Friday Night/Saturday Morning Schedule
11:00pm Leave house to go to church.
12:00pm Power Vigil begins.
5:10am Power Vigil ends.
5:45am Leave church to return to church.
6:33am Bed.
Recently a fellow teacher in St. Louis sent me a video with questions from her students for me to respond to since I am “Weston the World Traveler.” One of her students asked, “How are other places different than the US?” Kids ask the toughest questions.
I can respond with, “Minimal fast food, even less pizza, and virtually no good peanut butter,” but that probably arises, if anything, more sympathy than eyebrows. How can anything shorter than an encyclopedia collection provide a thorough enough response to such an inquiry? How can I answer without stereotyping, misleading, and blatantly summarizing? I don’t know.
They are poorer.
They are more excited.
They are calmer.
They are louder.
They are dirtier.
They are emptier.
They are chaotic.
They are limited.
They aren’t.
We are.
We are different.
We proclaim the Super Bowl victors as champions of the world. They’ve never heard of the Steelers, Cowboys, Patriots, etc. We go to grocery stores and shop with our stomachs from an abundant array. They go to markets and buy the same products as their ancestors’ ancestors. We think that Friday nights are for high school sports. They prepare for all night vigils.
It’s our world view. That’s all we know. If you’re from the North, barbeque probably means grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The South would argue specifically pulled pork, while Texas would imply brisket and ribs. If your father lied, cheated, and abused, that’s what “father” means. If God took your mother when you were five, He’s probably not fair. Truth is not relative, but what our experiences lead us to believe is true can certainly be relative.
Our ministry this month is partnering with a church, Christ Heart, just outside Lagos, Nigeria. Twice a month the church hosts an all night power vigil—itinerary listed above. I’ve attended churches all over America, and I’ve never heard of, let alone experienced, such a service as part of the monthly schedule.
But is this time of worship, prayer, and praise different if every African country we’ve been to so far participates as well? I probably haven’t danced at 4:00am since my high school prom, but does that justify my thought, “This is different,” throughout the evening? When did the tooth fairy’s cousin, Normal the Nymph, tap me with enchantment so I know what is conventional and what is not? (The answers to the questions are No, No, and Never, respectively.)
I don’t have to be in the heart of Africa to realize this, admittedly though, it helps. What do you see as right or correct that is probably more just personal preference? What if your entire life is lived inside a bubble in which you control the size, shape, and volume? How does the attitude that, “I understand,” limit understanding? How does grace fit into all of this?
It all seems to come back to the idea of, “What is my life about? Me or God?” If it’s “God,” what truly is truth will become clearer over time. If it’s “me,” good luck removing the speck.
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**Thanks to DJ Kelley for the photos.
