The Boy at the Gate - Grass roots honour-shame renewing of the mind.

Our study and research is all about an end-goal of practical teaching that transforms lives as we seek to help others around us learn God's ways of how honour-shame dynamics should function. Sometimes that practical application is in situations we have thought about and worked through deeply before confronting. Many other times it turns up in unexpected impromptu daily-life ways. Today's story was not only a reminder that sin is not just about disobedience but about disrespect, but was another situation of the unexpected….

It was a sunny afternoon in the village, and about the time the local children were walking home after school. 

Without any warning God landed me another situation to help others out of cultural mis-placed honour-shame dynamics and to begin to see and experience honour-shame dynamics as God desires. This time it was a group of village children.

Suddenly I had heard our gate bell ring (its a cow-bell tied to the inside of our gate that you don't even know is there unless you have been inside our yard, or seen someone else ring it.)

I was brought a message that some girls from my Saturday village girls' bible study were at the gate.  

However when I got to the gate, I discovered only one of the girls there, but she was with 2 other boys I had actually not seen before. They were all on their way home from school. The girl immediately pointed with a stick she was playing with, to the older boy, indicating it was him who had rung the bell.

But when I asked what they wanted, there was silence. 

No-one wanted to say why they were there. 

After a few more questions and the older boy particularly continuing to be sheepishly silent, I figured out that they were pulling  a prank... but for some reason they didn't actually run away when I had come to the gate….maybe because the girl knew it would be disrespectful to do that and she would be 'shamed' next bible study time if what she did was exposed.

I asked a few more times, in various ways, just to be sure if there really was a real reason for ringing the bell. Each time I asked, I just got silence, and then a hint of a smirk from the older boy. When I tried to ask the other young boy and the girl about it, they also just kept silent and pointed to the older boy.

But rather than just reprimand them for wasting my time, and then telling them to go, I thought momentarily about using it as an opportunity. I had never specifically told them previously to not ring the bell for no reason, so it wasn't a situation of saying 'why are you ringing the bell for no reason when we have told you not to do that?'

So, I firstly responded to the boy using honour-shame language, saying that if he is ringing the bell for no reason, he is being 'disrespectful'.

Well that immediately got a different response. His head dropped and he wouldn't look at me. 

When, culturally, the one major sin to avoid is 'disrespect' or 'dishonour' or 'shame', then without linking the wrong act to the wrong attitude of disrespect/dishonour, there is no conscience prod. But when sin is brought back to the dynamic of honour/respect, then the conscience starts to kick-in. And often here, especially with kids, the English honour word used is most often is 'respect/disrespect'. So the cultural context of sin that envelops the word 'disrespect' sunk in to his heart.

I talked a bit longer to the boy and the two others about how his 'playing' just for 'fun' also means I am less likely to believe him to have a genuine need next time he rings the bell, because this time was not an honest need. So ringing the bell for a joke is like not telling the truth and is making him to be seen as less trustworthy. I asked him if he wanted to be known as someone who was trustworthy? He nodded, 'yes'.

So that was progress…at least he was responding even if not verbally yet!

So then I asked again if he had a reason for ringing the bell. And, with head down again, I suddenly heard a quiet 'no' emerge from his lips. 

I thanked him for being honest, and explained that it is always honourable and never shameful in God's eyes to speak the truth.

But before they went, I said that what he needed to then do was say 'sorry Mma …. for ringing the gate without a reason...'

Well that was just too much, and he went quiet again. So I repeated myself. 

Quiet.

His head was down with eyes looking at the dirt.

The problem is that confession is self-shaming, and if culturally, shame is the big something to be avoided at all costs, he was in a difficult situation.  To respect me, he has to shame himself. He may want to restore respect but he doesn't want to self-shame (in front of me or his friends). To speak the truth meant he self-shamed. To complicate it even further, a child learns that often culturally to speak the truth is also seen as shameful if it might dishonour an elder. So a child learns that culturally it is not always acceptable to others and can be a 'wrongdoing' to speak the truth, let alone it also destroying personal honour.

So I then explained that if he said sorry, there was the offer of forgiveness, and instead of going away shamed, he could go away with the shame removed and back in a position of respect and honour.

I then further explained that God says, that to say the truth and admit (confess) wrongdoing is always respectful and honourable in His eyes, and thus also it's the same for me in this situation.

Wow! Then I heard him break his silence again with, 'I'm sorry' …and he then continued to say fully what he was sorry for.

So then I said 'I forgive you'. 

He looked sincerely a mixture of relief and confusion and puzzlement and wonder. He had probably not ever had such an interaction or experience of forgiveness and shame-removal in that way before.

I then explained again that his disrespectful bell-ringing shamed him, but now his truth-telling and admitting/confessing his sin was honourable and respectful again…so now with my forgiveness he could leave and continue on his way with respect (honour) in the relationship again instead of shame. I re-iterated that is how it is with God…telling the truth and admitting and confessing sin is never shameful in God's eyes, it restores honour in the relationship.

As he left, and walked with his friends toward home, he still seemed a bit bewildered by the whole event…but his head wasn't down, and although as he left I heard some interaction indicating that he seemed to want to brush over the embarrassment of the incident with his friends, I pray God would etch that experience and conversation into his memory, and even if I never see him again, that he will one day remember that God's way of honour is different from his culture's way, and God's way is the only way that truly sets us free from the bondage and shame of our sin.

Land and Dignity

Whether I follow African media (TV or social media as above) or Australian media, periodically this topic of 'land' comes up, particularly in relation to cultural land rights. It is a huge issue in South Africa, has been in Zimbabwe, and continues to be in Australia due to ramifications of colonisation.

But here in Botswana there is a rare added opportunity to take a look at the issue from outside of the 'colonisation' context, since Botswana was never colonised. 

Yet here in the above Government facebook post, the issue of land has still arisen.

You see Botswana does not have an issue of the local tribes trying to 'get back' the land they 'lost' in colonisation, it is having a problem of locals who are granted village land and 'lose' it because they then go and sell it.

To clarify I should explain the context: You see, here any citizen can apply to the national Land Board (who took the job over from the Village Chiefs a few years back) to be given a plot (actually more than one plot as a person as I understand it, is eligible to be granted a residential plot as well as at least an additional farming plot).  There are certain requirements that must be filled over the years to prove you value the plot and really need it and are using it, and if you don't the Government might take it back from you. The system is thus supposed to enable every person to have the opportunity to have their own home (roof over they head) and food to eat (from their own farm), and thus not be 'homeless'. However there has been a practice emerging, and growing, of people applying for a plot (which can actually take years on a waiting list to obtain), being granted a plot, and then selling the plot and expecting to then apply for another plot. The Government is trying to crack down on this, and only issue one of each type of plot to a person in their lifetime.

However, it seems the problem is persisting of people selling their plots.

The Appeals to Honour/Dignity to Motivate or Curtail Behaviour

So what I found interesting in this issue is the psychological reasoning and argument the Government used to try to encourage people to not sell their plots in the first place.

As a Westerner I could imagine that if such a kind of need of persuasion existed in Australia, the Government would be more likely to emphasise that owning your own piece of land gives you financial security and or is an investment for the future for yourself and your family, or is a kind of insurance against future homelessness or poverty. I cannot imagine them using the argument that owning land gives dignity…inferring that to sell land is reducing your dignity.

This is yet another one of those 'alerts' to differences which then alert us to the greater emphasis on honour-shame and the ways in which it has an impact on life in the surrounding culture…and thus where a rightly placed view may need to correct a mis-placed view, as part of a biblical discipleship ministry or interaction.

As this honour-dignity issue is evidently strongly emerging in matters related to land, it gives an insight into learning to understand some of what lies behind the land 'issues' for other parts of Africa  within strongly honour-shame oriented cultures - as well as for indigenous Australians.

In fact I would suggest there might actually be three 'honour' issues that surround land issues.

1. The first is honour of ancestors
2. The second is honour of wealth
3. The third is the honour or dignity of 'place'

1. Honour of ancestors is strong in the cultures of both Africans and indigenous Australians. And ancestors are believed to inhabit a 'place', an area, a region and thus watch over their people of that area - or as the Indigenous Australians would say 'country'. Part of ancestor veneration/honour includes proper burial and protection of such burial grounds in the tribal 'area'. So the tribe's identity and 'personhood' is religiously rooted in remaining in and caring for the land which the ancestors left them, and in which the ancestors are buried, and over which the ancestors preside. To lose such land is to dishonour the ancestors, abandon their identity, and thus aboandon their belief of what it means to have true personhood. This is not a matter (as the Westerner might think) of not being a big deal to move from one location to another as the need arises and forget about the previous place.

2. Every human being has a desire for wealth - in our sinful greed and pride that sees our own importance and being 'greater' than the next guy, we all want to amass wealth and possessions for ourselves to one degree or another, rather than acknowledging our equality before our creator and that all we have is a privilege and gift from his gracious hand. Regardless of the colour of skin or culture we are all the same. So even in community based societies, those of higher 'ranking' in the social structure will have some greater land ownership or oversight, and overall the amount of land the tribe claims as their own puts them as higher or lower in 'ranking' or honour to those around them. Of course greater land may mean greater power as well, but fundamentally it is greater honour. 

But it is also this desire for 'wealth' that prompts the modern person in Botswana to want to sell their plots. Now with Westernisation, honour through wealth is not only by cows and land, but can come though owning flash cars or smart phones or a smaller house in the city rather than a large plot of land in their outlying home village which the friends of the now city-dweller do not see and thus the city-dweller has no prestige (honour) in the eyes of his city friends. So selling the plot can seem a way to gain some cash by which to buy something that will give him greater dignity in his current 'court of opinion'.

3. Then the third area is that of a sense of identity (which is a form of personal honour) that comes with belonging to a 'place' and feeling like one has somewhere to call 'home' - somewhere to be rooted. An even greater sense of identity comes from knowing that your ancestors lived and raised their families in that place for generations. As human beings whether we like it or not we know we are not an island, but we are biologically and emotionally/relationally part of prior generations and will be part of future ones. Who we are is always in a context of the families we are part of and their history, and that includes the place/s they dwelt. For cultures and family groups/clans who have lived on the same land ('country') for many, many centuries and generations, those roots can go very, very deep. 

Understanding these issues is vital not only for understanding the culture and where it is coming from so as to reduce conflict and tension, but also for understanding how to present the gospel and disciple believers in such contexts so as to help them move from their identity and honour being rooted in false beliefs and temporary earthly contexts, to finding their honour and identity in belonging to God's family through Christ who is greater than any ancestor, and the eternal 'place' in which we have our security, wealth (lay up treasures in heaven) and place of belonging for eternity.

Caveat

I should clarify that not all African tribes have always lived in the same location their whole existence. In 'recent' history and remembrance it may seem they at least have been there a while or at least longer than the colonisers, but African tribes have moved over the centuries - through migration due to need for food etc, but also to flee enemies, or from family groups being cut off from a tribe and having to find a new 'place', or a family group refusing to submit to tribal leadership and deciding to set up their own place, or a tribe's desire to conquer more land and in so doing move, spread and take over new lands. Even just within Botswana these scenarios play out - even the village we live in was set up because a family grouping decided to 'leave' their tribal area after a disagreement and start in a new location. Over the generations, historical background can be lost or forgotten or selectively told so that current generations just think 'its always been this way'.

Caveat for Westerners...

Before I go on, don't assume these are issues only related to these cultures. The Westerner is not totally immune, even though it might be a generally lesser issue due to our own cultural and residential mobility. We may still find it hard to leave a house with long family ties - I just heard yesterday of a lady in the UK who had lived in the same house from birth and she was now married and and maybe in her 50s, and was finding it very hard to think about moving as all her memories and context of family was attached to that one place. And in the past it has been possible for people in the UK to bury family in their backyards - so imagine how distraught she would be if she had buried her parents in the backyard, and she wanted to leave the house to her daughter as an inheritance and keep the family link in that place…but then the government came and said they wanted the land for a highway to go through! Not only would she feel like she was losing a link to what has significantly contributed her the person she is (her identity) but she could very easily feel that she is 'dishonouring' her parents by letting their graves be forgotten and driven over by thousands of strangers every day and letting all they had worked for in building the house just be turned into a pile of rubble and then a strip of tar!

And as we talk about 'roots', when we colloquilly use the phrase 'pull up your roots and move on', if your roots have been to live in a house/area for just a few years then those roots (like a small plant) are not that difficult to pull up. There is a little disturbance of the surrounding situation but not much —and many Westerners move house often in their lifetime— but try uprooting an old long-established spreading tree the same way!  Not only is it impossible to move but if some massively traumatic event uproots it suddenly the ground around it is massively changed. Not only that but it's easier to put down new roots when a plant is transplanted in a young stage, whereas trying to transplant a more established tree is not a quick or easy issue. And I'm not just referring to the physical analogy here, but also the relational uprooting. None of us like to leave long established relational roots.

I have also heard Westerners refer to their fear in the past of being 'taken over' by other nations in WWII and losing their rights over their properties. I hear 21st century fears of what if a certain huge Asian nation who is trying to spread its influence and control around the world currently, should take over and we lose control not only of our nation and banks but also our land. There were fears of communism in the past removing right to own property and there are fears of socialism and now the WEF (World Economic Forum) who are promoting the 'great reset' idea that the way to happiness is to own nothing…and thus personal land ownership would be eradicated.

Biblical Context and Correlations

Abraham was someone who 'left' (under God's direction of course but he still had to 'leave') the place his family lived (Ur of the Chaldeans). This took courage to leave the 'land' of his forefathers and cut himself and his family off from their wealth and identity and totally trust God for what he could not yet see or experience. 

Then the 'land' issue is further seen when his descendants took over a land which required conquering their enemies and re-claiming that land. On an earthly level some people lost land in order for God's people to take possession of the land God was giving them (although as we see with Rahab, if their enemies were willing to join themselves to God's people and submit themselves to his Lordship and authority they would be able to enjoy the land that God was giving).

But note, part of God's promise to Abraham was to give him a 'land' that would be his and for the generations of his after him.  A person without a 'place' was missing something. God created mankind to have a place — 'the earth', and more specifically man was placed in 'Eden'. However, man forfeited his 'place' due to his own sinful choices and was thus separated from the 'place' he was meant to occupy and find fulfilment as he walked with God and in God's will in that place. It seems ever since, man has continued to look for his 'place'. The Israelites had to learn that their 'place' had to be where God took them and put them and so God would define not only their place but their identity and their future. Their true sense of 'place' would only come as they put their faith in Him. But none-the-less the sense of 'place' is not some weird or wicked desire of the 'heathen' or 'other cultures'. The desire might be misplaced and sought within this earth as its fulfillment, but it is not inherently a wrong desire to desire to have a 'place' as intrinsic to forming one's identity. We were created for 'place' and God knows that and purposed that, but the biblical picture is that such a desire is to be fulfilled in belonging to God, being part of his people and trusting him to provide the 'place' we can both be rooted and find rest just as the Israelites did in the Promised Land.

The Christian's Hope

Rather than something that should be ignored or dismissed as 'unChristian' as we share the gospel with those whose honour-shame roots are strong particularly in relation to 'place' and 'land', it is something we should validate but then bring the good news of a superior 'place', a place that our Lord Jesus Christ has gone to prepare for us. 

Unlike earth where our place is at risk of enemy takeover, or relocation demanded by conquering armies, or colonising nations, or future World powers, Christ offers us a 'place' which is permanent, eternal, superior, safe, and wonderful and perfect beyond anything this world can ever offer. It is a place out of the reach of enemies, colonisers, highway builders, or this World's powers. It is a place where our ancestors also go if they are part of God's family, so that we don't have to worry they will have no 'place' to rest or revisit on this earth and nor do we have to have the weight of fear and threat of shame on our shoulders to ensure their 'place' is thus preserved on this earth. 

We firstly have to understand that our souls need more than earthly identity and earthly security and earthly wealth and earthly honour/dignity. We were not only made for this world. We were made for relationship with God and to dwell in his perfect place for us and to be rooted and find rest there. We forfeited Eden, and seek our man-made cultural-construct replacements, but Christ who is greater than any earthly ancestor, has won for us the privilege and honour of being able to join him in his Father's home 'place' that is being prepared for us for all eternity. Our place 'in him' grants us a superior identity, a supreme eternal wealth, and a secure dignity.

This is the good news of the gospel that we have to share, especially with those who are seeking honour and dignity through land.  Let us seek to understand these desires biblically and then bring the gospel relevantly.

Quiet Surprises

God has a way of surprising us quietly - in ways we least expect. Sometimes those surprises are profound and others are just quiet reminders of the Creator’s blessings and presence.

There have been several occasions since moving to this house where I have spotted things in God’s creation which I did not necessarily expect to see now that we were no longer living in the bush and were now in the village context where trees are fewer and yards are swept to the dirt.

But not only have there been some times to still spot things I thought I would not see, but there have been new critters and bugs to see. Here are some of those for you to enjoy, and with me, once again praise the Creator!

A few weeks back I was reclining on the bed looking out the window, from where I can see the top of the wall of the neighbour’s yard across the lane-way…and I saw a movement. Something was scurrying across the top of the wall. I looked more closely and….

I had only ever seen the male lizard (the more colourful one with the brighter blue head and yellow tail) while living in the bush house, but here were a Mr and Mrs….with Mrs playing hard to get!  Periodically they would both pause their running up and down along the top of the wall - guess they both just needed to rest and catch their breath! They were really fun to watch.

Then of course there have been still some butterflies - no not as many as the bush house but still more than I expected to see and have visit this garden. Here’s one from a couple of days back.

Then today there was another surprise - a huge colourful spider I had not ever seen before up under the edge of the carport roof - relaxing in the middle of his HUGE web. From tip of front leg to tip of back leg it was about the size of a saucer!

I had to ‘look him up on google’….only to discover ‘he’ is probably a ‘she’ - as unlike the lizard and much of the animal kingdom, the female is the large colourful one and apparently the male is smaller and not as colourful! 

So she is a Banded-legged golden orb-web spider or scientifically  a 'Nephila senegalensis’. She too was fun to watch - and wow could she move fast when she spotted a bug of some kind about 30cm from her centre-web lookout position. And after grabbing it and reversing as similar quick speed back to her centre spot, she enjoyed her afternoon tiny snack - holding it with her little orange ‘hands’, and then went back to her relaxed position awaiting the next unsuspecting bug!

And I once again was caused to stand in awe of our amazing God and Creator!

Stunningly Beautiful Tiny Garden Surprises

African Flora and Fauna never cease to amaze me with their beauty.

Time and again, I am caused to be in AWE of our amazing God who made it all!

A ‘normal’ or ‘ordinary’ day can suddenly turn into a photographic expedition of the unexpected.

I had headed into the garden with my camera as my husband had said that a few days ago he noticed flowers on the native Gardenia at the bottom edge of the yard, and I know that those flowers normally only last a day or two. However, it was a disappointing excursion as the flowers were all spent already.

Then all of a sudden, as I neared the house again, I multi-coloured shiny ‘metallic’ bug caught my eye!

Just incredible!

Then I realised there were a few of them on the bush. I could have stayed watching them for ages.

And here is a look closer up….

 

Not only are the colours stunning….but they change slightly in different light. 

The front and side edges can seem a deep red like in the first photo and the blue can change to green or even tinges of yellow, and the underside green ‘zigzag’ can even seem brilliant gold like in the photo below!

(these two Mr and Mrs were busy and inseparable for the whole time I was watching, and they walked up and down all over the bush still joined together….but they didn’t seem to have any trouble with one of them having to walk blindly and trustingly backwards every time they moved!)

I am once again just so filled with praise for our wonderful heavenly Father who obviously so enjoyed making a world filled with his never-ending variations of beauty, …...and he continues to gain joy, I’m sure, as his children ‘discover’ that beauty, are blessed by it, and glorify him because of it!

If the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, then these little bugs definitely enable that!

When you see bugs like this, you can’t help but smile and know a ‘lightness of heart’ and ‘joy of soul’ in the midst of the so many aspects of this trouble-filled world that seem to have tried to smother humanity this year. These, are joy-gifts from God!

Hopefully these few little snapshots of beautiful African bugs will help you not only smile, but also give you a moment when you too can enjoy and glorify God even more!

Butterflies, Remembering and Blessing

Today in the UK there is a flypast with a Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft to remember the Battle of Britain.

We need to take the time to remember events and special moments from the past, because in the busyness of life we are so apt to forget. 

I believe that’s partly why we are given instruction to celebrate the Lord’s Supper/Communion/Eucharist - because we need reminders, we need to pause and remember the value of what Christ did for us in his death and resurrection.

This morning in our devotional/prayer time together my husband and I were reading the verse from Scripture to ‘forget not all his benefits’ (Psalm 103:2), and Spurgeon’s reminder on the topic was to pause and consider all that God has done in so many ways in our lives…and to praise Him.

Remembering gives our mind a point of pause, of considering, thinking, pondering and of re-visiting past events, experiences and people. It’s a point of learning and looking beyond the first glance. It’s letting old truths, lessons and joys sink in, as well as discovering new ones.

Well today I also did some ‘remembering’ and used my garden butterflies as the catalyst - as the tool for a journey of remembering….I first thought about a very brief wander in the garden a few days ago with my trusty camera, to see what new butterflies I could photograph. Since then I hadn’t even bothered to download the photos off the camera as I figured there were no new butterflies as all I managed were a couple of shots of a species of butterfly I have seen many times. In fact it was one of the first species of butterfly I ever photographed back in July 2017. 

It felt a bit boring.

However, I was challenged that maybe instead of looking for the ‘new’ I should take the opportunity to look again at this ‘Pansy’ butterfly and just remember how pretty it is, and be ready for some fresh joy from ‘remembering’ and ‘re-looking’!

As I took a first look at the photos as I downloaded them, at first they didn’t even seem so great. I didn’t immediately see anything particularly interesting - although I was reminded how beautiful its iridescent ‘spot’ is.

But then in taking the time to just re-visit, I not only was reminded of his beautiful ‘spot’, but was blessed with some new lessons from this little creature.

1. This particular butterfly this time was a bit ‘broken’. He had bits of his wings missing. 

Yet despite his broken-ness and being a bit ‘battered’, he (or she) was still beautiful. It’s easy to think that such photos are not worth keeping. It’s easy to want to aim for only photos of ‘perfect’ butterflies. 

But if God only remembered his creation if it could present itself perfect, he would have abandoned it long ago. Despite us as human beings rejecting him, God loves his creation, he loves you and me, and despite giving him every reason to reject us forever, he took the initiative to make a way to offer us welcome back, in Christ.  Yet this butterfly was also a reminder that in Christ, God doesn’t see our messed up state, he sees Christ’s beauty and perfection. But in that, he doesn’t ignore the brokenness but redeems the brokenness we experience because of this world’s sin.  He chooses to remember our humanity (that we are but dust), but also to remember his Son’s sacrifice for us that enables him to look past our sin-ridden brokenness and instead at Jesus’ righteous beauty, which enables him to ‘remember’ our sin no more. This isn’t a perfect analogy, but it was good to be prompted to ‘remember’ what God ‘remembers’.

And thus praise Him.

2. Then as I looked further at my photos and remembered how this butterfly was one of the first that I photographed and was amazed at the spot that changes colour from white to mauve to purple and then to blue, I noticed that these new photos seemed to pick up the detail of the butterfly eye - something that I hadn’t noticed before.

So I zoomed in and took a closer look…and did a bit of research on the butterfly eye. 

It really is an amazing piece of equipment!

Can you see the multiple ‘dots’ within his eye?

Butterfly eyes are made up of many smaller image forming eyes called ommatidia. One of the main advantages of these eyes is that it provides the animal with increased wide field of vision. In fact, it is said that a butterfly can see approximately 314 degrees around itself. This helps them identify potential predators and food or water sources. (https://australianbutterflies.com/butterfly-eyes-how-do-they-see-colour/)

In my other web-searching about butterfly eyes, I discovered that butterflies are also able to see polarised light and ultra-violet light which humans are not able to see.

Flowers have ultra-violet patterns that are invisible to humans but which can be recognised by butterflies. These UV patterns guide butterflies to the source of nectar in much the same way that runway lights guide an aircraft in to land.

I also learnt that along with most insects butterflies

have a pair of spherical compound eyes, each comprising of up to 17000 "ommatidia" - individual light receptors with their own microscopic lenses. These work in unison to produce a mosaic view of the scene around them.

and

The laws of optics show that it's likely that everything from about one centimetre to 200 metres will be rendered in sharp focus by butterflies, as their ommatidia are of very short focal length.

and

The sensitivity to changes in their visual field, combined with a high flicker-vision frequency of about 150 images per second, may also help butterflies to piece together the thousands of elements of the mosaic image produced by the compound eye. It is not known whether butterflies and other insects are able to merge these mosaic elements into a single image. If are able to do so, it would render them capable of distinguishing patterns at close distances.

Furthermore I discovered that a particular type of butterfly which I have previously photographed in our garden called the ’Skippers’ have an extra feature:

The eyes of Skippers are different from those of other butterflies. They have a space between the cones and rods which allows light from each ommatidium to spill into neighbouring rods, effectively increasing their resolution and sensitivity. As a result Skippers can fly very accurately from one spot to another. This different type of eye structure is one of the reasons why taxonomists place them in a different super-family to all other butterflies - the Hesperioidea.

This too was cause for me to ponder…that firstly, while the ‘thing’ I see or the situation I’m in might be non-debateable as to its existence, how I see it might not be the only way to look at it, to understand it or to benefit from it. Other perspectives might have validity. I might be able to learn something from another perspective. My vision is limited.

Secondly, it is a reminder that how God sees situations, reality, right and wrong, what is best, my life, the world, and the universe, is not how I see it. While my vision is limited and other people’s perspectives might have validity, I need to most-of-all trust, and submit to, and learn from, the One who is my Creator and the Creator of others and Creator of the world I live in. It is his perspective that matters most and is the primary lens through which I need to view the world, my life and others. 

Pausing to re-look at the butterfly from the past, and remember its beauty was worth it.

AND

Remembering God’s perfect vision and his watching over my life, and how I can go to his Word to learn to see life through his perspective, was good for my heart. It was good to remember his loving care and guidance…

And thus praise Him.

What a blessing it is to take the time to remember…to look back…to recall God’s goodness, love and to ‘forget not all his benefits'

Life Lessons from ... African Vervet Monkeys

Last blog post I talked about how despite the trials of of living in the African bush…there are joys…but today I want to highlight one of the trials, but how even the trials are tools in God's hands for teaching me!!

One of the trials is…monkeys!

When people come to visit us and see the monkeys, they get all excited about seeing monkeys in the wild.

But we don't get so excited when a troop of monkeys visit.

You see, their visits are like a noisy tornado coming through. They thunder across the roof and swing through the trees and jump all over the porch furniture, pull off the cushions, and continue on their demolishing exercises across the pot plants and garden.

Yes it is that bad. We get used to the thundering across the roof, but we have never got used to the destruction they bring. We were glad to learn that they hate water so if we are home, the quickest way to get rid of them is to squirt water at them or quickly turn on a hose.

This brings me to the first lesson from monkeys about the way 'not' to live life! …but I will express it in the positive…

DO teach your kids!

Verses like Deuteronomy  11:9 remind us to be sure to teach our children diligently the things of the Lord.

You see in monkey-land, parents don't seem to teach their kids anything.  They raise them to weaning stage and then all the 'kids' born in that season in that area are pushed out to live life on their own.  So when the babies are born the mothers are kind of together raising their babies, but then its like the nursery gets abandoned and the kids form a new 'gang' of 'teenage' monkeys to find their own way in life.

So each generation 'teen-gang' comes through with no parents anywhere to be seen, and they test all kinds of leaves and plants, fruits and flowers, breaking them off or pulling up bulbs, biting into them and usually deciding they don't like their choice and subsequently throw it on the ground.  Eventually they decide after various attempts over time, what they do and don't like. But then that group have their babies and teach the 'kids' nothing of what they learnt. The kids just are 'free' to work it out themselves when the time comes…and thus wreck a whole heap of further havoc before they work out what they do and don't like. 

Here's an example:

These plants look lovely in the little red wagon on our porch, but take a closer look and you find…..

The chives have been 'hacked'

and just left lying around on the ground after these monkeys all have a taste and decide they don't like it afterall!

Not teaching our kids, or thinking that letting them be 'free' to discover what works or not in life, all on their own, is not only unloving (as it puts them through unecessary  pain and heartache which also cheats them of time that could have been used for more constructive development), it is socially and environmentally damaging.  It affects more and hinders more and damages more than just themselves.

God sees everything, we can't hide from him

So often when we go out to 'squirt' the monkeys, even before we have done anything, they will tuck their heads behind a tree or wall or edge of the roof, (while the rest of their body is sticking out), thinking we can't see them. (I wish I had a photo of it, but I'm usually too busy trying to chase them away!) Like it is so often with children, when they can't see you, they think you can't see them!

But when we live hoping to just hide our wicked ways for now, until we think no-one is watching, we show ourselves to be the fools in the long run.  Either our sin will find us out, or we will discover in this day and age that someone was recording or filming on a smart phone, or even if none of this occurs, one day God will reveal all that has been done in private.

And those who think that ignoring God and blocking him out of their vision, somehow ceases to make him exist, are just showing the reality of the Scripture that says 'The fool has said in his heart "There is no God"' (Psalm 14:1) .

There is a Latin Phrase 'Coram Deo', which simply means 'before the face of God' that is worth remembering - we should live every moment in a way that acknowledges God, and that he sees us and everything we do and even think. We are to live so honouring him that we have no fear to be fully exposed and open before him, not hiding like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. While fear of his displeasure/disapproval should never be far from our minds, his presence should be a comfort to us and a reminder of his love. 

Let's not be like monkeys!

Life Lessons from the African Klipspringer

While there are trials of living in the African bush, there are a myriad of joys as well.

One of those joys is the periodic visits to our yard and garden of two dear little Klipspringer antelope. -Klipspringer meaning 'rock-leaper' in Africaans.

Their Scientific name is ….get ready for it….Oreotragus oreotragus (meaning mountain he-goat). No, I haven't made a mistake, both words are the same. Klipspringers are the only ones in their genus category. Their closest 'relative' is the dik-dik (yes as mentioned in Jungle Doctor books!).  They stand just over 40cm at the shoulder.

They quietly wander in and browse on plants in our garden which they especially seem to think are tasty - thankfully the ones they choose are ones that are plentiful in our garden. They also browse very delicately on their small and fine hooves, and unlike monkeys or baboons, don't appear to do any real damage to the garden. So they are welcome visitors which delight us with their visits.  When monkeys or baboons visit, it means immediate effort to shoo them off before they do massive amounts of damage to the garden and drain our plunge-pool like its their ever-ready watering hole! But to have the Klipspringer visit is relaxing and enjoyable…

...all except one time when one of them tried to see if they could drink from the pool and fell in!…

...thankfully it was a time we were watching and we were able after multiple attempts, to get her out! (you see we couldn't just jump in and pick her up, because, as my husband wisely pointed out, their hooves are sharp and pointed and as they would push against us they would probably rip our chest apart! - thankfully my husband was present with his knowledge, as after we had finally set her free from probably her first baptism and swim, we discovered that the pool cover (thermal blanket) that was on the pool when it happened, ended up with 'hoof' sized neat round puncture holes in it where she had tried swimming across it!

Anyhow we were glad we were both home and watching, on the occasion they decided to try out that source of drinking water, so that now they know and hopefully won't try it again.  We've not see either of them go anywhere near the pool since.

But that was just ONE of many reminders/lessons God has brought to us via these beautiful little creatures  - God's care

- that God so took care of them so that they tested it out, found it to be dangerous so wouldn't go near it again, but made sure they did it when we were home, so that we were here to make the rescue and we are more at peace as well that we won't come home one day to find one of them dead and drowned in the pool. 

The verse from Matthew 6:30 comes to mind 'If God so clothes the grass of the field….will he not much more clothe you?'. If God cares for other parts of creation that are not 'made in his image', then how much more will he care for us.

But anyhow, back to the joys of their visits…..

The 2nd lesson from our two Klipspringer is - faithfulness -  they monogomously mate for life.

We only ever see them, on their own, but together. There is no 'herd' of Klipspringers. And we never see just one of them on their own.  They are totally devoted to each other until 'death do they part'.  So they could teach we humans a thing or two!…after all if two Klipspringers can stick together for life, why can't humans! They don't seem to be worried that they are 'missing out' on whatever other Klipspringers might be doing, they are just devoted to each other and happy with each other's company, forever!

A verse to remember: Genesis 2:24  'A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife'

The 3rd lesson is - sacrificial love

As I was watching these two creatures one day I realised something interesting. As one would graze, the other would not. In fact the one 'not grazing' would always be on alert and look-out, like a sentry, and often that meant standing on top of one of our stone walls, while the other one was grazing below.  Even if they are no walls around, the 'lookout' one would put their two front hooves on a rock to elevate them so they could see around and watch out for the one that was more vulnerable while having its head down and eating. They never seemed to be both eating at the same time. In fact immediately when the one on the wall decided to jump down to eat, the other would stop and jump up on the wall, and they would 'swap' being the lookout.  And it didn't seem to matter which of them moved first, the other one would just shift role. The female looked out for the male and the male looked out for the female, however it was needed.

The 4th lesson - looks aren't everything

The 'man' in this pair, isn't exactly the perfect specimen, he's quite a  bit smaller than the female (when Klipspringer males are usually larger than females) and his stubby antlers are not even the same length and look like they may have even got broken off.  But 'Mrs' is dedicated to her man and is mostly right by his side - or at least within his sight, never more than a few meters apart (except when she fell into the pool and he ran off to the protection of the bush when we entered the scene). Maybe he had an accident with his horns, or maybe he's just genetically 'quirky', either way she's stuck with him through thick and thin, whatever his physical abnormalites or uniqueness.

Remember 1 Samuel 16:7: 'Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart'

The 5th lesson - rocky ground is no hindrance

These beautiful little antelope are 'custom made'.  Not only are they the only antelope in their genus, their bodies/feet are designed for rocky ground. They walk on their 'tippy toes' like a ballerina across the rocks and their hooves are made of a kind of hard rubber to cushion their amazing spring-loaded running jumps. While other antelope might like the ease of flat smooth paths, these guys are not afraid of tough terrain.  They almost seem to prefer to pass through our yard via the tops of the rock walls! But why should they fear, their Creator made them for the task he had for them. Just like He doesn't put us in places He hasn't designed us for - both with our unique traits and the faithful enabling of our maker and redeemer.

Psalm 139:4

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!

But I do have to just tell you that they have the prettiest bi-colour ears, and the most beautiful long black eye-lashes!  Times of them in our garden are some of my most special African experiences!

We do hope we might continue to see them visit…with maybe a baby one next year (they usually mate in Aug-Sep and gestation is 6months)…and we pray that their predators might leave them alone for a while at least, because we do have a few of their predators living on our hillside - baboons, snakes and leopard!  Because of predators they keep their babies hidden away in the bush for at least 3 months so the 'baby' might not be so small by the time we see it.

But while some people come to Africa to see the 'Big 5' (Rhino, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo and Lion), I think these little antelope are pretty special!

For more info look here and here and here

African birds didn't go to the school that teaches that they are supposed to be scared of owls!

I kept hearing birds outside my window today, but they didn't seem to be tweeting the normal melodious happy notes we are used to.

They went on and on.  I could hear it wasn't just one species of bird either.

Eventually I took a look , thinking I might get a few photos of those birds!

Instead, in a branch of the big tree just outside our window, there was an owl.  Just sitting quietly.

But around him in the tree, above, below, behind, jumping all over the place, squawking more than singing, were many birds!….of many species! 

Here are just a few that I managed to get some photos of through the flyscreen (hence the haziness of the photo), but they weren't all that co-operative and there were a couple species I didn't get clear photos of.  They were very jittery, hopping from branch to branch and twitching their tails.

They also seemed to be all making sure they were facing the owl as they squawked!

This bunch of birds may have been diverse in their species but there certainly seemed unified in expressing their disapproval of Mr Owl being in that tree!

But the owl didn't seem the slightest perturbed about the whole thing and just kept sitting, watching me.  

Oh periodically he swivelled his head to look behind him (showing me just how good a disguise the back of his head is - you really have to look hard to realise those black spots are just feathers and not his eyes)!  

But that was about it.

This warranted some further internet research.

Not sure why, but I was totally ignorant of the fact that birds are supposed to be scared of owls.  There is a myriad of 'advice' on the internet telling people to put plastic owls in their gardens to scare away noisy unwanted birds.  You can buy plastic owls on Amazon just for this purpose!  

But the opposite happened in our thorn tree!  

The owl turned up and birds from all over came to the tree making a whole lot of noise!

So I don't know what the deal was in 'bird land culture'. Maybe they saw him as in intruder to their territory and were trying to tell him to move on. It seems he didn't want to listen. The opinions of other birds seemed totally irrelevant to him!

But whatever it was, those birds were not scared away, although they were not too impressed with Mr Owl being there.

Eventually when the noise stopped, I took another look, and the owl had gone.  But later in the day, I noticed him again, and you guessed it, one by one, birds started turning up making a big noise!

So I have no clue as to what all that was about!  Of course our Creator knows exactly what it was all about!  

Although I was reminded that often when we stand resolute on godly issues and move into new territory, we might not be considered welcome, and we might stir up a whole heap of relentless noise against us and around us!  Maybe we can learn from this owl. Sometimes we just have to ignore the 'noise' and quietly and gently just resolutely continue on being and doing what we were created (anew in Christ) to be and to do.

And despite not knowing what the whole deal was today in my African thorn tree, once again my heart was caused to thank the Lord for the opportunity to witness more intricacies of His creation and praise him for beautiful birds!

….And, I am totally fine about Mr Owl coming to visit anytime!

What an African-American, and South Korean, and a Canadian can teach us about global honour-shame dynamics

'Louder with Crowder', is a program where Steven Crowder goes into the public space (often in a University context) and sets up a table to welcome a 'civil conversation' with passers-by on controversial topics.

One that I recently came across was outside a University in Texas (Posted on YouTube on March 6th 2018) on the topic of 'Male Privilege'. But after chatting with a couple of girls on the topic, two young men (one African-American and one South Korean) from the crowd that had gathered, made a couple of comments and Steven Crowder welcomed them to the table to sit down to chat further. (at about the 41 minute mark if you want to click on the link and watch it)

It led to a conversation about cultural differences that helped further in my quest to find an answer to a question I have asked myself in relation to our honour-shame research:

Why if Asia is 'honour-shame' oriented, and Africa, as we have now learnt is also so 'honour-shame' oriented, are the two cultures so vastly different in regards to societal development?

As these guys talked they mentioned some very interesting facts:

That for an Asian, the father is very 'present' in his family and the family unit is very strong. It is culturally expected that you will perform high in academic excellence, otherwise you are not showing your worth to your family and you'll be 'disowned', as the whole 'shaming your family' thing is strong. He mentioned that the suicide rate for Japanese and South Korean young people is extremely high - in fact the highest in the world, and it spikes in South Korea just after the results of a certain high school 'placement test'  comes out that basically determines what career path you will be able to take for the rest of your life. 

But for the African-American guy who came from a single-parent family, raised by his mum as is so common in African-American contexts,  the family unit is not so strong, but there is a very strong cultural community pressure to 'not be a nerd' (to use his words) or else you will get 'beat up'. Academic excellence is 'shunned upon' especially in the gangs. You 'can't like things that are not stereotypical for the culture'. It's not 'cool' to stay behind at school and do extra classes, but it is 'cool' to cut classes.

They spoke about how that the top ethnicities in highest income earners in the US are Asians - Japanese, Indian, Thai, but the bottom are African-American and Hispanics. But these guys were saying and affirming that they don't believe this has anything to do with 'systematic racism'…but that its all about culture.

Here we have a conversation in a multi-ethnic American setting that reveals something about my above question.

While both the Asian and the African-American are 'honour-shame' and directed by community/family pressures of what is expected and 'accepted' - ie honourable, what is considered honourable is entirely opposite. One honours those who strive hard to stand out above the crowd, the other honours those who stay within the crowd. One honours what the other shames.

Interestingly as the discussion drew to a close, Steven Crowder made the comment that in contrast to what these two guys were saying about their culture, in his 'white American culture', neither of those pressures are an issue for the white American male, but that the biggest thing was what he had experienced in the first part of the discussion with the other two girls - that the biggest "pressurised eco-system for white people is a pressure to feel guilty "… about having this or that opinion or belief.

(note that although the West is increasing in honour-shame dynamics is still highly guilt oriented and the shame to a great degree is in 'being guilty' of something (so shamed for being guilty), whereas for the Asian and African-American it is the opposite - the problem is bringing shame and if you do, you have done wrong - thus you are guilty ( - so its guilt for shame))

Without even realising it, this conversation so clearly identified the different emphases between guilt-innocence oriented Western culture, and honour-shame oriented African and Asian cultures but how the differences of what is considered as honourable and shameful sets a direction for those within that culture.

There is a lot we can learn just from civil polite conversations with people, that helps us understand our world, why we do what we do, and thus learn some pointers to help us think rightly about what the issues are that need to be addressed if we want to see change in our societies…..and a lot of it stems back to cultural dynamics of honour-shame and guilt-innocence!

Let's remember that ultimately, only God has the answers to all these cultural issues, but if we want to help people find God's answers, they have to first rightly understand the problems and we need to have good conversations with people.

If you are interested in reading more on some of these issues, the book 'Culture Matters' is a great place to start.

I have also just finished reading a book called 'Why Africa is Poor' by Choolwe Mbetwa (a Zambian), which also goes into some great 'reveals' about how culture is so instrumental in determining 'destiny'.

Evolution Shames Africans

Photocredit: Wikemedia Commons

No doubt you have seen the above diagrams….well at least the last one, if not the first two adaptations!

That same story that was taught to me over 40 years ago in a Western schoolroom is also taught in the schoolrooms here.

Although almost all African's believe in God in some way and have various styles of 'creation stories' of one version or another, what is taught at school is put in the compartmentalised box of what one is supposed to believe in regard to 'Western Science'.

However, the teaching of evolution has tried to take on African roots as well.

Just a few hours drive from where I live, is a place that is supposed to be the boast of Africa - 'The Cradle of Humankind'.

It is supposed to be the site of the first humans in the process of evolution.

And Africa is meant to be 'proud' that it is the source of all humanity. It is supposed to be an honour to be the ones from whom all the rest of humanity evolved.

However, it is far from being a position of honour.  I find it so sad, to see Africans tricked into believing something is their honour  when it is actually their shame, and keeping them 'lower' than the rest of the world, in people's thinking.

You see, if one is to believe in evolution and the diagrams above, that man evolved from apes/monkeys/baboons, then African's are the 'type' of human that is the least advanced, the least intelligent and the least developed and the least capable of 'modern' life.  

If evolution is about progressing from the least developed and advanced creatures to ever advancing creatures and 'humanity' which started in South Africa, and continued to 'progress' to 'higher' levels of humanity across the globe, then evolution puts Africans in a 'least human/almost monkey' category.

We have even heard Westerners make comment here that Africans are just not 'capable' of certain things mentality speaking!  How, derogatory!

African are just as much humans as any other human being on the planet. They may not have had the same opportunities as others on the planet, the cultural worldviews may have placed certain boundaries that determined what was allowed and permitted to occur in life, but an African is no less intelligent or able.  If Ben Carson can become a world renowned Neurosurgeon, doesn't that tell us something about the fact that skin colour makes no difference to potential inherent ability?

Evolution is full of conundrums.

The latest is that supposedly a newly discovered type of dinosaur (Ingentia Prima, in Argentina) which is being debated whether it walked on two legs or four. Some are saying it started out walking on two legs (a biped), and the other two front 'legs' were more like hands….a bit like a kangaroo. However unlike the human evolution, the scientists are having trouble working out how it seems these dinosaurs 'evolved' from two-leg walkers to later become four-leg walkers. Why I ask, would dinosaurs want to 'evolve' in the opposite direction to other supposed evolution which was pressing toward the humans 'progressing' to be two leg walkers from four leg monkey walkers?

God's word tells us that he made each animal for it to reproduce according to its kind. He made the first human as fully human. There was no gradual process. He made humans as uniquely human - the only creature to have God's life breathed into him. Every human being - no matter the skin shade - is made in the image of God, and equal in value in the sight of God.

Africans are fully human, fully able to do what any other skin colour human can do, fully able to know God through Jesus Christ and serve God to the full capacity of a human being indwelt by Christ.

The gospel is the truth that sets Africa free from the place of shame - and being seen as 'less than' - in which the evolutionary tree has said they should be placed.