Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained

Doing It the Right Way

Today is another day in paradise. The short rains this season may have been long by a month but the sunny weather since is all the sweeter. Sunshine all day. Low humidity. Just a zephyr of breeze. Birds sing. Flowers bloom. Kids play—girls dress up in fancy clothes and boys kick balls or ride bikes. No bugs to speak of. Mmmmmmmm!

But at times there can be trouble in Paradise. Our Chapel speaker today, psychologist Chuck Lewis, parsed the book of Job. This oldest of biblical sagas shows a prosperous man of faith and decency upon whom disasters fall without warning, though not without purpose.

Behind the scenes God and Satan are in combat. Job has a letter of recommendation signed by God. Satan impugns Job’s motives as merely that of a gold-digger. The gauntlet is thrown down. Job will be tested.

Disasters from the Enemy of God and strip this hapless man of the stuff he has worked so hard for. Even worse, those beloved children he has brought into the world and prayed over so faithfully are killed. His health collapses under the sting of boils covering his entire body so he gets no relief day or night, sitting or standing. His psychological support evaporates as his wife, seeing his misery can only say he may as well give up on God and die.

Yet Job does not cave in. God gives all; therefore it is his to take away.

Those famed friends come, showing they have hearts of compassion. And they don’t try to trivialize Job’s situation. They sit with him seven days in silent support. Finally they try to say something to explain the unexplainable. Job must have sinned or done something to bring this on. But in the end Job gets his letter of recommendation from God as a righteous man through it all. And God, angry with the four sincere but foolish friends, has Job pray for them. God then restores to Job his health and provides new wealth and children, including those girls of whom it is said, “There are none fairer than Job’s daughters.”

For lunch today I visited the home of a typical African couple. They have also been robbed by the Enemy of God’s people. Would you like to go along?

Timothy meets me at the college gate. He has a big smile and gives a cheery “Karibu!” (Welcome!) He takes my laptop in hand and we walk over hard-packed footpath/car road. He is telling me how glad he is to see his former Mwalimu (Teacher). I mention I just gave the mid-term exam. “O, I remember. Do you know what I got on that exam six years ago? 100%. A straight A!” I confess I had forgotten that, but I knew he got an A for the course and talked excitedly in those days how he was going to use philosophy in his ministry.

We turn off the main path onto a single-file track through a small plantation of coffee trees and maize. The goats—kids really—baa at us as we pass.

I think of how I interviewed him with my camcorder several years ago. He was so excited. Philosophy was his cup of chai. He would use it in ministry with university students and witness for the Gospel, taking a church in an urban setting.

We go by a building whose walls and roof are of corrugated roofing. “That’s an African Independent Church. You can hear some in there singing.” As we turn at the corner we step alongside an adobe building.

Timothy explains that the African Inland Church (AIC) that the College here is connected with had some problems that were unresolved for a long time. Some congregations grew so frustrated that they broke away and formed their own association—keeping the same (hence confusing) initials: AIC

I can’t help but wonder if Satan is still trying to derail God’s people. The church on earth is no paradise. That awaits the church in glory.

We duck through a narrow door in a gate that could swing open wide enough for a vehicle. This opens upon a modest courtyard, perhaps 15 feet wide and 30 feet long. On each side there are doorless openings to one room and two room apartments. We greet a woman who is sitting in the only chair in view with a plump boy of perhaps a year on her lap. Above the sky is blue with a few friendly puffs of clouds.

On the right we stoop a bit to enter the home of Timothy and Peninah. Peninah comes forth in a sage green outfit, kerchief folded up into a hat that sweeps aloft with her hairdo. She is all smiles. “Please sit down.” There is one four person couch in this 10x10 room. A tiny wood table is the only other furniture piece—the size of a milking stool.

“This is Elizabeth, Mwalimu…”

I find that she is a student at Scott in her second year. She is an orphan and comes to visit Peninah often. Sweet girl and very shy. She wants to serve God now that some have come forward from her church to provide school fees. I think of the countless orphans in Africa who are as destitute as Job unless some Good Samaritan intervenes.

Peninah busies herself in the kitchen. I peek in for a nanosecond so as not to stare. It is like other kitchens in these rental cubes for the poor. A room empty of cabinets. No furniture. No appliances. A small charcoal hibachi on the floor. A few pans and pots. No table. She squats near the floor to prep the rice and vegetables.

So Timothy and I talk of how things are going. While they were engaged, Timothy and Peninah made what we euphemistically call in the States “a mistake.” They made some “bad decisions.” They ended up marrying hastily, incurring a mountain of debt, and under discipline by the church and the College. Friends forsake them. They are crushed.

But like Job they refuse to curse God and cave in. Like King David they confess their sin and seek reconciliation, after first trying to hidehave it all. For over a year they have worked through a difficult situation with church elders and college officials. Now the dark cloud is breaking. They know the Lord has forgiven them and the slate is wiped clean. They have been restored to fellowship and cleared for ministry. They feel the burden is lifted and are rejoicing in the sunshine again and eager to do ministry. This is their passion.

Elizabeth brings an empty basin and a jug of warm water. I swish my hands in it, shake off the drops, and let them air dry.

Peninah brings in a soup bowl filled with rice, peas & carrots, and some chopped meat (probably goat). She sets it in front of me with a soup spoon. Elizabeth gets a smaller helping, while the couple shares a bowl the size of mine. Water and pineapple flavored juice make up our drinks. Peninah prays for the meal—this seems to be the custom in all the local homes that the woman prays.

After lunch I try to use my laptop to show them some slides. But the software is missing and since the power is out (usual during daylight) the batteries are about to shut down we give up on showing slides of India.

Timothy tells me that Elizabeth slipped a note under the door early this morning to the effect that church of 700 in Mombasa needs a pastor and that Timothy would be perfect. So he is to call them ASAP to seize the opportunity. While he and Peninah have jobs at a local school, that is not what God has called them to. They each earn 600 shillings a month ($9). But their rent is 500 shillings. And even though the landlord took a shine to them, they have trouble finding money for food. They pray daily for what they need. And God is faithful. Not ahead of time, but on time, enough for a day or two comes along when they have more month than money. I realize that they have spent everything to feed me this simple meal.

I find that Timothy is praying fervently that the church will accept him. The fact that it is 300 miles from here is good—a fresh start away from any gossiping tongues. God may forget our sins, but often people do not.

Elizabeth excuses herself to go back to campus.

Timothy asks me if I know that Peninah is expecting. “Yes,” I reply, “but I am waiting for you to tell me.” A baby is coming within a month or two and they are so happy! In Kenya you have kids even if you have nothing. And God does provide. They show me an outfit that says “I am a happy boy—my mum and dad love God.”

We join hands and I pray that God will open a door. I give thanks that they have handled their sin properly and are even more equipped to minister than ever. I ask that the Lord will restore what the “locusts have eaten” and make them mighty in ministry.

Peninah walks as far as the turn in the trail. Timothy walks with me the five minutes back to campus. I ask him to wait a minute since I have something for him. Suspecting that he has been trusting God for money to call Mombasa since they likely have spent their last shilling to feed me, I “bless him” with a couple of notes.

I fully expect our prayers to be answered. They are trusting to God to open or close the door. Timothy is an extremely intelligent man with a good heart. They will accomplish an immense amount of good once in ministry. He will grow and deepen his church. He will maintain integrity in his life. He will reach out to university people and engage the many Muslims in that city.

It will never be paradise again. But the sun will shine and bring forth much good fruit.

Thanks for coming with me.