Candy-Coated Tanzania

Most people where I come from have a candy-coated picture of Tanzania. They believe that every person here lives a beautiful life. An American’s imaginings of Tanzanian life is as distorted as the way Tanzanians view America. One of my Standard Seven students today stared in disbelief after I informed him that there are poor people in America.

Tanzania is not all it appears to be on the surface. The children are not all innocent. The parents do not all raise their children well. There is rarely an optimum home environment.

Adventist parents have confessed that they don’t know where their children are late at night. Youths spend money and hours of sleep or study to pay a villager for a few hours of worthless television.

Standard Three students pass around inappropriate notes during English class.

Harsh beatings are the way parents show that they care for the standing of their children.

If a student does something deemed unacceptable, he is either made a spectacle of before the entire school assembly, or his parents come and ruthlessly beat him until he is curled up in a fetal position on the cement floor.

I could give you names to go with these stories, but I won’t. Suffice it to say, I have witnessed corruption. My heart has cried a great many tears. I don’t know how to stand for the right without falling for the wrong. I can't change the way life is lived in Tanzania, but I can live my life in Tanzania, and so be a reflection of something different for all who care to see.

How one views those in authority, greatly affects how one views God. Authority figures here-- elders, parents, teachers, pastors-- are obeyed out of fear. How can I exemplify an obedience that responds out of love? This is my challenge: how do I show these students a clear picture of God? They view Him as One waiting to beat them when they make a mistake. They view Him as someone who doesn’t really care where they spend their time, as long as they come home in time for dinner. They view Him as someone with whom there is no reason to discuss their burdens, feelings, and ideas.

Father, give me wisdom to know how to show these people Your character. Help me to lift You up, that all will see You clearly. May I not be a further stumbling block to these searching souls. May they keep searching until they find You, the God who has been pursuing them with reckless abandon since before they were born. May I reflect Your character today. Amen.

(Written Thursday evening, March 6^th, 2014)