Global Encounter Africa 2007

Articles about Pastor Brian's trip to the Republic of Rwanda

From the Pastor / June 2007

Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before Yahweh, but Yahweh was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’
[1 Kings 19:11b-13]

Nearly two years ago, in the Fall of 2005, I heard Stephen Lewis deliver the Massey Lectures on CBC radio, and soon after I read the published version of those lectures entitled “A Race Against Time.”  Stephen Lewis was, at that time, United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.  His lectures were both a heart wrenching description of the devastating toll HIV/AIDS was taking on the people of Africa as well as a brutal condemnation of the failure of the world – including his own United Nations – to respond compassionately and effectively to the AIDS pandemic there.

I highly recommend “A Race Against Time” to you.

Around the same time, I was approached by Pastor Sonja Free in her role as member of the National Church Council of our Church asking if I would be willing to serve on the local host committee of the Christian Pre-Conference to the International AIDS Conference that was to be held in Toronto in the summer of 2006.  I agreed, not really knowing what I was getting myself in for.

It was also around this time that I first met Deborah McCracken at a meeting of local Lutheran clergy where she was making a presentation about her work with the Olive Branch in Tanzania helping children living with or orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

These three encounters, coming together as they did in such a short time, gave me cause to deeply consider an issue and a people I had previously given little thought.  To me, Africa was a place very far away full of complex cultural, economic and political realities that had very little to do with my life in Canada.  And until attending the HIV/AIDS Conference last summer, I had never even met anyone infected with HIV (or so I had thought).  But after these encounters, I could no longer live in blissful ignorance.  Both HIV/AIDS and Africa were closer than I had ever imagined either of them to be.

But what could I do with this?  Though no longer ignorant, neither was I exactly an expert.

Then, at last month’s gathering of local Lutheran clergy, I learned that Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) was organizing a study tour in Africa focussing on the issues of HIV/AIDS and refugees.  After talking with Barbara and consulting with Council, I decided that I would participate in this learning event.  I’m not sure exactly what God is doing by placing these opportunities before me, or what role this trip will play in my growing awareness of these things, or even ultimately what I’m going to do with these experiences.  But what seems clear is that God is leading me somewhere, and as long as that continues to be true, I’ll continue to follow.

There are a lot of very important issues that the Church provides opportunities for us to engage in: poverty, housing, the environment, interfaith issues, gender and sexual equality, racial issues, mental health, youth – the list goes on and on.  And most of these I’ve engaged in to one degree or another through the Church over the years because I’ve felt compelled by the gospel to do so – they just seemed the ‘Christian’ thing to do.

But once in a while the markers are both more subtle and yet clearer than that, if somewhat surprising.  God nudges, cajoles, suggests and even throws up the occasional block to move us in the right direction.  Call it a still, small voice – call it intuition.  The question remains the same: What are you doing here, Elijah?

What are you doing here, St. Ansgar Lutheran Church?  What are you doing here, member, child, friend of St. Ansgar?  Whether within or without the Church, God is leading me and you somewhere.  If the still, small voice is clear to you, may you have the courage to follow.  If it is not, may we, your brothers and sisters in faith, help you to look, listen for and discern it.

What are you doing here?

Peace,
Pastor Brian