Just Like Jesus

As you know by now, Jane and I live in a typical Tigraian neighborhood. We are the only Europeans who live anywhere near us or the school. Our house is one block up a steep hill from the school. All around us the streets are dirt roads, except today because it rained very heavily yesterday. The roads are now mud.

     For some time, really since we first moved in, the children in the neighborhood have come out to greet us in the street. They are not begging, just curious about the white couple who walk back and forth to the school. They say “Sahlem,” to which we reply “Sahlem.” That of course is the Ethiopian equivalent of “Shalom” in Hebrew and “Salaam” in Arabic. It means “Peace.” We also keep up chatter in English, especially me, since I’m becoming more childlike every day. The kids do not understand very much English, of course, but they like it all the same.

     I have taught them the “fist bump” instead of shaking hands, mostly because their little hands are filthy and I’m going to school and washing hands there is some trouble. When I’m heading home, we shake hands and hold hands. Sometimes I have three little ones on each hand, walking together.

     Today I had a thought. The Scripture talks about Jesus rebuking the disciples about keeping the children away from him. And I realized that Ethiopia has had a close relationship and cultural kinship with Israel for thousands of years, long before Jesus’ time. I’ll bet that the willingness of children to run to strangers here is just like it was there in Israel when Jesus walked the land. And the adults who walk the road with us are constantly telling the children to leave us alone, because they think they are being rude and annoying. But they’re not

     I think they are glorious. They are happy, they laugh at our attempts to speak their language, and they run around in happy little circles; they are delightful. And they give us great pleasure as well.

     I am convinced that Jesus saw these children the way I do, only much more so since his heart was filled with love far beyond anything I’d ever hope to know. What a delightful break from the constant drain of ministry these kids must have been for Jesus. What a delight for him to be reminded of the child in everyone he reached out to, probably even the Pharisees, if you can believe that.

     The children provide us with an ever present reminder of why we are here in Mekele: to reach out in service to poor, disadvantaged, marvelously equipped people in the love of Christ. When you look at it that way, it’s easy to enjoy what we do.