Passion and purpose

(A book review)

Book: Encounters of a bedside nurse – inspiring insights on impacting individuals

Publisher: Haven Publications, Lusaka

Book author: Grace Zimba

 

In a continued bid to read and review books by Zambian authors, I came across this little gem right here in Lusaka. Look beyond the very basic cover design and formatting, and you will find words well worth reading. Nurse Zimba offers insight into the life of a very important care-giver that is often overlooked.

The autobiographical story that Grace Zimba narrates in eight chapters is a brief but insightful record of her calling to be a bedside nurse. She uses the word “calling” rather than profession, to draw attention to her lifelong passion, and she is right to do so. She speaks of a common scenario, “It is amazing how a number of us find ourselves treading the career pathway paved by people who seem to want us to pursue what they think should be our dreams… and consequently [many] have walked through life as frustrated individuals”. She identifies the passionless life as a life “off-track” from our true purpose. We sacrifice our callings for any number of reasons and we serve there with little passion, and we find in this booklet an example of passion and conviction. The nation would be a very different place is every place was filled with people who were passionate about their task!

Service which goes unnoticed and often not appreciated, is still important when one serves a higher purpose. Nurse Zimba is characterised by a deep personal faith that raises the bar for her work as a caregiver and the compassion she shows her patients. She was catechised and baptised at St John’s UCZ church in Kabwe, but in her own words, that was not her turning point. As a teenager in 1978 she witnessed the change that took place in her sister’s life after experiencing transforming faith, and she was drawn to hear the gospel as well. She narrates, “My turning point came in 1978 when two youths, Evans Chibesakunda and Mwiche, visited our congregation at St. John’s. The two young men were zealous for God and they formed a youth group and began holding meetings on Sunday afternoons. I refused to attend the first meeting, but one of my elder sisters attended. When she came back, I noticed that something had changed about her. She was not the same person that I had known all those years we were growing up together.”

When she finally heard the gospel, the demands for repentance and personal faith gripped her heart, and from then on Grace Zimba would never be the same. All this would impact of her attitude towards nursing and impacting people’s lives. One of those principles was empathy, “understanding another person’s condition from their perspective. While we may not fully understand the extent of pain being experienced by the hurting individuals, empathy implores us to place ourselves in their shoes and feel what they are feeling.” She drew this principle from the command to do unto others what you would have them do unto you. She explains what this looked like in practice. “When on duty, I need to observe my patients and take note of those who have been abandoned by their relatives. As a nurse, I try to fill the gap. Society will always categorise human beings according to their economic status and social standing as well as levels of their education; but before God, all people are equal.”

Later in the book, nurse Zimba talked about the challenges of nursing family members, of a suicidal patient and dealing with patients who are stigmatised. The value of this book is not in the poetic lines or vivid descriptions, but in the frank tone and matter-of-fact approach of a real life story. We also see the kind of faith in action that needs to spread and take the place of so much theatrics that has taken the spotlight in Zambian church circles. Whether you agree with every conclusion or not, the book shows us a deep conviction that will surely inspire others to ask if they have such a passion; and if not, to not waste another moment living without passion and purpose.

A blunt axe and New Year resolutions...

It dawned on me ... the problems is not always how we execute the New Year resolutions. Sometimes the problem is the resolutions! This may sound bizzare, but give me a minute to prove my case!

Often we sit alone, dreaming of an alternate reality we want to create. In a few minutes, we have our goal for the next 365 days, and we get to work. But notice the flaw. The plan is often vague, a cloudy image of ourselves seated by a lakeside sipping something colourful from a glass with ice and a little umbrella. Then we say "That's the bulls-eye!" This dream has more about the destination than the journey! So to make our resolutions more practical, we need to do a number of things. These are things I am doing for myself, and hopefully I will bring a better report for the next year!

1) Plan the steps in the journey, not just the destination. Consider, how will you get from point A to B to C?

2) Consult in the planning making process. Don't just consult on the execution! You may be trying to execute a flawed plan! Be sure you have the right skills, or help, for this goal. TO rely on simply thinking positive will be a positive mistake!

3) Put the plan through the furnace! Find the most ruthless (but honest) friend you can find to put it under the magnifying glass. Be ready to even reject the plan and start from scratch.

4) The harder you work on the plan, the less energy will be wasted on a flawed plan! After all, "If an ax is blunt and the edge isn't sharpened, then one has to use more strength" (Ecclesiastes 10:10).

So my resolution this year is to sharpen the axe, to consult more and collaborate more. There is nothing more frustrating that trying to chop wood with a blunt axe. 

Then the rest is in the hands of divine providence!

Sorting out the church scandals - Wrong reactions that make it worse

The newspaper headlines the last few months have not been flattering for the church. They certainly haven't helped the church invite those outside the fold to join it's ranks. 

It's not that there have never been church scandals before. Conflict, compromise and con men and not new. What is new is the scale of the problem - Some may end up fearing to enter any church at all! We seem to be sowing the seeds of a skeptical next generation. We were told to expect wolves in sheep's clothing, but we now seem to have more wolves than sheep. You expect to elbow the sheep next to you and find the canines a bit longer than they supposed to be. What are some wrong attitudes?

1) Keep quiet and everyone will forget: This is not the best approach. We need to look at the issue head on and ask, why is there so much mess? If we ignore it, it will just keep repeating itself. The problem will not go away.

2) It's in another denomination, so it doesn't concern me: Remember, people don't see denominations, they see Christians. What is bad in one group affects how others view you. It is your concern, as an ambassador of Christ, that His name is not dragged through the mud. We must all be concerned!

3) Explain it as a result of temptation: Yes, sometimes there is temptation. But temptation is the allure to divert from the right path. Some seem to have lived the wrong lifestyle for a long time before police catch us with their criminal activity. It is not temptation if someone has lived that way all along! The real question is, why didn't we notice?

4) We must not judge: The Bible also says 'test the spirits' (1 John 4:1). The Bible also says 'watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers' (Acts 20:28). If our 'sheep' are feasted on by the wolves, we may not be doing all that we should. We are busy 'not judging' while others are being swindled and abused. There is a right way to judge and a wrong way.

^"Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!" 
(1 Corinthians 6:2, 3)

There must be a better approach than the four mentioned above! In my next installment I will look at the root cause of this poison in the church, and what we are all responsible to do about it.

Sorting out the church scandals - 3 important things

Recently we have seen a number of headlines revealing scandalous behaviour of clergy; pastors, bishops and others within church circles. Yesterday, the above headline revealed how police raided two churches and caught an incredibly large number of illegal immigrants. Last week we read a story revealing a pastor that abused young girls in the name of exorcising demons. How can the church fix this miss? How did so many con-men and counterfeit clergy get into the church to begin with?

I would like to suggest three things to fix this mess. They are not all, but they will certainly help.

1) Churches and church bodies must speak out against these atrocities. When the churches remain silent, it makes us seem either indifferent (don't care) or sympathetic to the perpetrators! We should say how, in no uncertain terms, that we do not condone these illegal and immoral activities. The church should distance itself from such, and expel any such members from its rank. Even the Bible says that our patience must have limits. We are to expel this person from our ranks. Anyone who says this is too 'harsh' has not read passages like 1 Corinthians 5: 1-13. Zero tolerance! We must not spare the rod.

2) Every church must have checks and balances. Since "there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins" (Ecclesiastes 7: 20).Church members must hold their leaders accountable for lifestyle and use of funds. I come from circles that believe in "elder rule". The elders all partake in the crucial decisions of the church, and the pastor/reverend is the "ruling/preaching/full time" elder. But they all have a vote in the big decisions of the church. That way there are checks and balances. It is not a perfect system, but it prevents anyone from going too far (1 Timothy 5: 17-21). 

3) Engage the community to regain trust. Go out and meet the needs of the vulnerable in society (James 1: 27), visit the prisoners and educate the youth. Show that those who commit crimes in the name of God are a few crooked characters that are wolves in sheep's skin (Matthew 7: 15). Show that the church doors are open and there is nothing to hide. May be we even suspend any overnight seminars and prayer meetings, to show that we are sensitive to the worries of society. This may seem like too much for some, but I think it is worth going out of our way to show that we stand for something more. If we sacrifice overnights for 'over-day' prayer meetings, we wont lose anything! But if we decide not to, we need something in place to show that we have a higher standard. WE must begin to evangelize again, and distinguish the gospel from all the false gospels going around.

These three things will make a world of a difference, in a world that is so desperate for genuine hope, in (what are for many) desperate times.

C. S. Lewis on the big screen...

C. S. Lewis died on 22nd November 1963 (same day as JFK), but his legacy lives on in 'Chronicles of Narnia', 'Mere Christianity' and other books, for adults and children, fiction, spiritual and semi-biographical. This interesting article looks at some possible choices to play the role of Lewis and his old friend J. R. R. Tolkein (who wrote the 'Lord of the rings' trilogy). Interesting choices!

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/who-should-play-lewis-and-tolkien-upcoming-movie-about-their-lives

Born Again - a word everyone uses and no one defines

Language is dynamic. Over time, some words even lose meaning or fall out of popular use, or change meaning. The word "BOMA" (which refered to British Overseas Administration offices, or something like that) has come to mean something else. Strictly speaking there was no BOMA after independence, but we use the word anyway.

If you went into the street and randomly asked a few Zambians what "Born Again" means, you may come up with as many different answers as the people you interview! Some would say "people who attend a church with loud music that can be heard down the road". Others would say, "people who go for crusades" or "people who speak in tongues (charismatic  - but there are some charismatic groups who are not 'born again' but purport to have the same gifts)". Still others might say "those who listen to loud American preachers". Within the church some will say "a person who has repented" or "someone who has faith" or even "anyone who is baptized". How can such a common term have so many different interpretations?

It presupposes a radical diagnosis of human condition. It proposes that, what we need is not simply new resolutions or new attitude or even positive thinking or more self esteem. This view says what we need is so radical, it is called new life. We are naturally unconscious to the wonder of the Creator. We are naturally rule breakers with an attitude of apathy to our maker. We are masters of making excuses (while we are quick to point fingers when others do the same wrong we just excused ourselves from doing). Our spiritual compass cannot pick the true north. Going by this diagnosis, we do not just need a new record (forgiveness) but a new vital principle (spiritual life, regeneration). We don't just need the heavenly courtroom to cancel the record, we need a new condition in our hearts and mind. We need our spritual compass to come alive, to sense the true 'north' and gravitate towards it, to find satisfaction in Him who is greater than we can think or imagine.

In the book Titus 2:3-8 (simplified message version), we have a description of this change:

^3-8 It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

 This tells us that our condition, not just our position (status) needs a change. It tells us about a change so great, that only God can do this to us, we are powerless to bring it about. But unless you accept the radical diagnosis, you will not see the necessity of the cure. But your natural eagerness to make excuses should be a clue that maybe this state of spiritual lifelessness is a reality after all.

As for the use of the term "born again", no doubt many who use it have no clue what it means at all. It is time we pay attention to defining our church terminology. Otherwise it may be just another public secret, like the word BOMA.

Understanding the Book of Proverbs

"A proverb is a concise, memorable saying, usually in poetic form, expressing a generally accepted observation about life as filtered through biblical revelation. From this definition, we can observe that a proverb is characterized as being concise and memorable, simple yet profound, specific yet general, usually expressed in poetic form, and observations about life as filtered through biblical revelation. To clarify our understanding of the nature of proverbs, we will examine these five characteristics in individual proverbs." - Dr. Robert V. McCabe

An interesting article on how to break down the Book of Proverbs:
http://www.oldtestamentstudies.org/my-papers/other-papers/wisdom-literature/interpreting-proverbs/

What do work and music have in common?

Music is almost universally enjoyed. Almost everyone has some kind on sound they enjoying hearing in rhythm.  I love the sound of a good acoustic guitar, skilful voices accompanying the instrument (not the other way around!) and it feels like the world stands still. Other music makes you want to jump up and wave your hands. Still other music makes you shout for a friend to come hear a common favorite, as you turn up the volume!

Music is like language. It is used to express every emotion and almost every occasion. It is used at weddings, parties, funerals, official ceremonies, advertisements, funerals, competitions ... almost every area of life can have a song to express something.

If you could choose three songs, to say "These express what I feel and what my life is like", what songs would you choose?

Our choice of music may tell something about our lives and attitudes as well. Some music is always angry, some is always broken hearten, some is always joyful, and other music doesn't make sense (not even tot he one who sang the song!) At other times, the music rubs off on us, and we being to reflect the language and attitude of the songs in everyday life. It becomes a kind of peer pressure.

Work is a lot like music. Sometimes we endure music (when we are visitors) but it is not really our type. Sometimes we endure work as well! There are days when a favorite song does not appeal, much like work too. Other times we endure a popular song because everyone is singing in, then we find that we begin to like it. Same with work, we can start a new task and despise it, then find we enjoy it over time. We can also despise certain music because we believe it is offensive, destructive and simply rude. Some work also raises ethical questions.Sometimes, a song which has an offensive message may have a catchy tune, and we ignore the words for the love of the song. Some people endure work that makes them sick!

We should also say that work, principled and good work, is also beautiful. Human creativity, bringing order and provision to life is a beautiful thing. Hard as it may be, the order (or music) of life is lovely when we can use our gifts and talents to do something that expresses our mandate to nurture and shape life. A good biography is like a lovely song, tracing the path of work, love and challenges through ups and downs.

Some people ignore music as so much noise. The same way others see work as the disturbance between the weekends! But life is a rhythm and every point in the song matters, adding value to the next part. Our rest and our work both matter. Our skills and talents properly used are as much a part of the song of our lives as the weekends. The challenge is to live every part of our lives, to write every part of the song, that it makes the rest all the more beautiful. No sacred/secular divide. In the end, all of life can be a song of praise.

Looking for wisdom in the 21st century

When most people think of wisdom, they will either imagine someone with incredible academic skill (and language that only professors can understand) or street smarts (usually a fast talker with the ability to sell sand to Bushmen, perhaps a Katondo street salesman).  Alternatively they may think of a man with a long grey beard sitting on a hill side gazing at a waterfall in deep thought. But the real picture of wisdom is very different. Most importantly, real wisdom is available to all of us.

Wisdom is about skilful living. More accurately, wisdom would be understanding life and skilful living would be called “prudence” (i.e. timely application of principles), but they fall in the same “family” of words. Wisdom is timeless, that is why it can be passed on from generation to generation. Let us also remember that human nature does not change, even if technology does. That means that, in principle, wisdom has value across the generations, no matter the context it will be applied in. David Atkinson, writing about the book of Proverbs, tells us:

despite the centuries which separate us from the authors of these sayings, the unchanging continuities of human existence remain: making friends, coping with sexuality, handling money, responding to poverty, making  a living, learning through loss, muddling through difficulties, facing death, and so on. These are the constant human themes, and Proverbs addresses them all. Wisdom is about helping people to cope; about seeing things in a fresh way which gives resources for living… it puts a mirror up to our behaviour and says, ‘Are you like this? Is there a better way to live?’ 

This presupposes, as I have already said, that there is a common thread connecting us, a shared human nature. This nature, both physical and moral, can be called an order or law of nature. Atkinson goes on to say:

We know deep inside us, what moral obligation means, and that it confronts us from without. Moral obligation is not simply something we make up for ourselves. We know that recoiling in horror against genocide in Rwanda or ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Bosnia is not a matter of personal taste and preference for those who do not like that sort of thing. There is an objective moral order which confronts us.

This is now more an African and Asian perspective than it is Western. Post modernism has swept through the first world and with it the idea that each person can choose their own right and wrong, their own wisdom. Now the voices protest about anyone insisting on moral standards at all. Hopefully, the tide is turning. Atkinson further explains:

in recent decades there have been moral philosophers who have argued that morality, if it means anything at all, is essentially private and personal. That usually means subjective and relative. More recently, however, there has been a recovery of the fact that moral obligation has an objective dimension (which ordinary common sense tells most of us anyhow).

Once he has made a case for objective morals which apply to all human beings, he focuses on the personal, omniscient source of these standards. “Christian believers identify that source of moral value with God.”

The search for wisdom only makes sense if there is a standard which applies to all people of all times. That standard only makes sense if there is a guarantee that the system will continue to work, to bring a satisfying foundation for our true identity, the road to a fulfilling purpose and that life can have meaning even in the midst of meaningless trouble and apparently senseless times and chance.

For Atkinson, as for those who share his faith, there can only be one conclusion:

The God whom Jesus Christ reveals is the Creator whose ordering wisdom lies behind everything that exists, whose moral character gives meaning to our awareness of right and wrong, and whose Holy Spirit infuses us with life, light, love and creativity.

We cannot begin a search for wisdom without accepting that there is a standard of right and wrong that is bigger than all of us. If we fail to do this, then there is not only no point to the hunger and longing, but there is also no logic is any of us ever again saying “It’s not fair”. But somehow even the most confident agnostic will not say “This is inconvenient” or “this is illogical” but “It’s not fair, it’s not right” when they are wronged (however they may interpret wrong in the post-modernist philosophy). Learning wisdom begins in seeing right and wrong. It’s that simple. But this is only the beginning of the journey, which leads us to the source, and all that is in store for those who hunger and thirst for more.