A Week of Extremes

Last Saturday I was on a plane surrounded by mostly white, mostly American and European faces and a few Africans. I was surprised by this being on a plane headed for Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, Africa. It did not really look or feel like I was coming to Africa. The contrast between my flight from ATL to JFK and my flight from AMS to EBB was observably little or none (except for the flight time – ouch). Now admittedly, once I hit the ground in Entebbe the contrasts became apparent and quite severe. It is in many ways quite a different world here.

Contrasts can be mild or extreme. The plane flight over – mild. Hitting the ground in Uganda –extreme. Atlanta airport vs. Amsterdam airport – mild. Atlanta airport vs. Entebbe airport extreme. Living in Atlanta contrasted with living on campus at African Bible University, my home for the next 5 months - relatively mild (hope I’m not blowing anyone’s cover who has folks back home believing ABU missionaries are suffering over here). Don’t get me wrong there are inconveniences: power blinking on and off, weak water pressure, no power or water at all at times, coming upon a gecko in my bathroom, no air conditioning, taking malaria meds daily – inconvenient but far from extreme hardship.

Here’s an extreme though: sitting on the patio at the American Club in Kampala enjoying a cold coke in a delightful environment complete with cool breeze, tennis courts, swimming pool, beautiful exotic plants. It was then that a friend commented, “I am having a really hard time sitting here in the middle of all of this after our day today.” We all agreed. “Our day today” had consisted of visiting children existing without loving parents or family in very difficult living conditions; a day seeking to relieve a little of their suffering with a warm smile, a kind word, a loving embrace; a day seeking to bring a little joy to their days by building a wooden playground play-set and a putting fresh coat of colorful paint on their rusty old swing set, sliding board and see-saw. That’s a true extreme: the worlds in which we live in contrast with the world in which these children live.

Reading back through John chapter 1 this week, as I prepare to teach a course this semester on the Gospel of John, I came across a greater extreme, the greatest of extremes: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14). Jesus, the eternal second person of the Trinity, the One through whom “all things were made” (John 1:3), became one of us; he came and lived with us. He condescended to be born a helpless little baby, then live here subject to all the hardships and difficulties of this life, then to suffer and die at the hands of those he came to save, us. Extreme!

The Gospel – free grace for a hard-hearted rebellious sinner like me – extreme! You and I granted by God in the Gospel “adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:5) – extreme! And a certain hope for eternity – extreme! This all came to us through the extreme of what Jesus experienced on the cross in our place.

What will I do with that this week? I hope it will move me to go and “become flesh and dwell among them” this week; whoever “them” might be. I hope I will let it change how I look at them and extend love and mercy to them. I hope it will move me to lay down my life for my friends as Jesus has laid down his for me.  What will you do with that this week? How will you “go and live among them” right where you are today? Give it some thought, and risk something extreme.

I promised prayer request updates for those of you praying for us (which we so deeply appreciate), so here goes…

1. As ones who have been given the privilege to cry to God, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:7), please pray for the fatherless here in Uganda that even in their extreme suffering they would know the extreme love of their heavenly father who gave his only son that they might know him.

2. Pray that 60 Feet would have full access to the children to whom they long to bring the love of Jesus in word and deed.

3. Pray for me as I seek to bring pastoral support and encouragement to the 60 feet staff.

4. Pray for my course prep this week as I have one week until students arrive, and I have the privilege of being a part of ABU’s mission of “training leaders to transform Africa.”

5. And pray for me and Andrea, Hannah, Rachel, and Maggie as we are separated until they come in March.

Tim