What to say about the Maasai? OK, I will tell you this. It was nothing like I expected. It was awesome to get all the guys together, buy machetes, cut stuff down, get Maasai brandings (sorry Mom), hike a mountain at sundown, attend the funeral of a woman born in 1884(you do the math), play sports, laugh, and just plain bond with the men. But in Tanzania I saw tons of Maasai in traditional wear who still worked at cattle shepards (and part time lion hunters). The Maasai that we worked with in Kenya lived higher in the Mountains, wore Western clothing (except for the old guys), and had a stable lifestyle of farming fertile land. I will admit there was some dissapointment that I wasnt going to get to chop the head off of a lion, but I knew that we werent there to just get our kicks and leave. We were there to build Gods Kingdom. So I got over it pretty quick. Ministry was awesome, because we very quickly identified the spirits that were operating in that village. Spirits of Denominationalism (10 churches in a 3,000 person village and they didnt want to work together), Religion (doing Christian practices out of requirement and not relationship), and Phariseeism (people acting like they are perfect while condeming any Christian who strays away from their narrow definition of Holiness.) Since we identified these right away, we were able to teach and preach all week about these things. The congregation and especially the young Pastors (22 years old) were very hungry to hear more.
Working with the Maasai really opened my eyes to the fact that no Church is perfect. I used to rag on the American Church for its greed and its hypocrasy. And when I got to Africa I thought I saw the Church the way it was suppose to be. They worship and dance totally care free. They worship with Passion I have rarely seen in America. But after 3 months in Africa I realize that all Churches have their own strengths and weaknesses. Yes, African Churches do worship way better than American Churches. But American Churches preach and understand personal relationship with Christ better than African Churches. I realized now that its not that Church in one place is bad, and in another its good (or more right). All have strengths and weaknesses, and by coming together and sharing those strenghts we can make the entire Global Body of Christ stronger.
Then again didnt God say that the foot shouldnt desire to be the hand?
In that case: Dance, you crazy Maasai warrior, dance. I have a Bible to go read.
