The Urgency of Ministry

Tonight, while driving the daughter of another MAF family home, we came across a horrific traffic accident. It was dark outside and there was a chaotic pile of cars on the road. We were shocked to see the broken bodies of Basotho men lying on the road. We were astonished by the lack of medical response. It was non-existent. My mind could not comprehend what my eyes were observing.

People were loitering around the victims, staring at them, but nobody stepped forward to offer comfort. Bodies lay where they had fallen in the middle of the road. The police were not even protecting the victims from the cars trying to get past the accident. I asked the police officer if somebody was coming to help the people. I don’t remember how many times I inquired before the officer screamed at me to “Move!”

I’ve been praying for the victims I saw. I’ve been trying to make sense of it, and I’ve been trying to understand a culture that places more importance on maintaining the scene of an accident then helping hurting, dying human beings. While I was struggling with these complex issues I could not shake the notion that this is why we came to Lesotho. We came here to be Jesus to the people, to show the importance of human life, and to illustrate love. The images I saw also gave me a sense of urgency in our ministry. Life can end so abruptly anywhere, but Lesotho has the 3rd highest death rate of any nation in the world. (CIA World Factbook) We carry an exigent message.

We have no way of knowing how long the people we come in contact with have left on this earth; therefore, we ALL must boldly offer the truth of the Gospel and leave the rest to our Sovereign Father in heaven.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” — James 4:14