The Sun Also Rises
“Living by faith includes the call to somethings greater than cowardly self-preservation.”
J.R.R. Tolkien
FEWER THAN 120 HOURS HAVE PASSED since I last penned a message, and my life is already drastically different from when I boarded a plane from Johannesburg to Cape Town, South Africa.
Upon arrival to the airport, I was swiftly separated from my squad-mates Andrew and Seth, and as the sun began to set, I gazed out to a world very different than I had experienced in Johannesburg only 3 hours prior. There were no tourists where I was going. No hostels with all the comforts of home, only an every growing plain of damp reed fields, highlighted by a monolithic chain of mountains blocking out a setting sun.
I spoke with the two gentlemen escorting me to my new location as they switched intermittently between English and Afrikaans. We spoke of my expectations and desires for my time in Cape Town, and I shared to the best of my ability. I was unaware God was only a few km away from shattering everything I had prepared to see.
As we drove deeper into the rural areas of Cape Town, the buildings faded, while shacks and shanty towns rose in their place. I was taken to an area called Lavender Hill, a government mecca for those who are without. The lack of jobs and a proper economy lead to an environment saturated with crime, drugs, and gangster activity. This wasn’t my home, and I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.
My team met me outside a small house no larger than 600 sq/ft surrounded by a low concrete wall, and a small iron gate. I walked inside to see a life different than any I had lived before. No wifi, no air-conditioning, no hot water, no shower — expectations shatter. This was real. This is my new life.
I was quickly briefed on the house rules: no traveling alone, if I leave the yard I will need an escort, inside only after dark, and always keep our things hidden. Flooded with emotions of joy from finally being reunited with my team to those of fear and discomfort from my surroundings, I quickly questioned my decision to come on the World Race. My first night of sleep was sparse as I was hyper-sensitive to every noise, but as Hemmingway wrote: The Sun Also Rises.
And with rising sun, came a new understanding of the world around me. Despite Lavender Hill being filled with hate, fear, and oppression — there is a spark of hope, and an abundance of love.
Our team is the first to ever live in the area. We have been called to establish a community of peace and joy. By immersing ourselves in a world so different from our own, we can show a Christlike love to those who need it most.
So with my shattered expectations, and the shedding of my selfish desires I seek only one thing: to be a light in dark places when all other lights go out. To be as Christ to both my enemies and my friends. To show love to those who are without, and to completely abandon all of me, and see, seek, and serve as only Christ would. Because if I do anything out of vain conceit or selfish ambition and am nothing more than a hinderance to Him who wants to change everything. Not just in Lavender Hill, but in me. For as each day ends and the darkness grows, I take solace and find peace in serving Christ: the Son who rose.
