It was cold today. While the elevation is
nothing close to that of Addis, Mbabane is situated in a mountainous area,
which makes the city look rather small. The colonial rulers wanted the capital
to be in Manzini, but the Swazis chose Mbabane because it is cooler…and indeed
it is.
The group we are training today and
tomorrow are made up of several lay leaders representing the Anglican Women’s
Fellowship, Youth, and Sunday School. One participant did not show up, so we
have six in total.
Thokozani taught the “Passion” segment as
he has for the trainings we have done with him in the past. By “Passion” we
mean that which is the driving force behind disciple making, namely loving God
and loving our neighbours as ourselves. He has a unique story about love for a
neighbour. When he moved into the house where he and his family now live, their
white neighbour rejected them. Thokozani had a choice…he could respond in kind
and be part of the hostility, or he could respond with love, patience, and
acceptance regardless of how his neighbour treated him and his family. Two
years later, a grandchild of the white neighbour saw Thokozani’s child playing
in the front yard…and crossed the street to play with him. But while the ice
was broken, the rejection was still there. Then on another occasion, the neighbour
saw Thokozani going to church dressed in his cassock and asked him why he wore
women’s clothing…Thokozani explained that he was an Anglican believer and told
his neighbour all about Jesus and what Jesus meant to him. In time, all barriers
have been removed and the neighbours are now good friends…all because Thokozani
chose to love rather than hate.
That’s part of making disciples…loving God
more than ourselves…loving people like God loved them…even enemies and those
who spitefully use us and persecute us. In short, what drives us to make
disciples is that we are walking in the footsteps of the One Who loves the
world so much that He was willing to die for it. It is our passion…or, at least, it ought to
be.
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