Change takes time. I realize that this is not a particularly startling revelation for most of us. We all know that - deep down. Yet most of us, particularly North Americans, still have that "fast food" concept. We know that REAL change takes time, but we don't want to wait - we want to drive thru, place our order, and then have our happy meal within minutes. That's why "instant weight results" diets still make money. Even though we KNOW that the best way to lose weight and keep it off is slow and steady exercise combined with healthy eating, we really want that instant result!
The same is true in development, Christian character, worldview, relationships, etc. While we would love to see instant results, most of the time it takes a steady presence, consistent message, and the daily witness of how we live our lives to really see change in non-Christian communities.
It's been a year and a half since I worked with one of our churches on a mosquito net project. I've talked about this project on this blog as well as in newsletters. A year and a half……yes, I have gone on and done many other things, but this project, this community, this humble little church, keeps popping up as an example of slow, steady, yet amazing change and impact that local churches can have on their communities. Last week I ran into Pastor Yembe (pictured) - the pastor of the church that did this project. I love him. He's such a humble, unassuming man. But he LOVES his church (small church in an extremely needy part of the city) and he LOVES his community.
A brief recap here……The family that lives right next door to the church are not only non-Christian but incredibly hostile towards the church. They practice a voodoo/witchcraft traditional religion that encourages open confrontation and hostility towards others. There were constant fights between the family and church members. When the church would have a service, the father would literally throw buckets of water into the church, trying to disrupt things. But when their teen-age daughter had a baby, the church took them a mosquito net and talked to them about Jesus, health, God's love, and how to project the baby from malaria.
Things changed RADICALLY from that point on. The family has not only quit throwing water on church goers, but if the church is having some sort of event and needs more chairs - they offer theirs! Last week Pastor Yembe told me that the father still will not enter the church, but he puts his chair right outside the door and listens to the singing and teachings. Afterwards he invites the pastor over to discuss what he heard. Change takes time……I'm thankful that Jesus is patient and that Pastor Yembe is committed to living where he ministers……to give his time to this family.
I'm thankful that I can live here and participate in facilitating this type of ministry, have relationships with members and pastors, and hear about and see the small increments of change over time. Yes, change takes time - but it sure can be fun to be a part of!!
