Poverty is the absence of hope. When thinking of poverty in this perspective it is very hard to look at Uganda as a “poverty-stricken” country. Ugandans are very gracious and live life in a way that gives every person (even children) value. The biggest difference between Ugandans and Americans is their humility in times of worship. At Uganda Christian University we have community worship (chapel) twice a week, and it is the highlight of my week. The way students here approach the throne of God is inspiring. I get chills from attending worship….not because I’m in Africa, but because I experience God in a different way in this place.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 5:3
Grace is the famine of our lives in America. I feel that all too often we do not come to God in the humility that is being exemplified by our Ugandan brothers and sisters. When I think of Uganda, I do not think of their lack of financial resources, but their being poor in spirit. They are able to look at the nothingness we have all arisen from and thank God for bringing them out of it.
Joy is a response of the heart, not an adaptation of circumstances. The people here have next to nothing, but their lives reflect otherwise. The joy and love of those I have encountered thus far here in Uganda is overwhelming. Never before have I experienced such hospitality and humility.
As I prepared to come to Uganda my main thoughts were how I could help while I’m here, not what I could learn or get out of it, but to my surprise, I have learned more in the past three weeks about grace, change, life, and humility than I prepared myself for. Africa does not need our help; they need our friendship.
Friends encourage in times of poverty, thrive off of mercy in times of famine, and keep love deep within their hearts for one another. That is what Africa needs….it’s what we all need.
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