What We Will Be For

"To work in the world lovingly means that we are defining what we will be for, rather than reacting to what we are against." -Christina Baldwin

In this season of brave new resolution making, we too have spent some time reflecting on the challenges and highlights of 2010 to help us better calibrate our priorities for the new year. 

We must state up front, without hesitation that God has been good to us throughout the past year.  Actually, God has been very good to us throughout the year and a half we have lived in Mwanza. He has provided for and protected us every single day, surprising us again and again with more than we had asked for. 

We learned a lot in 2010.  Much of the learning process was uncomfortable, maddening even, but important. We learned that our innate capacity to “do good” is far flimsier than we had once believed.  Like an out of shape runner, we huff and puff after just a little exertion; we crave recognition and gratitude; we dislike being misunderstood yet understand so little ourselves.

We learned that straight up respect, a good sense of humor and good stories are often more effective in achieving one’s agenda than intimidation, forceful argument or slides of statistics; whether that agenda is simply trying to get your parcel from the post office or conducting an HIV testing event for children. 

We learned that we should always be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry as guests in a country where the average person makes about $80 a month.  Because it’s not primarily our own virtue that keeps us from doing the things that confound and frustrate us. We aren’t stealing from our employers, driving like maniacs, beating our house staff or demanding to be paid to attend conferences mainly because all our lives we have enjoyed loving families, stable governments, great nutrition, and quality education.  And it’s because of these and countless other unmerited blessings, we have options. The option to leave, to change jobs, go back to school, move to another city.  But the families Duncan cares for at the hospital do not have these options. The battered mothers who come to Kivulini for counseling do not have these options. So we believe we have a great responsibility not to squander our blessings, but to be a blessing in response. 

Looking back on our experiences in Tanzania helps us to delineate how we want to live now and in the future.  As Christina Baldwin says, we have been thinking a lot about “what we will be for”--simpler, more sustainable living, community and community-guided stewardship for starters. 

We hope to post a bit more about “what we will be for” in the coming weeks. Thanks for reading and once again, happy new year to all!