House of Mourning

photo by me

I'll start out by saying that South Africa, so far, has been a dream. Some days I have to stop myself and remember that this is my reality right now.

Reality, however, is not always as it seems. South Africa is one of the most juxtaposing nations in that extreme poverty is (quite literally) the neighbor of extreme wealth. It was one of the first things I noticed when I arrived while driving by the highway... an array composing hundreds upon hundreds--if not a couple thousand--of shacks lined up. I soon learned that these were black and coloured township communities assigned during the governmental regime of apartheid.

I am reminded that "With much wisdom comes much sorrow, with much knowledge, much more grief" and that "the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning" in Ecclesiastes 1:18 and 7:4a, respectively.

In the town where I stay poverty is all around us. You cannot walk down the street without seeing a number of people begging on the side of the street and you will make contact with a couple of them on a daily basis. It's rather unbelievable because the university is not too far away from my residential area but being on campus is almost an entirely different world. After a month now I've even started to recognize many of them throughout town where a certain curbside has become their home. Just last weekend I had a young girl ask to finish my half-empty chocolate frappucino. Even worse, it had been sitting out for hours, spoiling with the warm weather and she still yearned for a drink. My heart aches.

Our program has cautiously advised us to be wary in providing for the poor in town. The fact that we are here for a long term has a bit of implication in that the expectation to provide will become permanent, and many have been known to get rude, or even a chance for violence, when denied provision from their 'regular' donors.

To be very honest, it's very, very hard to see and not know how to approach the situation (especially as being female is a bit more risky in these situations). I've had the pleasure of making a friend, however, who interacts with  the homeless with such grace. We are not able to walk down the street without stopping every 30 seconds as he greets and many of the faces he has regularly come to know. So refreshing that there are those who do not walk in timidity. So convicting, but so necessary.

While in the Word this morning I came across Proverbs 19:17 (NIV), which says:

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." 

What stood out to me is "kind;" some other versions also translate this word to "gracious," "merciful," as well as "generous." Like the model my friend has shown, kindness can be one of the most sufficient means if you are unable to move in any other manner. Simple in theory but not practiced quite readily enough. Yet, accordingly, as you are lending of your grace as you would to God, He will repay it back unto you. Other versions exchange "reward" to suggest a "repayment" from God, and that "lending" to Him is no different than a "loan." So what does this mean? If he is the one to pay back the loan, is He not the one to provide to the recipient in the first place? Thus, we are simply vessels, conduits of His grace. 

Being reminded that dwelling in the house of mourning is also representing the house of God.