All things Nature

One of the hardest things about leaving Africa for me was leaving my garden. Over the years it had become a place of rest and solice, away from the stress and craziness of cross-cultural ministry. Learning to tame and and marvel at the tropical lushness and beauty of Africa's rainy season, and at other times nurturing, watering and sustaining the life of living things in the 6 months of Africa's dry season gave me such a great wonder at God's perfection in every flower that came out of the dust when the rains began and thrived, and a great respect for God's balance in nature when despite my best efforts things sometimes didn't make it. When we left, I dug up what I could, potted it and moved it to a shady spot in a colleague's garden where it could be cared for until someone else could take charge of the plants and carry on and enjoy God's miracles.

Now back in the US, there is something inside of me driving me to find little ways to bring life out of the dirt. I have already begun to nurture numerous potted plants in my room, and the back porch of my mom's villa where we are temporarily staying. And little by little we have begun to plant some flowers on our farm and tame the wilderness that it has become after decades of resting fallow, and the woods which as far as we can tell have never been lived in except for animals.

Nothing Sacred

I have been working now for about a month. After so many years of living in a foreign culture and being out of American culture, or just being among God-fearing Christian Americans most of the time, and the rest of the time speaking foreign languages with people of foreign cultures to my own, I have been plunged back into the "real world" of the secular culture whenever I go to work each day. I am saddened by the state of people's lives who don't have Christ as their hope. I know it will be a struggle to fight against synicism and apathy that is all around me. I pray for the strength not to lose hope in people and in God's ability to transform even the most hopeless of lives. I know He can and has for me and for so many. I am amazed at the choices people have made in the American culture, a culture that offers more than any other for realizing one's greatest potential. I am saddened by how others waste money and giftedness, settling for less than their greatest potential. I am reminded of the lyrics of Billy Sprague's song "Nothing Sacred" which resounds more than a decade later as a true picture of the sad state which our society has become:

"People need true love, but chase infatuation,
they need a hope, but live on short supply,
People need wisdom, but get more education,
People need forgiveness, but settle things eye-for-eye.

People need identity, but are satisfied with titles,
They need true courage, but bravado looks sincere,
People need a living God, but seem content with idols,
People need destiny, but settle for careers,

And the soul remains unsettled,
and the world a wilderness,
In a time where nothing's sacred,
and souls settle for less.

People need faith, but place their bets on science,
They need a refuge, but stay out in the rain,
People need eachother but rely on self reliance,
People need a Christmas, but settle for a holiday,

People need dignity but survive on ego,
They need the truth, but will take an alibi,
People need a savior, but much prefer a hero,
Most long for heaven, but have settled for the sky.

And the soul remains unsettled,
and the world a wilderness,
In a time where nothing's sacred,
and souls settle for less.