Jesus sat around one night telling his disciples “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” (The gospel of John 15:18) Jesus knew before the disciples that on their journey they would travel to places where they would be persecuted. He warned them of this so they would not be surprised when they caught wind of someone talking bad about them. As missionaries in a foreign place it’s hard to think of others speaking badly against us or against what he are doing here in Swaziland. To the average Swazi, seeing an American is seeing riches. I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day waiting for our driver and on the television was VH1. The topic was all about American actresses or “princesses” and what they do with daddies’ money. These girls weren’t even famous; they where kin of a famous name. The show was portraying a side of America that doesn’t get seen first hand by most of American’s today. Yet this is what the locals see about Americans. I was a little embarrassed to be an American in a Swazi coffee shop. But this is not where this stereotype ends. The other day we took a walk down to the local shop. One of the Locals went with us to just hang out and talk, some of the other guys along the way where shouting out to him. The words I did catch said something about “whities”. I asked my friend what they where shouting about, he told me not to worry about it and keep walking. I insisted that he told me what they where saying. He told me they where shouting at him “Why are you walking with those Americans; they won’t give you anything.”
This is when it hit me, when Jesus was talking about the world hating his disciples. I’m not saying that these guys hated us but they had this idea about us that we have no reason to be here. At this point I wanted to go to them and ask what there deal was and possibly explain to them what we where doing here. I realized that they might not ever understand what we are doing here. My friend continued to ask me questions about my life in the states and why I would give up being there to come here. I explained to him my desire to draw closer to God and my desire to see him in places I have never seen before. I tried to explain to him that everything he’s seen in movies and television isn’t how America is at all.
I remember I used to watch Full house as a kid and I used to think that somewhere in another place along way from my house lived this perfect family with a adorable daughter that would say cute little quotes like “you’ve got it dude” and the whole family would stand around and laugh at her. I used to believe that Full house was the “All American Family” with a super cool uncle and a amazing house with a nice backyard where Stephanie learned to play softball, and then she got a black eye and the whole family surrounded her with love. At that time this was an American family that I wanted so much to be a part of. As I think about this show now I realize how messed up the Tanner family actually was. A single father trying to raise three daughters, with a wannabe musician brother living in the attic of his house with a wife and two kids, and then there is Danny’s friend Joey or “Uncle Joey” a mid thirties comedian in and out of relationships lived in the basement of his old college buddies house. This is what most of America is really like. The glitz and glamour of America is what other countries see. As Americans, I believe we live vicariously through other people lives. We cling to things such as “Us” Magazine and MTV cribs all the while saying in our own minds “If only”.
Being here I have realized how well off I have it in America. How much I don’t have to worry about basic things in my life. Like, what am I going to eat today, or am I going to be able to shower today? As an American, I believe I have become very complacent with the things that I have. I believe Jesus calls us to live completely opposite then our American mindsets. He asked his disciples to leave everything and follow him. I don’t know about you, but if I where fishing in a boat that I bought with my hard earned cash, and I just got the biggest catch of the day the last thing I would want to do is leave it all on the shore of the lake and follow him. I’m learning that everything always isn’t what it seems. Jesus isn’t as American as my mind made him out to be. Living for Christ isn’t as easy as some people make it out to be. And failing isn’t always a bad thing. We are who he has called us to be, ambassadors for Christ and if we are hated we must remember that He was hated first.
