The Journey to Hope

My first trip to Zambia, Africa occurred in April of 2007. But the journey actually began several months prior. God brought the convergence of two voices to set my course for Zambia. Though I didn’t know it at the time, God was about to unfold a series of life-changing events that have continued to this day.

The first of these voices was an unlikely one: Bono. Yep, an aging rock star was the first compelling voice that set my course for Africa. In an interview with Bill Hybels, Bono spoke with quiet-yet-passionate conviction about the plight of Africa. And he used passages such as Matthew 25 (about the “sheep and goats” judgment) to call God’s people, the Church, to action.

I was shamed by the fact that this man was using the Book I was very familiar with to open my eyes and point out what Jesus was clearly calling His followers to. Bono didn’t chastise or mock my hypocrisy, he simply asked the Church to hear from Jesus and act.

Bono’s voice got my attention, but the second voice God used was a far more compelling one: Jesus. I began to re-read several passages and was especially caught by Luke chapter 10 (the story of the “good Samaritan”). Here Jesus finds Himself being questioned, even tested, by an “expert in the Law.” As Jesus turns the questions back on the “expert,” he displays true orthodoxy – he knows the Word and can recite well-rehearsed answers to Jesus without even a pause.

The expert knows the whole Law of God and proudly (and correctly) sums it up by saying that we must love God and love our neighbor – thus “doing” what it takes to inherit eternal life. Bingo. Pure orthodoxy. Couldn’t have said it better myself. The problem – this man isn’t “doing” it, he just knows the right answer.

Jesus is well aware of the duplicity reigning in this man’s soul, and so he tells a story to paint a picture of what it means to actually “do” love for a neighbor (the Good Samaritan). And He concludes with a call to “show mercy” to our neighbor and then commands the man, “Go and DO likewise.”

So there I was. My “neighbor” in Africa was dying on the side of the road and in desperate need of help. I was sitting on my orthodoxy, passing on by, not DOING a thing about it. And so I called my friend Mark Meyer.

Mark had visited Zambia with several people from Cornerstone Church in the summer of 2006. His heart was moved with compassion and so he returned several months later to visit a few of the pastors he’d befriended there. Coming back to the States he was more convinced than ever that we needed to help. I asked Mark to take me to Zambia.

Mark and his wife Betsy took me to Zambia in April 2007. I met the courageous pastors there and saw the thriving Zambian church trying desperately to care for the overwhelming number of orphans left in the wake of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and malnutrition. I saw with my own eyes countless “neighbors” in need of mercy. And I determined that I would not simply turn a blind eye and pass by on the other side of the road.

Two subsequent trips to Zambia have followed with more to come. In these visits I have encountered some distasteful things. The path to showing mercy is rarely a yellow brick road. I’ve chased a rat from my room, slept in a tent in freezing (no, literally freezing) weather, discovered a used condom at my feet in a shower, and on top of all that, I’ve gone without coffee for weeks at a time.

But these things pale into insignificance and even bring a smile to my face, because I’ve grown to love Zambia. Not the climate or the living conditions – I’ve grown to love my neighbors, the people of Zambia. And in loving my neighbor and showing mercy to him, I’ve grown to love God with a renewed passion and commitment to “go and DO likewise.”

On my most recent trip (January 2008) my friend, Zack Ludwig, and I were able to find land for the future Hope Children’s Center of Serenje, Zambia. Cornerstone Church is giving me the privilege of leading the charge on behalf of our church family. It is an aggressive vision which will require hard work, a lot of money, and perseverance. But it will carry the sweet reward of following the compelling voice of Jesus!