Last month we celebrated women in missions, and this month we’re giving it up for our guys! We’re having fun with images of mustaches, muscles, pipes, and the iconic World Race beard. We’ve poured over blogs from men on the field along with those of the thankful ladies serving beside them. They’re stories of fun and freedom, challenge and compassion, honor and humility. And the lasting impression we’re left with is a man who looks like Jesus.
Chris Qualls of the January 2014 Z Squad shares a story of beautiful contradictions, the purpose found in inconvenience, the life found in death. He challenges us to let God ruin our plans, to forfeit what’s good for what’s best.
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Allow me to start by saying that God is a life ruiner. He ruins people’s lives.
This past month, the squad spent a lot of time and energy planning out a soccer tournament. Our goal was to organize a tournament in the village we are near (Senga Bay) and use that tournament as a platform to share the gospel. We planned everything out to the letter, and we were super excited.
But when we showed up to the field, everything was somber. Silence dominated the soccer pitch. It was as if the entire village had disappeared.
There had been a death in the village.
And in Malawian culture, funerals are huge. For 24 hours after death, the entire village, and sometimes surrounding villages, are silent. The only noise is the local church, singing worship music and quietly whispering resurrection prayers. The silence is so the family may hear if the deceased should awaken and speak.
Representatives from every family in the area come and sit on the ground outside the family’s house all day, with no food or water.
They sit there in silence and share in grief. It’s the way this culture shows respect for the deceased and family. For 24 hours, they grieve, mourn, and worship. But as soon as that time is up, the body is placed in a coffin and walked to the grave site by family and friends. At this point, the mourners follow the coffin, singing and dancing, and as soon as the first spill of dirt hits the coffin, mourning must end.
So obviously, with this sort of funeral culture, our precious tournament was postponed, which meant our opportunity to share the gospel with a predominately Muslim community was also postponed. And I wont pretend to be holy— I was not excited that so much work and anticipation got kicked to the sideline, if you’ll pardon the pun.
But then I chose to accompany my team as our “family’s” representative at the funeral.
I sat for hours in the sand. I literally got ants in my pants, and the backs of my hand got sunburned. But it was so worth it.
Multiple locals asked how we knew about the funeral, and we told them about the tournament and how it had been postponed out of respect for the funeral. And men and women were [touched] by our actions. So much so, they became horribly curious about our soccer tournament. Many teams signed up after seeing our respect.
And a week later, many came to know Jesus at the tournament.
But I think the funeral was where ministry happened. That’s where we really reached the people. Our respect and willingness to carry the burdens of others— our ability to weep when others weep, mourn when they mourn, and rejoice when they rejoice— that’s what impressed the community, not our well organized, planned, and structured tournament.
It’s the unexpected things, the inconvenient things in our lives, God so often uses to ruin our days in the best, most beautiful way.
Through a funeral this community saw Christ in us. Through a funeral they came to find life.
And it was the most inconvenient thing to happen to me all month. It ruined my plans more than anything else that month. And that’s saying something, because it was Africa.
But it was the most beautiful funeral I have ever seen. And the most fruitful.
Church, I implore you, let God ruin your day, week, month, year, and even life. Be willing to see death and get to life. Don’t take inconveniences for granted.
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Are you waiting for God to wreck your best laid plans? Are you ready to trade safe and comfortable for a life-ruining, life-giving adventure on the World Race? Don’t miss these routes.
