Africa is spiritual. It always has been and always will be. The spirit is alive – in the people, the land, the animals, the songs, the stories…
Growing up, I always thought of Africa as the
land of enchantment
. The land that held mystery in its very existence – like a dream that seems too good (or too bad) to be true. A continent whose culture screams out for deliverance. A land of extremes. A land fully engaged in the spirit. People thrive on the spirit. It moves their feet and causes them to dance. The rhythm of the culture invites everyone to enter into the step of the spirit:
…the bounce of the impala…
…the clap of the hands…
…the setting of the sun…
…the stories of the people…
…the significance of the name…
…the beauty of the valley…
…the word of the prophetic…
…the smile of the orphan…
…the ‘click’ of the tongue…
…the smell of the brai…
…the hugs of friends not forgotten…
No longer dreams yet to come, but memories forever etched in my mind, heart…and spirit.
I do not think it was by chance that God choose Africa to wake me up to the supernatural. The spiritual realm lives because people believe in it. That belief and faith is the very pathway that heaven chooses to pervade earth. The Lord is sending his Holy Spirit powerfully upon these nations and revival is breaking out in the hearts of the people.
Yes, there are people dying of AIDS. Yes, there are people starving to death. Yes, there are millions of kids left without parents. Yes, these struggles plague Africa, but they also plague the rest of the world – including the US.
One thing Africa has going for it is its spirit and soul. The spirit IS alive in Africa. And God is pouring down his healing balm – the Holy Spirit – upon the land and the people. People are sensitive to the spirit and they believe the spirit will change them – it will heal them and restore them. The Holy Spirit moves freely through the hearts and minds of those crying out for Touch. And this Touch is healing hearts, repairing bodies and restoring dignity.
Africa welcomes the Spirit…and receives those who come in search of the spirit. I came not knowing how hungry I was. With each nibble of the Holy Spirit, my ‘spirit man’ comes more alive. And the more alive I become, the hungrier I become. So, upon leaving Africa, I am more full and more alive with the Spirit than ever before. My hunger cannot be quenched.
This hunger lives in the mystery…
Just as the
enchantment lives in Africa!
