His Kingdom

We’ve discovered that living and working here becomes more of a blessing with each passing day. December is “retreat” month here in the Coptic Church of Zambia since all the kids are off from school for Christmas break. So, we will be heading for another retreat next weekend but for now we’ve been working on making an inventory of all the medication and medical supplies being donated to the Coptic Hospital. Our day-to-day services are always new, but no matter what we are working on around here, it is always spiritually fulfilling and wonderfully exciting. It is not so much the work itself but more of the environment in which we are working.

I feel like the environment here is very similar to the one Our Lord lived in. It is a very simple way of living and the Word of God seems to be applied with much more zeal than in the West (generally speaking). For example, last week’s Sunday Gospel was about the rich man and how he could not let go of his riches to follow our Lord. Fr. Mark at St. Mary’s Coptic church in an area called Kenyama, in Lusaka was explaining that it is true that if we have money, our life here on earth can be much easier, but that’s not our goal because “we have a Kingdom to get into”.  That was his message; we have a Kingdom to get into. As simple as that is, I don’t remember the last time that thought crossed my mind. But around here, that’s all that occupies the minds of the Coptic Christians of Zambia.

 When I did my quiet time today, I liked one specific verse that says “that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” (1 Thess 2:12) I’ve seen this verse lived out by Fr. Mark and many Christians here in Zambia and I pray that God guides us to do just that.