A Joyous Reunion

Having just returned from a visit to our beloved Morocco, we realize how much we have missed the people there. We left for Casablanca in a whirlwind as we both had just barely finished our jobs here in Portland before heading off to the airport. We frantically got our boarding passes and headed off to Casablanca via London via Seattle. Of course, the trip was ridiculously long, but entirely worth it.

Just over one year ago, when Kattie and I told our students that we were leaving Morocco, we made a commitment to them to come back the following year for graduation, which serves as a reunion of sorts for former students and teachers of the school. So, in order to ease their hearts, we kept our commitment all year long, despite the ridiculous risen prices of airfare and the new luggage fees. So we arrived a day before graduation.

Graduations are a great celebration for so many people and a rite of passage for those to whom it means the most: the students. It was especially meaningful to a lot of those students that we would make such a long trip to see them celebrate such a great accomplishment in their young lives. But in Morocco, receiving a top-notch trilingual education is even more profound, since the literacy rate in the country is less than half. So seeing these young people take such a gigantic step in this way is incredibly special for us and for them. Words cannot express how proud we are of them. I miss seeing all those flags hanging up, representing all of the countries from which the students in the graduating class hail. This particular class boasted graduates from ten different countries! Quite a sight.

Zouheir is headed off to college in New York City, a dream come true for many foreigners aspiring to attain higher education. He was the valedictorian of his class, received the citizenship award, and was one of my former basketball players. This, my friends, is a special young man. And he's not the only one. So many of these young people, if given the opportunity, have the potential to significantly impact their own native countries in so many ways. For this reason, Kattie and I are supremely thankful to have been influential in some small measure in their lives. Now, as we are all in the United States, we hope to stay in contact with many of the alumni of our school in order to help them in whatever way we can.

And of course, there's our home church. Oh, how we've missed them! The freedom to sing as many songs as we like, with no real agenda most days, except to share about the goodness of God in our lives on a weekly basis. We were able to share with these friends about how faithful God has been to us this year in Portland. It was an inexpressible pleasure to be with these folks while worshiping our God and eating some great food afterward.

Ah, and here's our good friend Jojo. We had such great times with him, whether it be playing basketball, hanging out and being amused by his amazingly loud entertainment system, or having deep conversation over chocolate crepes. He is such an amazing man and hopefully we'll be a bit closer when he finally receives his VISA to live in Canada.

Here are the ladies that pour so much of themselves out to other people. We have learned so much from these mentors of ours, Kattie in particular. They are such great examples of godly women who are faithful in their respective callings in Morocco.

Last but certainly not least, our other family: the Bonillas. Karine instantly became our friend as she and Kattie spoke French together during their daily breaks at school, and since they are from France, Kattie learned a lot from this great friend. We also enjoyed Romain (who recently graduated and is now headed to university in Minnesota) in class and Bastien's (an upcoming 9th grader) humor and frequent injuries. It was always good to receive the hospitality that Philippe and his wonderful family gave us. We will miss our French friends.

All in all, this return trip to Morocco was an incredibly enjoyable one. We were able to enjoy all the things that made us fall in love with Morocco, while not having to deal with all the stress and difficulties of being there long-term. Also, Kattie was able to give so many friends a proper goodbye since she wasn't able to last year due to some severe sickness upon her departure. Bottom line: we've missed Morocco and it will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Leia Mais…

Triumphant?

One of the things I love most about the Gospel is that it often doesn't make a whole lot of intuitive sense to me as a man living in the West during the 21st century. It makes me think more than anything else and broadens my otherwise narrow perspective. It seems like the ideologies that Jesus discussed and displayed are radically different than mine. Than ours. Sayings like, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, If anyone slaps you on the right cheek turn to him the other also, If anyone forces you to go one mile go with him two miles, etc. And actions like, Healing the blind and lame, Forgiving the prostitute and thief without penalty, and entering the capital city of Jerusalem on a colt instead of a victorious steed. These things make me reevaluate the way I think and live. It's not because they're hip or trendy ideas, but exactly the opposite -- they seem so radical that they border on insanity. But this is how God himself has done things.

Even though some people honestly do profess to follow the teachings of Jesus and desperately try to emulate his life, their ideologies differ vastly from his. Jesus kept telling his disciples that he was going to reign victoriously for the sake of his people. But this Kingdom in which he was to be king would not be a kingdom like they thought, nor a kingdom like we think today. It's different. Drastically different. We expect a Victor to gallup right up into the tyrannical rule of our day (Gladiator style) on a white horse with shiny armor and a blazing sword to destroy evil rule and to overthrow the oppressive tyrant. But he didn't do it that way thousands of years ago, and he still doesn't seem to do it that way today.

To me, it seems like often those who take such an approach justifiably become like the one they've overthrown. For the sake of such ideologies as "Freedom of religion," or "Freedom of democracy," or "Freedom to own land," rulers have sometimes attempted to dominate a people by overthrowing a government or a ruler. Then imperialism or colonialism sets in. The plan may not have worked. Not because they were unsuccessful in accomplishing the goal of Justice in overthrowing an oppressive ruler, but because there is no peace in this.

"Freedom is seldom found by beating someone to the ground, telling them how everything is gonna be now."
(Excerpt from Amos Lee's song entitled, Freedom).

So many times, an outside force comes in with power to try to impose freedom upon the people that suffer under an oppressive rule. [Impose Freedom?!?!] They march in with their big guns, arrogance, and larger-than-life pride that screams, "Fear this!" It's almost as if arrogance can somehow produce peace, for that's the end goal isn't it? Or is it? We should all agree that it ought to be. But that doesn't seem to line up with today's priorities. In many places worldwide, we see widespread corruption because power is the priority, not peace.

Jesus is the only one in history who accomplished both. And he did it without absurd pomp and circumstance, without acclaim or renown, but on a colt and then on a cross. Here's an account of Jesus' "triumphal" entry into the capital city in his version of overthrowing the current kingdom:

"Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”"
-Mark 11:1-10

There were no tanks. No fireworks or elaborate speeches. Not even a very good reception from huge crowds since many people probably disliked him or at least thought he was crazy. There were probably some boos like when the MVP of the league steps onto an opposing court. All they saw was a carpenter, riding on a donkey, being praised by his twelve groupies and a few other people with tree branches. This does not seem at all to be how God should reclaim his throne! But that is exactly how he did it. And then he proceeded to die the most gruesome and humiliating death on a cross. Die??? Wasn't he supposed to live victoriously and reign with authority? Yes and yes. And he still does.

So why all of this? I think many times we get it ALL wrong. For the sake of one idea or virtue, we think things must happen a certain way. God may disagree. He traded unbounded power for meekness. A sword for a cross. A strong white horse for a weak brown colt. Yet his Kingdom Reigns far greater than any other earthly kingdom, and his power reaches far beyond any other power that has ever existed.

So I have to rethink my motivations, my ideas of what this Kingdom is like, especially since I have become a member in it. It might not be like I thought it was in the past.

My time here in Portland has been often difficult for a variety of reasons. Foremost is my perception of the fruit that has grown (or not grown). In my opinion, I have not seen much fruit in my life in these past ten months. But does that mean there has been none, and that I have not been used by God for the sake of his name? Absolutely not. Like I said, I must reevaluate my life, my ideas, my thinking. The kingdom that I think I serve may not be the Kingdom of God.

That's hard.

Leia Mais…