Today is our church day. Our involvement with Calvary, the church we are working with, lasts for a good portion of the day. We arrive at 9:30 for the youth service, stay through and contribute to the main service and then hold a Bible study afterwards for the men and women in their respective gender groupings. Yesterday it was my turn to preach and I did so, preaching a message on the imminent return of the Lord and our need to be found faithful. Following said time we convened for the men’s fellowship as the women went to their own.
As we talk to the men we are encouraging them and exhorting them to be greater leaders in the community, better husbands, better fathers and so forth. Regardless, yesterday we were talking about becoming better husbands and did not quite recognize the weighty task we took upon ourselves. Roughly twenty-five men, mostly church elders, joined in a classroom to learn from whatever the white folks had to say. There we were, aged and wise African men, all married, being taught by young, single, white men about marriage. I must say, the odds did not look practical and I questioned of what validity we spoke with.
Nevertheless, they lent their ear and absorbed what was said. They were taking in the information as a spectator would until the issue of proximity arose. One of them asked why men and women were so close in the US and why they seemed so distant there in Kenya. It is quite true, one never sees a husband and wife sitting together in church or walking about in public together. I am told some even sleep in different rooms of the house. Moreover, some were asking the question (even though they didn’t use the specific word) about romance between a man and a woman.
So there we were in quite a fix, wise sages in African society inquiring what they could do to better serve their wives. Knowing that even culture does not separate basic qualities between men and women around the globe, we exhorted them in the way we best knew how, using only the Word as the authority instead of our gross lack in experience or intelligence. The time lasted far longer than we had planned as the men had many questions. We ultimately had to depart and told them we would continue next week. However, I still can’t help but chuckle at the clueless men of the church desiring to become more romantic and tender towards their wives. Perhaps culture and tradition will fall by the wayside as the men begin to “love their wives as Christ loves the church.”
As we talk to the men we are encouraging them and exhorting them to be greater leaders in the community, better husbands, better fathers and so forth. Regardless, yesterday we were talking about becoming better husbands and did not quite recognize the weighty task we took upon ourselves. Roughly twenty-five men, mostly church elders, joined in a classroom to learn from whatever the white folks had to say. There we were, aged and wise African men, all married, being taught by young, single, white men about marriage. I must say, the odds did not look practical and I questioned of what validity we spoke with.
Nevertheless, they lent their ear and absorbed what was said. They were taking in the information as a spectator would until the issue of proximity arose. One of them asked why men and women were so close in the US and why they seemed so distant there in Kenya. It is quite true, one never sees a husband and wife sitting together in church or walking about in public together. I am told some even sleep in different rooms of the house. Moreover, some were asking the question (even though they didn’t use the specific word) about romance between a man and a woman.
So there we were in quite a fix, wise sages in African society inquiring what they could do to better serve their wives. Knowing that even culture does not separate basic qualities between men and women around the globe, we exhorted them in the way we best knew how, using only the Word as the authority instead of our gross lack in experience or intelligence. The time lasted far longer than we had planned as the men had many questions. We ultimately had to depart and told them we would continue next week. However, I still can’t help but chuckle at the clueless men of the church desiring to become more romantic and tender towards their wives. Perhaps culture and tradition will fall by the wayside as the men begin to “love their wives as Christ loves the church.”
posted by Scott Anthony Williams | 11:28 PM
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