Imprints from Malawi

April 3, 2006

Dear David,

Imprints ~ a small peculiar word, which may mean a number of different things. The word came up in our conversation. I hope you remember, Pastor David Kamunga, of the CCAP, Chipoka; it was our second significant conversation since coming to this area to do food distributions. During our first, you reflected on your concern for your congregation in becoming too materialistic. A strange fact given that most of your building is in disrepair, your congregational members are mostly beneficiaries to the food aid program, and the future expansion of the church building lies in ruin as the brick foundation has remained untouched for the last four years. Your conversation made an imprint on me. Why did you present such a message at our first meeting? But I digress.

This time we discussed your professor’s final message before your graduation some four years ago. "It’s not about church programs David, it is not even about what we vision or try to do. It is about knowing that God sees all. Even the imprints you leave sometimes unaware, sometimes on purpose, but always there because you have been somewhere."

I quickly checked the shoes I had on. My runners make nice imprints. With the amount of sand around it is often easy to see where I have been going. I doubt that was the kind of imprints you were talking about. I recall, …We continued to explore the state of his church, his passion for reaching people. David serves 1600 households. A territory about 20km by 20km. It is either by foot or by bicycle. That does not concern him. It is that he serves in a district that has about 60% Muslim population. Not as he says true Muslim but rather those that hold a tradition without an understanding of the faith. These are a dangerous kind. The mixed marriages of interfaith bring along their own sets of problems. These also do not overcome David.

He continues to dialogue about a stagnant church, one where the people attend without real thought about being salt on the earth, one where programs have taken over relationships. But his dream is one where we know how to be for our neighbour so our neighbour will understand our being with Jesus, our Spirit, our communion with God. This he says requires much training. Like Jesus’ model, he is attempting to work with 12. Twelve dedicated, daring to make a difference, relying on God for their strength.

Is there much difference between the struggles of the church here and in North America? I think about my imprints. What about my neighbour? How good or bad have I shed that light which may attract them by the moving of God’s Spirit? Has my materialism become the stumbling block in my relationships? What does God think about my imprints?

I am reminded about the poem, where when beset by my problems I come to realize that God has been carrying me, so there really is only his imprint in the sand. That grace sustains me a lot. But it cannot simply be my excuse for my complacency about my neighbour’s welfare. I am also reminded of God’s call to Abraham to be a blessing to the generations. That is what God’s gift is to us. Jesus is our blessing. Through him, by the power He provides through His Spirit, we can walk while He holds our hand.

I think David is right. Churches will die unless they retain, no, grow their relationship building. He has seen the tremendous growth of the Pentecostal church in Africa. There is much to be thankful for. He questions if this growth is people or pastor driven. Is our spirituality one mile wide and one inch deep? Is it about growth or just being a blessing to our neighbours that makes for better community where God can find His people loving mercy and doing justice?

A lot has gone on while Henni and I have been in Africa. We have kept up with most of it through the emails with our children. We have not had TV for four months, nor a radio except when we pass through Lilongwe and the BBC can occasionally be captured on the fickle car radio. It has been good to simply see people, less distractions and more interactions. I wondered how David survives with the continuous onslaught of parishioners who search for food, experience illness, no school fees, marriage breakdowns, HIV/AIDS, lack of well water, poor crops, no fertilizer and the list goes on. He searches…he searches for disciples…not everyone…a few he can work with to make a difference…this will be David’s imprint.

What is my imprint? I am not sure. Children are a blessing because they get to an age where they almost tell you like it is. Is this Ecclesiastes or God speaking through them? God is always speaking. I mostly am not listening because I have too many distractions.

It will be good to get home and watch the hockey playoff on TV. Not because the game is all consuming but because I hope my children will also be there. A reminder of the relationship building God continues to do with me. A reminder that we are all God’s children and I believe He treasures us more because of His perfect love than we will know until that final day, which will really only be the beginning.

A lot to think about… church, us, we are the salt. I need to be gently used. I need to use a more gentle Spirit. I need to think more about my neighbour. I need to see Jesus more fully everywhere I look. I need to express this in a different way that just in my pew where it feels so good especially after having not been there for four months.

Well, thanks for listening. I think it is good for the soul. It will be good again to see both my parents the Lord willing, a grace I did not expect when we left for Malawi. It will be good again to be challenged by my very children about ‘our’ imprints because we live in community. It will be good again to be in church because it is so familiar.

It will be a challenge to love my neighbour because that may require something from me. Thanks David for the discussion. I will try to remember you. Your church has no more glass in the windows because the food distribution for 2000 households has changed your sanctuary into a warehouse. Is it because feeding God’s children was more important to you than a building? Your Spirit has certainly left an imprint on my heart.

Shalom, your brother, and have a blessed Easter,

Hans

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