interested to hear some insights from you on the stark contrasts that you've seen on the two continents you've spent time in throughout the past 6 weeks.
Posted by: Boone | March 10, 2008 11:47 AM
I remember returning to the US after two years in Honduras -- with trips to Guatemala and Ecuador -- in 1984. I was overwhelmed and experienced reverse culture shock, which is often harder than going to another culture. Many things I considered trivial didn't matter much at the time, except for the larger issues of the Contra War and the increasing materialism in this country -- from which we have continued unabated since the early 1980s. I don't know how one cannot be changed by experiences such as those. (I have since traveled to Guatemala and Ethiopia in the last three years, both week-long trips). I am glad for your perspective, David.
Posted by: ande | March 10, 2008 6:29 PM
Dave, Dave, take heart, my brother! Canst not thou pontificate on what our Lord hath been teaching you by virtue of your participation in that 30 Day Non-Stop Sex Thingie you were talking about a while back?
Tis now Day 18 and, speaking for myself, my legs are rubbery given the excessive demands my beloved hath made on me in this regard.
Posted by: canucklehead | March 11, 2008 2:16 PM
Hang in there, canucklehead. Many of us are living vicariously through you!
Posted by: PatientWitness | March 12, 2008 3:30 PM
it's taxing work but somebody has to do it!
Posted by: canucklehead | March 13, 2008 2:21 PM
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