I knew when I came to Africa I
would learn many things. I also knew I would walk away from the experience a
different person. But I had no idea what those things would be. I guessed I
might learn better patience and listening, I would have a clear path in what I
want to pursue, or maybe even some radical idea for alleviating global poverty
(so naïve of me right?) But what I take away from this experience is worlds
away from my initial thought.
We all want to be agents of
global change. No one can deny that. Maybe this desire isn’t always conscious,
but I believe everyone to the core of who they are wants to change the world,
or at least agrees it needs to change. The way we are more often than not told
how to do that is by packing our bags and moving to an indigenous people group,
landing a position in the Peace Corps, or starting one’s own NGO. There seems
to be such a chasm between our desire to see a global change and the options
people give us to do so. How discouraging is that? And then for those who can
actually attain such a status are put on pedestals and worshiped as idols.
Both, completely wrong.
I just can’t believe that is all
there is. So I am offering a different perspective (which you may find is
actually more difficult), a very real way for you to make a difference in the
world. My proposal is this: love your neighbor. Yep. That’s it. Just love your
neighbor. And for those of you who ask “Who is my neighbor?”, I’ll answer by
saying it’s the people who live next door to you.
If someone were to have said that
to me a year ago I would have been disappointed because we all want grandeur
adventures and experiences right? Or at least my generation. I would have
thought I wouldn’t be living up to my full potential if I were to only love my neighbor. But that just it.
our education tells us to “go out” with our knowledge, climb the ladder of
success, and not look back to home. I believe we need to focus more energy on
giving back to our community with our knowledge.
I have had several discussions
with Ugandans who I greatly respect. We talk about poverty, specifically in the
US. When I told them how we have a lot of poverty in the states they were
astonished. They couldn’t believe America was anything but wealth. They would
ask, “so the situation is very bad in your country?” I would tell them yes and
then go on to explain the welfare and foster care system, homeless population
and places where people who are poor can collect free food and clothing. Upon
their initial reaction of being shocked, I was then faced with a dumbfounded,
but very profound, question of “well why are you over here?” They’re right. Why
do we feel like we need to go to Africa?
Don’t get me wrong, I believe there is room for international work, but why
aren’t we taking care of the ones at home?
The reason there are wars,
genocides, exploitation, school shootings and knife stabbings, car bombings,
issues of poverty, homelessness, loneliness (oh and the list goes on), is
because we don’t love our neighbor. Stop blaming the government, particular
people groups, or coincidence. Jesus really understood our situation when he
gave the second greatest commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Not,
go represent your country in peacekeeping. I truly truly believe all it takes
is for us to make a difference in the world is to love our neighbors. Call me
naïve or ignorant, maybe I am, but I challenge you to take this seriously. Just
try it. And I also think there is creativity in how each person does that. It
could be by allowing the neighbor kids to each lunch upon occasion, providing Band-Aids
to the kids who scrap their knee, giving a ride to work the person whose car
just broke down, offering a listening ear through good and bad times, and just
opening up one’s home. It’s not difficult? How would you liked to be loved?
My dear dear friend in Uganda
once told me, “There are no big tasks in the world, only very small ones.”
Don’t be fooled that we need a huge revival and overthrow on the injustice
systems in place. It paralyzes us and
then we become stagnant. Be moved by the fact that the world is occupied by
broken, lonely people, searching for belonging. And the only remedy is love.
I flew across the globe to
realize only small hands can complete large tasks. And only as people learning
to love each other within community will life as we know it make a turn for the
better. As Margaret Mead says, “Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” And only in living in
vulnerability with each other opens up the space where this true community can
take place.
So go out. Chase your dreams and
pursue worthy things. Listen to your heart. But remember that all it takes to
make a difference is to love your neighbor as yourself
Uganda has rocked my world in
ways I could have never conceived and I am excited to see the projectory to
where this experience places me in the future.
Thank you for your prayers and support as I processed my experiences in
writing. I hope my eyes to Uganda have been a tool to invite others into my
experiences and lessons as well. This is the end of the beginning for me on
this journey. And that is exactly what life is: a journey. Often times our path
looks different than what we expect, taking twists and turns on unfamiliar
paths, and more difficult than we expect, inflicting pain and fear in places we
try and hide. I’ve also found sometimes experiences and people in our lives are
only meant to be temporary, walking with us for a period of time, and that’s
okay. It’s a journey of knowing ourselves, where we came from and how our own
worldviews affect how we operate. It’s a journey of calling and the revelation
of passion, gifts, and unique talents. But most of all, it’s a journey of
transformation in our hearts to be a kind of people that unites beyond differences
in order to do good in the world through love.
Thanks for allowing my path to cross with yours. Enjoy the journey.
Ali
