(Sarah in the background sitting beside Gcinile’s coffin)
Once while I was in Malawi I found myself sitting at the front of a tiny church made completely of mud and animal dung. It actually was a really cool church. Because I was the foreign “Azungu” (white chick) I was asked, no, informed, JUST before the sermon was to begin, that I was the one giving the sermon. No matter how much public speaking I have done in my life, I assure you that it is a terrifying moment.
After Gcinile’s coffin was moved in to the family rondavel (meeting room) I sat beside Sarah to comfort her. Just then Jabulani came over and explained that the pastor had not shown up for the funeral … this CHILD’s funeral. Okay, so…? Well, you would be the next in line to give the message/sermon to the group.
Ah, no, but thanks Jabulani. Janine, you must. You are the one that must. Can you spell UGH in siSwati? No, me neither.
Well, HE is faithful and as Jabulani said a long opening prayer, buying me 3 minutes to come up with something, the Lord gave me 1 Corinthians 13. For those of you bible types you are thinking, “oh no Janine, those scriptures are for weddings, not funerals!” … and that is exactly how I opened up my message. This is not a wedding, it is a funeral and here is what Jesus says about love.
My relationship with the Masuku family is one of true love. I don’t pity them. They are not my favorite charity. They are not my pet project. They are people, real people who bring ME great joy. They make me laugh, we love to hang out and chat and yet if I had only sent them money or given all I had so that they could have more, but had not loved them, this would have been a different funeral. Because of love they now have hope – hope in a Savior whom they didn’t know existed. When men fail us, He does not. I know that Sarah knows that now.
At the end of the message other family members spoke, and they too spoke of love – very unusual in that culture. They kept saying that they couldn’t miss or ignore the fact that Shirley, Paula, Sherri, Mark, Kaleli, Anthony and Carol were there because of love, not duty and not for any other reason. It was just that obvious.
Love one another as I have loved you. It’s that simple.
It was not a funeral, but it was Swaziland and I was told I was to speak, 2 minutes before asking me to come up front. I was like… “okay GOD, YOU arranged this, do something… QUICK!”
I opened my bible…. to 1st Corinthians 13.
You know the rest of the story.