We were walking back from one of the small shops in the center of our township of Mkhosana, it was nearing the end of our month in Zimbabwe. I went to grab a drink from one of the shopkeepers there before we headed out to our daily soccer ministry that evening. A man in a dirty red polo and torn jeans approached us from the opposite direction and made eye contact with me. He started to repeatedly mumble something with a thick Zimbabwean accent that I soon realized was the word, brother.
It’s not uncommon for us to get heckled or greeted here by the locals no matter where you are, from children screaming excitedly shouting, “Mah-key-wah!” (Mdebelle for white person) to artists trying to sell small carvings of animals. So I assumed at first that he was trying to invite me to buy his art or check out his shop. I nodded and smiled saying, “How are you doing, brother.”
A serious look came across his face as he said, “I have a word for you, it will only take two seconds.”
After I realized he wasn’t selling something I stopped and asked him to continue.
He then quoted the book of James, ” He who doubts, is like a wave in the sea tossed back and forth by the wind, back and forth brother. Back and forth.”
After saying this to us he immediately walked away as if he had fulfilled his purpose. Initially I thought, okay…well that was strange and we continued walking back to our home.
I started thinking maybe he was a little crazy… Just randomly mumbling scripture to passersby, because his message wasn’t really complete or clear to me. The longer I thought, the more I realized something. This man spoke some truth that happened to speak into how I felt at the time. I however saw his tattered and dirty outward appearance and odd forwardness, and sadly thought what most of us would.
I took it to the Lord and He showed me that this is the type of people He loves to use most. One of the best examples was John The Baptist. A big bearded, bug eating, crazy man who lived in the desert and shouted at people to repent and get dunked in water. God chose Him to be the one who led the way for Jesus himself!
So the next time I see someone who is on a street corner yelling scripture, I will stop and listen. God uses them to speak to you in a way you never expected. Or in my case…
God might call YOU to be the crazy sidewalk prophet.
“As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable”
1 Corinthians 12:20?-?22 ESV
Yours in Christ,
Andy
