People I Meet

People in the Southern Hemisphere actually are more communal, more open and friendly than those of us who live in the North. I find this true especially in Africa. Wherever I go, people are warm, inviting and sharing. If I go into a shop looking for a bag of sugar and there is none, the shopkeeper or whoever else is standing close by, will race off and come back in minutes, take me by the hand and actually walk with me to where I can buy the needed sugar.

Yesterday I was sitting on a bench in one of the more upscale neighborhoods of Nairobi, earplugs in, waiting for Roger. Not long after I sat down, a woman about my age, wiping her brow, asked if she could sit down beside me. Her face was dark, soft and beautiful…with eyes that betrayed her loneliness and worry. As we talked she mentioned she came to this place to walk daily. Her husband had died three years ago and her adult children were in much pain over the loss of their dad, “even after all this time.” This worried her greatly. I was surprised when she asked where I was from that she had been to California, actually, not only California, but within two hours of my home. In fact, she had been to the US three times. Later she asked why I was here. I could see her interest grow as I talked about sharing the love of God with others in simple, unstructured ways without buildings or money or corruption. I explained to her how we look at Scripture together, read it, talk about it, that each one takes her turn to tell what the Word of God is speaking to her personally. God becomes real; relationships are not built on hierarchy. Instead, they are built on equality, sharing God’s love in practical ways, experiencing the fullness of the God-life together.

As Roger walked up, pleadingly Naomi looked at me, “Can we meet again? Please come to my home and tell me more about what you are doing.” Sincere or not, I don’t know, but what I do know is that we live in a desperate, lonely and very needy world. People want to be heard, belong, be loved and recognized. God is the only One who can do all four…consistently…and He, in turn, desperately wants to prove that He can and He will. On a bench or in a pulpit, who is in front of you today and what are they seeking?

For me, today, it was Naomi. We have plans to meet again soon.