Kings and their Castles

On Saturday, I chaperoned the annual CNG fashion show. My job was to take care of the food tickets, pay the vendors, and crowd control during the show. I was supposed to go and visit Abraham's mother in Tolima. Abraham works for my friend Ben at Monte Sion, just outside of Bogota. Abraham grew up in Tolima but moved to Bogota to find work and a better life. He lives in south Bogota. He recently told Ben about his mother's living conditions, which is primitive at best, and Ben told the story to me. We were to go together to visit Abraham's mother to see if we could help improve her living conditions somehow.

I could not go on this trip, because of the fashion show. Ben and Abraham went instead. As it turned out, Ben was very impressed with the way this woman lived. She had a small one-room house without electricity nor running water. There were all sorts of fruit trees that gave her food, and she owned a few chickens and a pig. She is surrounded by some of her family, and her neighbors have become her family support. Ben had an idea to build her a house that was not much bigger than her own, but it would have at least a toilet and running water. Yet, as he talked with this 80 year-old woman, he began to see that she enjoyed her life without all the modern day amenities. Ben asked her is she was happy and she replied with a yes. She said she was sad sometimes because she missed her husband, who has died, and her son who moved away.

Ben's paradigm shifted as he spent time with her. He realized that it is not her need to have a "castle." She was happy with her life. It was he who wanted the castle for her. So what can we do for her? We can spend time with her. We can have a meal with her. We can listen to her stories, and we can tell her ours. She doesn't need a castle. She needs family.

As Ben told the story, I sat there thinking about my attitude of helping. "They" must want what I have or what I think I need. How do I know? Because I think I have the right things? Because I want things that others have? My castle is good enough for me? Somehow I don't think these are the answers.

I watched this elite high school fashion show knowing that it was temporary. New fashions will come and go. New models will come and go. New castles will be designed. So, what is it that matters? My family matters. This creation matters. This moment in time matters with the person across the table. So, then how do I answer these questions? What should I do for Abraham's mother? What should I do for my students in the fashion show? What is true poverty? What am I to do? What would Jesus do? Am I failing Him? Am I failing my students? Am I failing the church? Am I failing I AM? Hands and feet I must be. Soft heart and tender tears I must have.