Touchdown in Ghana

It’s Thursday, December 4, 2009. Angelo Afgrafiotis and I arrived in Accra, Ghana at 7:30am this morning aborad a Delta Airlines flight out of NY’s JFK airport. A loaded plane with crying babies. Not the way you want to spend a 10-hour transcontinental flight, but oh well, we are here.

Walter met us and took us immediately to the newly acquired IN Network headquarters. A clean, well-maintained two story with adequate parking and nicely appointed offices for the operation. We went inside to greet the staff there interrupting them in the middle of their morning devotions.

One of the first impressions here was the heat. It was stifling hot—93 degrees plus. The air was hazy due to the enormous amount of dust in the air. The cold winds from the European continent blow southward across the Sahara Desert and deposit liberal amounts of dust and particle into the Cape Coat countries like Ghana. It’s not only hot, but dry. The rainy season is during the summer months of June, July and August. In addition Ghana is only 5 degrees north of the Equator and this means you can count on heat during this time of the year.

It’s been 12 years since I last visited Walter in Accra. I was anxious to travel to Adidome, our destination for the next five days. Adidome was selected as one of the major sites for the IN Network work because it is this region where the Trokosi slave practice predominates. It’s a area of the country tucked away, hidden from the public eye, off the beaten path making for an ideal setting for a diabolical slave practice that torments women and children to thrive. We drove three hours north of Accra into the remote area of flatlands that stretched as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road. Lots of vegetation and greenery, but little arable farmland. Futhermore, there was little evidence of any form of wildlife. Walter explained that years ago as kids they would frequently see antelope and deer dart across the ball fields where he and his friends would play. But no more! The African wildlife was conspicuous by its absence.

We arrived in Adidome by 1pm. Angelo and I were feeling not only the effects of the heat, but the jetlag too. We had a small bite to eat and conversed with some of the IN workers before retiring to our rooms for the afternoon to escape the unrelenting heat and take a shower. We will begin tonight the training we are here to conduct.

Gratefully,

S t r e t c h e d

$3.50 Worth of Neighborliness

I was in Atlanta several weeks ago and happened to be driving back in the late evening to my in-law's home after visiting another relative on the opposite side of town. I was a driving a borrowed late-model luxury car that I don't mind telling you was a sweet experience. You see, I like cars and I like cars that go fast, not that I was breaking any speed limits! Gazing down at the dashboard I suddenly noticed we were low on fuel so I pulled off the interstate at the nearest service station to fuel up. It didn't take long for me to realize that the area I had chosen to refuel was not the nicest part of town. My wife and son were with me, so I quickly jumped out of the driver's side, slid my card into the pump and hurriedly pumped my gas.

Suddenly I heard a slight shuffle, turned my head and was startled to see a young man standing in front of my car with his hands up as if protesting his own request. "Excuse me sir," he hesitated, "I don't mean no harm, honestly!" He seemed nervous and he spoke softly but quickly. "You see sir, I was hopin to fetch the bus home. The station attendant told me dat the bus be goin' by in a lil bit, jest across da street," as he pointed in that direction. I anticipated what was next and sure enough he managed to blurt out, "If you could jist gimme some money, I'll be on my way."

Many of us have faced similar circumstances. What do you do in these kinds of situations? I'll tell you what I did. I reasoned, "This guy isn't going to catch any bus. He'll only take my money and go and waste it on booze or buy a lottery ticket." So I asked him (not that his answer would matter), "So how much is a bus ticket?" With a look of hopefulness and expectancy he replied, "Three dolla and fifty cent, sir." I protested silently, "No bus ticket across town could possibly cost that much!" And with that I waved him off, turned my back and proceeded to finish pumping my gas. He hung his head shamefully and sauntered off to wait out his time for another unsuspecting motorist.

I finished pumping my gas, climbed back into my car to be met by my wife holding out a five-dollar bill. "I heard the conversation; we were wondering if this guy was legit. Let's give him a hand." I said, "I don't know. I'm not sure what this guy will do with it. Is he just waiting around to go in the store and buy himself some booze?" My son Drew reminded me of the story he had read sometime earlier of C.S. Lewis, when he was berated by his Christian friends for giving all his money to poor street people. "Aren't you afraid that they will only use your money to buy booze and intoxicants." Lewis replied, "So would I." I drove over to the young man, rolled down the window and held out the $5.00 bill for him. "Here, spend this on a bus ticket and get yourself home!" He grabbed the bill, uttered "God bless you!" and bounded across the busy street to the nearby bus-stop.

I've been thinking about this experience these past few weeks, especially as it relates to Jesus' command to "love our neighbor as ourselves." What does it mean at the core of my being to be a neighbor? It's natural for me to help people who are like me or who I like. But what about neighboring those who are unlike me? Certain kinds of people are easy to neighbor, especially those whose need is produced through no fault of their own. But what about those people who act irresponsibly or who make unwise choices? To those I want to say, "you deserve it!" Am I obligated by Jesus command to neighbor these kinds of people? Unfortunately, I am often guilty of "limiting" my "neighboring."

Jesus however, doesn't qualify or condition his command. It's straightforward--no conditions, no qualifications. Love those who are different. Love those who are undeserving. Love those who may take advantage of your generosity and blow it on booze. What I'm learning is that Jesus' command to love our neighbors as ourselves may say more about the condition of my own heart than the heart of those I am seeking to love.

Love on,

S t r e t c h e d

Waning Influence?

Forgive me if I sound un-American, but from what I am observing as I travel these past few months is that the United States has lost its status as “most admired.” I’m saddened that as a nation, we now seem to have earned the designation, “the country everybody loves to hate.” We’ve been knocked off our pedestal. Let me give you a few examples.

Being in China this week it’s pretty clear that the people here wish to overtake everything, including everything American. They are now the third largest economy in the world behind the US and India, and are ambitiously on a course to replace America from the top spot. The International Monetary Fund recently reported that China would take the lead in the world’s economic recovery by growing its gross domestic product by a world-leading 9% rate next year. This compares with the United States growth projected at a mere 1.5%. China is coming! Moreover, many experts who study the church in China agree that the Chinese church has grown without outside interference and they want to keep it that way. Many observers believe that the brand of Christianity that the North American church often exports is “toxic” to other parts of the global church.

Sunday morning I read the South China Morning Post. I turned to the Sports section to read about the IOC’s recent decision to award the 2016 Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In a post-award interview, a reporter asked Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio “Lula” de Silva, how it felt to “knock out President Obama in the first round?” I was struck with the wording the reporter chose to ask his question. It saddens me that in many places of the world there is growing sentiment that the United States is an opponent that most people want to see “knocked out!”

Last May while having lunch with church leaders in a section of the city formerly known as East Berlin, I noticed a well-known magazine lying on the countertop where we paid our bill. The magazine cover pictured an American flag, tilted, tattered and partially burned. The headlines of the magazine boasted, “In Celebration of the Demise of An Economic Power.” So much for respect!

We no longer command respect in the eyes of many nations! We no longer enjoy, “favored status.” It’s humbling for me to see and hear these things.

But my grief goes beyond patriotism. I wonder if the reality I observe isn’t related to a deeper, perhaps less obvious reality—a spiritual one! Is a country’s national and/or international reputation in some ways tied to its spiritual vitality? Has the church in the US so politicized its message that we have unwittingly negated our influence globally? Recently it was reported that if one wants to know the future of China, watch the church. The church is out front humbly leading, modeling and exemplifying compelling new initiatives for the sake of others. There’s an absence of a siege mentality here. No demonizing the government here. It’s simple people living simple lives. As they do they penetrate their communities and culture with light and with the Gospel! And people are taking notice.

During my travels this week I have been meditating on two passages of Scripture. The first is:

I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. Psalm 81:10-12

The psalmist observed the nation of Israel and this passage depicts what he concluded. God’s people exhibited stubborn, resistant hearts. As a consequence God silenced their voices in a place called exile. Exile was a place where the voice of God’s people was silenced and their influence curtailed. Is the same true of God’s people today? Has the church’s voice been muffled and silenced because of our own stubborn resistance to Him? Is the moral deterioration and waning international influence somehow connected to the church’s unwillingness to listen and submit to Him? Are we the church in some ways to bear the blame for the degradation of our culture and the diminishment of our reputation? I’ve been praying for the church these words of the psalmist:

Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. Will you be angry forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant to us your salvation. Psalm 85:5-7

May God revive His church toward a posture of humility, service and love.

Every blessing,

S t r e t c h e d

China's 60th Anniversary

We finished up our sessions early and boarded Hong Kong’s Rapid Transit system for the 45-minute ride to downtown Hong Kong. When we disembarked we suddenly found ourselves in a huddled mass with thousands of Chinese people rushing to the Victoria Harbor front in anticipation of China’s celebration of their 60^th Anniversary. Sixty years ago yesterday China became the Communist People’s Republic of China. While Hong Kong is a part of China it has its own autonomous system of government and currency.

We quickly dropped our belongings at the YMCA Salisbury Hotel situated along the harbor front and made our way outside. It was hot and muggy outside reminding me of the lakefront 4th of July Fireworks in Milwaukee on a hot July evening. We exited our hotel and walked one block to Nathan Road, the major north-south thoroughfare and Honk Kong’s version of Madison Avenue. When we got to the intersection I looked left and all I saw was a mass of people migrating northward toward the harbor front only a block away. People were laughing and celebrating and anticipating this event. There was no drunkenness, no loud obscene language or behavior. We saw dozens and dozens of small children with lights in their eyes and anticipation on their faces. Old and young alike were rushing to the harbor front. We decided instead of fighting our may through the massive crowd we would go back to our hotel room and watch the fireworks from our room overlooking the harbor.

The fireworks spectacle was launched form four floating barges in the middle of Victoria Harbor. Imagine a harbor lined with tall glistening skyscrapers at the bottom of towering mountain peaks. All around the harbor camera flashes flashed as the 22-minute pyrotechnical display began. It was a stunning spectacle. As we watched we turned on the TV in the room to keep our eye on the celebration simultaneously in Beijing. China boasted that the celebration in Tiananmen Square last night topped the opening ceremonies of last summer’s Beijing Olympic Games. 100,000 adults, 80,000 children and 140,000 security forces participated in the celebration in Tiananmen. During the finale along Victoria Harbor I was waiting for an all-out display of enthusiasm and hooping and hollering. But it was not that way. The finale seemed more of a fizzle to me.

When we had our breakfast this morning I couldn’t help but notice a copy of the South China Daily newspaper when we walked in. The headlines read: “A Celebration that Stopped A Nation.” It certainly stopped me! This is a nation that exhibits enormous national spirit. It is a nation that prides itself on its efficiency in everything it does. After the fireworks last night we returned to the streets to grab a bite to eat. On our way back to Nathan Road and as people were returning to their homes, I couldn’t help but notice that there were street sweepers everywhere. Five minutes after the fireworks subsided, Hong Kong was already at work cleaning up its city. The police removed the barricades that had blocked all the downtown city streets and within 30 minutes of the conclusion of the fireworks, the downtown city nightlife resumed.

It all seemed to run as efficiently as the Chinese had planned. I was quite impressed.

Every blessing,

S t r e t c h e d

Third Day- China

A friend who spent the last year in China recently commented that if you visit China for a week, you can write a book. It you visit China for a month, you can write an article. If you visit China for a year, you can’t write anything. I now know what she means. I’ve been here for not even a week and I’m hesitant to write, because it’s such a complex, rapidly changing culture. And I’m still in Hong Kong!

This week I’ve had the privilege of teaching and interacting with 70-80 Chinese church leaders from all parts of China. Talk about diversity: yesterday I met a young Malaysian man who is working amongst the Chinese in Tibet. Over dinner I sat next to a woman who was responsible for training 2,200 workers this past summer to reach 128,000 Chinese children in one city through vacation Bible schools. Still another is a bi-vocational pastor who manages a full-time job while circulating between his twenty-one, yes twenty-one, congregations!

This morning before I took the platform to speak, I stood with these leaders singing, “The Old Rugged Cross.” Suddenly a young Chinese woman began to weep loudly with a heart-felt prayer of confession “Lord forgive us, forgive us Lord! We have failed You in being people of the cross!” Others began to weep and so did I. I was moved and humbled by her ardent declaration of brokenness. Most of these leaders Quique Fernandez and I are teaching this week minister daily in very urban settings. Their issues are complex, their questions are thoughtful, their industriousness is exemplary, and their courage is admirable.

Quique said something during his teaching yesterday that resounded with me. He said, “Every time you venture outside your own culture to interact with another culture, expect to learn a great deal about others, but more about yourself!”

I have a lot to learn from these!

Every blessing,

S t r e t c h e d

Hong Kong #2

We relocated today from downtown Hong Kong to and area a 45 minutes drive north of the center city. The King’s College training will begin tomorrow morning and we will take the subway each day to Ecclesia Bible College from our hotel.

Last night one of the Asian Outreach workers, Audrey took Quique and me to an authentic Chinese restaurant. This was no PF Chang’s. She treated us to the works and made sure we got a sampling of Chinese delicacies, including chicken feet. Yes, bonafide, ‘meat on the bone’ chicken feet. Now I’ve been known to put a foot in my mouth, but not like this! My hostess gave me permission to eat it like the Chinese—that is, you place the whole foot in your mouth, gnaw away the tender meat and voila, remove the bone when you have finished. Not too bad! After dinner, we walked a few blocks the well-known Hong Kong night market.

On Sunday Quique and I attended the Rainful Church on Honk Kong. A three-year church that meets in a government building. The Hong Kong government rents the facility to the church for $1.00 HK per year. Since the government understands the church wants to reach the aging population in their area these kinds of arrangements are quite common here. This is such a contrast to the often cold and indifferent relationship churches in the US have with government bodies. It works here rather amicably. I preached the message while David Wang translated. That was a bit intimidating.

We’re tired but looking forward to beginning the training tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Every blessing,

S t r e t c h e d

Touchdown in Hong Kong

We arrived early this morning in Hong Kong. We're staying at one of my favorite places called Tsim Sha Tsui overlooking beautiful Victoria Harbor. Tall, colorfully glistening skyscrapers surround the harbor sending their reflections rippling across the the choppy nighttime waters. It's a breathtaking site! Each evening the city presents its Symphony of Lights. Named the World's Largest Permanent Light Show by the Guinness World Records this lighting spectacle involves 44 different buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbor creating an all-around panoramic of colored lights, laser beams and search lights. Synchronized to music and narration it celebrates the energy, diversity and imagination of this magnificent Asian city.

We awoke this morning and peered out our 14^th floor room below to the distinctive “ski-jump” roof of the newly constructed Cultural Centre dominating the waterfront. Hong Kong, unlike other parts of China is a city known for its cuture. The city teems with life, diversity and youthfulness. Quique and I both noticed how young the population is in Hong Kong. Later over breakfast, we learned that most Chinese, especially those from the Mainland have only known one culture—the Chinese one. But China wants to interact with and gain exposure to the world. One of the exciting things about being here this week is that Quique will be lecturing all week long on “Cultural Anthropology,” with special emphasis in helping Chinese pastors and leaders to develop a Biblical Worldview. I will be training those same leaders in how to take timeless Biblical truth and speak into the ever-changing cultural realities. It’s significant that we are here to learn and interact with serious-minded believers trying to understand their context and help shape their methodologies and ministries with Biblical truth. We were told the students will come hungry and eager to learn. Ironically, I think we stand to learn much more from this experience.

Pray for us as we begin this adventure. I am grateful to God for His strength and mercy; strength which stretches me and His mercy, that upholds.

Every blessing,

S t r e t c h e d