Looks just like the sun, it looks just like it.

It has been an eventful, busy week.  Tuesday was Nyerere Remembrance Day.  This is the anniversary of Tanzania's first president's death in 1999.  The leader did so much good for this country in nationalizing many things and pushing for national self reliance and against racism.  Many of his policies modernized an unified Tanzania.  His death fell on October 14 and we celebrated with a Masai village visit.  Spending time in these villages is most certainly my favorite part about the experience thus far.  The people are made of music. They express faith in such a unique and wonderful way.  They have managed to maintain important and beautiful tradition while still living in the modern age in select ways.  Modernization and tradition co-exist in a very healthy way in these places.  Not to mention, every village to which we travel is radically welcoming.  I am focusing on studying studying hospitality and practical theology while here and I could most definitely base my entire final paper on any single Masai village.  In Tuesday's visit we were greeted by a crowd of excited kids and by all of the upper management Masai.  The greetings lasted for a solid hour as we were asked time and again about our day and  from where we come.  This creates a strong feeling that these people truly recognize and care for the visitor.  It is very humanizing.  We are not simply strangers but new friends and guests.  In the middle of this time we were ushered into the church building (built by Luka) where the choir was singing.  The Masai choirs are always amazing and this one especially so.  It was made up completely of young people and was led by a girl who could only have been 11 or 12.  The music was so energetic, intricate and beautiful.  They were visibly eager to sing and dance to show us what they could do.  It is a common welcoming act here to be surrounded by song.  The most amazing thing is that these young women either learned these songs by listening to the radio or simply wrote them.  The young leader would either conduct from the back by call and response or would come to the front and conduct through dance.  After some music, we were given a tour of the village by a very proud local evangelist.  Tea came soon, with half cakes.  Food is so central to their hospitality.  And following this was worship.  We were given special seating and the children helped us find the page of liturgy or music that the pastor announces (we didn't learn numbers in entirety until today, we have picked a little up but still have trouble with those rotten page numbers.)  The women of the village even noticed that the sun had begun to shine on us in the middle of the service so they came and insisted we get up so that they could move us to a more comfortable spot.  After the 4 hour service (they seems shorter when they are actually happening) we were fed again.  

Now, I am certain that these practices of hospitality precede Christianity among these people.  But as a Christian community everything that is done conveys theology.  People of religion act, or try to act, in a way that reflects their God.  So, whether or not it is recognized, the actions that one commits appear as theology to the outsider.  This speaks volumes about what kind of God is worshipped.  The practices of hospitality suggest that the Masai understand God to be hospitable and welcoming.  God is inclusive and inviting in these places.  This is no surprise as the God in Christ of the biblical witness requires hospitality to live.  "The Son of Man has no place to lay his head."  Jesus was a traveling, homeless teacher who was completely reliant on hospitality as he was completely "the other" to all people.  A stranger and a guest.  It makes one wonder why hunger, meals, thirst, worry and prison are mentioned so much in the gospels.  Could it be that Jesus experienced all of these things first hand?  The Bible does often mention his thirst and of course his meals are all shared.  It never says he was busy with creating a church budget so he hopped in his suv and grabbed a burger and hurried back to work.  Not even in Mark.  And as Jesus is found "in the least of these," the welcoming of the other is the welcoming of Jesus.  The God the Masai worship is inclusive and hospitable because God experienced the necessity of these practices.  It is wonderful.

Ok.  yesterday and today were fine.  Class is very routine and Swahili is coming along nicely.  I got to preach at the English Eucharist service last night.  It went well.  Hopefully I will get to again soon.  And today Sara and I took Delta into town for lunch.  Good stuff.  Welp, see ya later.