Advice
I’ve been thinking about advice. The giving of it.
On Saturday our team discussed money, generosity and friendship at our
monthly ‘culture discussion’. There was an interesting article for us to
read and many good points were made. It was helpful to hear things from the
perspectives of multiple others, and especially those who have been here
much longer.
In the long run, though, we came full circle to where we started. We all
feel confused and unsure about how best to help financially. We find
ourselves in the position of being comparatively, fantastically wealthy,
despite how much we chose to give up to come here. And there is the
struggle of how best to use that wealth. Do we help each person who comes
for something, like a net or food?? Do we invest into a smaller number of
people with items like education and land?? Do we give only in relationship
or when we see a need. How do we decide who to help? Do we help those who
come to us, or do we go out and find needs that are not brought to us? Can
money thrown at problems help them that much at all or do we really need to
find other ways of pointing to Jesus? Can we point them to Jesus when we
are ignoring their physical needs??
Here in Uganda, when you help one person there will always be others. If I
have ten children in my yard and I bring out brownies, there will VERY
quickly be forty, fifty, sixty more. Within minutes. And it is much the
same with our financial assistance.
There is a concern that we continue to hold the colonial position of
“patrons” in this culture. That people may choose to invest their time not
in working towards a better future but in relating to us with hopes of our
helping them towards a better future. It’s not surprising given that they
have very little room for social advancement here. Corruption in government
and leadership, the lack of opportunities, and economic dysfunction all
contribute. Again, that is why we are working with future leaders at Christ
School – with the hopes to change the big picture some day.
But really should we be wise stewards in that way, choosing to focus on big
picture while turning down the many, many daily needs of our local people?
Did Jesus work that way? I can’t see that with Jesus it was an either/or.
He focused on big issues and small ones. He worked in relationship and out
of the context of a relationship. He saw with compassion and saw people not
problems.
This is where I come to advice. For us here, to explain the masungu
(foreigner) way of doing things is not very helpful, but it sure is
tempting. How do we know that our way of saving, planning ahead, or
handling time will be helpful to these people? They have their own
beautiful set of gifts, talents, passions. We’re pretty sure we’re bound to
mess them up
It’s not that different in our relationships with any fellow human being.
Any relationship is a crossing of cultures, since we are all such different
people. And any advice is advice given from one situation and applied to
another. Doesn’t it make more sense for us to merely share what God does I
our lives, how we relate to Him, His impact on our hearts – - and let God’s
Spirit do what He will with that sharing?? Rather than telling others how
to live, we can share with them how God has cared for us, loved us, related
to us. And we can trust that God can teach them in the exact way they need
to be taught. Otherwise, with all our flaws, we’re bound to mess them up.
And probably hurt feelings in the process.
Just my two cents for the day.
Dear Annelise,
I can relate to your stuggles on how to decide who and when to help. It is heartwrenching to see suffering all around you on a daily basis. I think all we can do is to try to love one another, and help where we can. For example, when I used to teach school, I shared a book called “Beatrice’s Goat” by Page McBrier, with my classes in hopes that at least one child would get the message that the Heifer Project International could really use financial help to provide resources – such as a goat, training, and community support. Fortunately, several of the children took the message of the book to their Sunday School classes. Within a year’s time they had raised enough money to provide about 12 different animals to the Heifer Project. I think they each knew that they had “made a difference” in the lives of at least 12 families. That was a start. We do what we can with the resources at our disposal.
Thank you for sharing your insight and prayers with us. You and your family are a true inspiration.
Jesus said “the poor you shall always have with you.” He does not expect that we will end poverty. That will only come with His second coming and the removal of sin from the World. But we should be compassionate and that compassion extends not only in sharing the Gospel but also in sharing what God’s Word has to say about how sin in our lives can lead to poverty. We don’t want to Westernize we want to sanctify. But the Bible does have a lot to say about practical Christian living and this message transforms cultures – as well as transforming lives. I’m glad that God’s Spirit is making you uncomfortable as you struggle to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of those among whom He has placed you. I wish that those of us here would feel the same sense of struggle in our own lives (myself included). Growth in the Christian walk involves struggle – if you are not struggling then you are not growing.
I have seen so much growth in your life in so many dimensions and I pray that I will be blessed to see even more in the years to come. Pray that I too will continue to grow into greater conformity to our Lord Jesus.