Who Is This Man?

Clove Island coast in our neighborhood

I made friends with a young man.  We’ll call him Elevu.  He started coming by to practice his English.  He’s a smart kid.  He comes from a poor family and he’s gotten into the premier school of Clove Island and he’s doing well.  Many of the hopes and dreams of his family rest on him.  But he is also a deep thinker and a poet.  Long before meeting me, he seems to have been on a search for truth.

“I have a good friend…” Elevu tells me.  This friend of his likes to discuss deep subjects.  He likes to read widely.  Without any suggestion on my part, he soon asks me if I have one of our special books for him to read.  I gave him some instruction on where to start, and he took it home with him.

The other day Elevu came by the house.  “I have a question.”  he said.  “I was reading the story where your prophet says ‘Your sins are forgiven.‘  How can he say that?  How can a man forgive sins?”

“Excellent question,” I told him.  Then I told him the story of the paralyzed man who was brought before the teacher. 

“Which is easier to say: ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘get up and walk’?  Both so you may know that the son of man has authority to do these things…”  and the man got up, took his mat, and went out rejoicing.

“Everyone there was asking the same question you are asking: ‘Who is this man?’”  I said to him, “And that question is maybe the most important question of all.  But I can’t tell you the answer.  You must discover it on your own.”

Elevu left a bit confused and a bit excited.  I thought about it afterwards.  Should I have said something different?  Should I have told him the answer?  But no.  I feel peace about it.  Could it be that sometimes, in our rush to guide people to share in our great treasure we forget to allow them the thrill of discovery?  Isn’t the treasure hard fought for greater than the one placed at your feet?  And can I really answer his question anyway?

Our 2 yr old in front of his new "big boy" bed

Who is this man?  It’s a huge question worth asking ourselves every day of our lives.  And every day holds new secrets to be discovered!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We have some visitors with us (some of our bosses).  It’s been great to talk with them and be encouraged by their wisdom and experience. Flour is back on the island, just in time for Megan to bake for our visitors.  Peter is all better and we’re all in good health.  Our friend Ma Imani is feeling better too.  Our work to clarify our vision and focus has been going well, but we still have a ways to go.

PRAYERS REQUESTED 
Pray for my friend Elevu and others like him.  That they would ask the right questions and have the joy of discovering the answers!  This is a holiday weekend on the islands- pray that it would lead to good conversations.  Pray for us in the midst of this team building process.  Pray that this would help give our team direction.  Pray for great trust in one another, unity and consensus.   Pray for lots of good visits for our bosses and safe travels back to their home tomorrow.  Tom is starting a new English teacher training program this week.  Pray that it would get off to a good start.