Bruised

I am bruised.

My bed has a pretty sharp corner protruding out at the foot of the bed. I've gotten quite used to it and learned to walk out of the way to avoid it even when waking up in the middle of the night. It had been two weeks since I last slept in my bedroom and the first morning after I got back from the trip, you guessed it, I ran right into it after waking up. My thigh is badly bruised.

In our everyday lives, we've gotten so used to our surroundings that we take these elements and our responses to them for granted. It takes a trip like this to remind ourselves of their presence...the human response to his environment should be intentional and thoughtful at first, but repeated exposures to the same environment will sometimes lead to the generation of a systematic, automatic response without even thinking about it. I've taken my relationships with my friends, coworkers, and frankly even God for granted...communication with these people (and prayer with God) has become a routine thing that I just do without thinking much about it. Same can be said about the hurts of the world, turn on your TV at 5:30 and you always find reports of murders, diseases, poverty, natural disasters, and other injustices. Occasionally I get moved and compelled enough to do something about it, but by and large I've become desensitized by these reports.

But this trip woke me up and reminded me of their presence. Getting to know the workers, clients, kids, and patients of Living Hope and working with each RHCC team member has been a tremendous blessing. It's been two weeks of hard work, travel, new experiences, sleep deprivation, laughter, tears, sweat, and culinary indulgence (unfortunately my recipes for penguins weren't tested). But it's also been two weeks of growth and change. Witnessing the impact of poverty, HIV, and injustice juxtaposed upon the beautiful city of Cape Town bruised my heart. With time, the physical bruise on my thigh will heal but not my heart. The stories shared during this trip changed the lens through which I look at life, relationships, and the world. My life has been enriched greatly by the last two weeks.

Nashville, Tennessee and Cape Town, South Africa couldn't be more different but at the same time couldn't be more similar:

• We all need love, grace, forgiveness, hope, mercy, and compassion, regardless of differences in age, race, locale, profession, or HIV status.
• We all thirst for a loving God and an eternal life in heaven.
• Children want to be held and given attention (unfortunately in Red Hill, many lost their parents to AIDS).
• HIV/AIDS is not just a health problem, until the underlying economic, racial, and gender inequalities are corrected, the cycle of rapid transmission will continue.
• HIV/AIDS remains a stigmatized disease.
• As followers of Christ, we are to serve and love the marginalized people.
• Laughter is the best medicine.
• The contents of a Chicken McNugget are equally mysterious.

The original lighthouse at the Cape of Good Hope was built in 1857, on a peak 780 feet above sea level. But because of its height, fog and clouds often obscured the lighthouse from passing ships an average of 900 hours a year. In 1919 a new one was constructed at a lower point and much closer to sea level. We are to be the light of the world, so don't let our ignorance or neglect of the poor and marginalized cloud our light. Just being an American, we are by default placed at the top of the global income scale even if you only make minimum wage...it's time for us to get closer to the poor and serve them, serve as a beacon of truth and love. Can't wait until the next trip? You can start by praying for them, pray for comfort and peace for the HIV+ patients, healthy growth and safety for the kids in Red Hill, strength and energy for the workers at Living Hope, food and shelter for the poorest of the poor, wisdom for the scientists looking for a cure.

Do you find your Christian life to be a little dull lately? I encourage you to start praying about a mission trip...it's time to get bruised.