To preface this blog entry, I must explain... I am now entering into a year of mission with a program called Young Adult Volunteers. It has been such a blessing to be accepted with my late entry. I feel that God has put me in Miami for a reason and I greatly look forward to flying out on Monday and starting work on Thursday! Currently I am in Stony Point NY training with 80 other YAVs that will be serving in various locations nationally and internationally. This week is nearing an end, I have made many new friends, and I have seen God's call in each and every person I have met. His presence is strong, and His message for social justice among us is deep.
God has a lot in store for us all to learn about His people. Not only are we going somewhere to serve, but we are also called there to learn and be served. We are partnering with the people of our sites, not just going their with 'our infinite wisdom of God' but also going to learn from His children. It is not all about ME and what I have to offer them. I look forward to the humbling lessons and the wisdom I will gain from the community in which I will live.
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The title of this entry, "Ewe Thina," is a beautiful song that I cannot get out of my head. I have been singing it all day. So, I find it to be the most appropriate title for beginning this new journey that God has set out before me, especially since "Ewe Thina" means "we walk His way" in a language of South Africa.
We walk His way, Ewe thina... here at training we have had some very intense conversations of race and how that affects power dynamics of a system that is hopelessly inevitable to escape. Within our society I am privileged because I am of the middle class and because I am WHITE. There is nothing wrong with who I am, but one must recognize the forces enable some and disable others. I am a part of the dominant culture and no matter how much I or anyone else in the room of Young Adult Volunteers in training want to escape from the dominant culture... we cannot. As a missionary we play an interesting role of being a "gate-keeper" in which we are able to communicate and work with those in the fringes/ margins and maybe enable them to be a part of the dominant American individualistic society... but that is not always favorable. At least not in my opinion.
It does seem to be discouraging. Yes. But my hope and prayer is that with Jesus we can transcend the differences and work towards community among all brothers and sisters. Jesus did some very scandalous things in His day... let's do likewise!
