Taboo!

It’s Sunday night in Adidome, Ghana West Africa. We were up early this morning after what can only be described as a fitful night of sleep for me. I guess jetlag finally gets you sometime. My time happened to be last evening.

Pastor Jacob, my host and translator for the week knocked at my door dressed in his Sunday best. “You look so ‘smart’ in your Sunday suit,” I said. “Oh. I’m just wearing my suit because I’m cold” was his reply; which I found quite amusing given the rising humidity and 85-degree temperature I felt when I opened my door. I am not in Wisconsin this December 6^th. Angelo and I gathered our things and walked over to the chapel where the early service had already begun. Singing, dancing, drums, clapping and joyful exuberance met us as we arrived. I thought to myself, “It’s good to be back in Africa.”

Each morning this week before I start training these pastors in the subject of expository preaching, I take a passage and preach a mini-expository message in order to model the principles I am teaching. I had decided some time ago to teach from the book of Titus during this week. The passage I had selected for today’s message was Titus 1:10-16. The topic: “Dealing With Unsafe People.” Not exactly an easy passage or subject matter. Onward I went.

When I finished we were dismissed for breakfast. Immediately pastor after pastor approached me to tell me some story about some unsafe and difficult person in their congregation. It was as if someone had finally given these dear men and women permission to talk about that difficult someone, or that disappointing circumstance they were facing. Most had been carrying silent pain and agony for a long time. I have learned through my interactions with pastors, especially in these past couple of years that there are some subject matters that are taboo. I don’t know who declared them so, but they aren’t talked about near enough. So we talked about one of those subjects today. It clearly seemed to touch a nerve, if for no other reason than these dear saints were given opportunity to bear their unspoken grief and pain together.

Throughout today, more men and women have approached me to say, “Thank you for teaching us this week. Your words have given me renewed perspective and hope for ministry.”

So at the end of this Sunday in early December in West Africa I’m unusually tired. But it’s a good kind of tired. Come to think of it, it’s my perspective and my hope that’s been renewed.

Off to sleep,

S t r e t c h e d