Tuesday: The Funeral
Today, I had the privilege of participating in the funeral of Sanga, a new follower of Jesus Christ, in the village of Kidetete. I regret that I have no pictures to share with you. But, looking back, I am glad that I did not have a camera with me. The camera would have created some problems.
The funeral of Sanga was a living witness to the difference that Jesus makes in a persons life. In July, Sanga came to an evangelistic meeting in Kidetete. After hearing the Gospel, he began to attend a class Neema was leading on being a follower of Jesus. He made a decision to follow Christ which appears to have meant to him—I want to follow Jesus but want more understanding in what this means. He was very serious. One day after class, he said to Neema, “Now I understand.” Sanga was baptized and became a faithful follower. This may sound strange to those who read this blog but every Sunday he brought a chicken as an offering. He gave up his consumption of local beer and was a witness to his former beer drinking buddies. (Local beer is much more potent than what American’s call beer. This beer is a cut form of moonshine whiskey.)
At the funeral, almost the whole village came. He was the last of his family being buried with his father and mother maybe 150 feet from the house. The local men dug the grave—many of them his beer buddies. The ladies from the Kidetete church really handled everything: caring for the wife (who was not a believer), staying with her, arranging for some food, and singing around the clock at the house and the funeral. They truly are a great ministry group. Many of them are widows and have committed to walk with Sanga’s wife through what lies ahead.
The funeral was really a mixture of the Spirit’s impact upon the crowd and the futility of the beer buddies. Even the almost comic moments of the funeral when the beer showed its impact on the gathered, there was a continuing deep respect for the seriousness of the moment and the spiritual significance of the Sanga’s life and death. Mpeli led in prayer and explained the spiritual significance of the moment. I had the privilege of preaching a brief message from John 11:25-26. Mpeli explained that I was the one who recognized that Sanga needed water and gave it to him on Sunday. This was contrasted with those who under the influence of local beer assumed him dead and wanted to close his eyes and hold his mouth shut (tribal custom). Mpeli gave Sanga’s testimony and offered an invitation to those present. Then the actual burial began.
The friends lowered the casket into the grave. But, because of the influence of local beer they had not measured the grave and the casket would not fit. So the casket had to be raised out and more digging or trimming of the grave took place. Then, the casket was lowered again. The friends now dropped the casket and it turned sideways into the grave. Once it was righted and placed into the grave properly and secured. Even with all this, there remained a respect throughout the process. Mpeli gave a final committal and the covering of the casket began. First a layer of bamboo was placed over the casket. Then, the bamboo was covered with straw (the kind they use for making roofing material). Then, they began to fill in the grave and moved all the dirt until there was a large mound of dirt over the grave. Mpeli again spoke of Sanga’s life and the assurance of his eternal life with God through Jesus Christ. He encouraged the wife and friends in Jesus Christ. He prayed for them. Using one of the digging tools, Mpeli and Sadeke (worship leader at Kidetete) made the form of the cross on top of the large mound. The choir sang and the funeral was over.
Once again the contrasts of life in the village began. The women had prepared some food. But, most of the men wanted local beer (a funeral custom). As we left, tensions were rising over the insistence of serving the food first and beer last. I witnessed again the grace, love, and caring of the Kidetete women in the whole situation.
Please pray for Sanga’s wife. She is now at the mercy of Sanga’s relatives regarding the property. Mpeli explained that she may be okay. But, even distant relatives could cause her trouble in trying to get the farm and house from her. Pray for her to follow Jesus Christ and pray for her to be protected from those who might want to take the farm. This is a real issue in African life for women. When a husband’s dies, too often the husband’s family presents a real problem for the wife in keeping the farm or house.
The funeral of Sanga was a living witness to the difference that Jesus makes in a persons life. In July, Sanga came to an evangelistic meeting in Kidetete. After hearing the Gospel, he began to attend a class Neema was leading on being a follower of Jesus. He made a decision to follow Christ which appears to have meant to him—I want to follow Jesus but want more understanding in what this means. He was very serious. One day after class, he said to Neema, “Now I understand.” Sanga was baptized and became a faithful follower. This may sound strange to those who read this blog but every Sunday he brought a chicken as an offering. He gave up his consumption of local beer and was a witness to his former beer drinking buddies. (Local beer is much more potent than what American’s call beer. This beer is a cut form of moonshine whiskey.)
At the funeral, almost the whole village came. He was the last of his family being buried with his father and mother maybe 150 feet from the house. The local men dug the grave—many of them his beer buddies. The ladies from the Kidetete church really handled everything: caring for the wife (who was not a believer), staying with her, arranging for some food, and singing around the clock at the house and the funeral. They truly are a great ministry group. Many of them are widows and have committed to walk with Sanga’s wife through what lies ahead.
The funeral was really a mixture of the Spirit’s impact upon the crowd and the futility of the beer buddies. Even the almost comic moments of the funeral when the beer showed its impact on the gathered, there was a continuing deep respect for the seriousness of the moment and the spiritual significance of the Sanga’s life and death. Mpeli led in prayer and explained the spiritual significance of the moment. I had the privilege of preaching a brief message from John 11:25-26. Mpeli explained that I was the one who recognized that Sanga needed water and gave it to him on Sunday. This was contrasted with those who under the influence of local beer assumed him dead and wanted to close his eyes and hold his mouth shut (tribal custom). Mpeli gave Sanga’s testimony and offered an invitation to those present. Then the actual burial began.
The friends lowered the casket into the grave. But, because of the influence of local beer they had not measured the grave and the casket would not fit. So the casket had to be raised out and more digging or trimming of the grave took place. Then, the casket was lowered again. The friends now dropped the casket and it turned sideways into the grave. Once it was righted and placed into the grave properly and secured. Even with all this, there remained a respect throughout the process. Mpeli gave a final committal and the covering of the casket began. First a layer of bamboo was placed over the casket. Then, the bamboo was covered with straw (the kind they use for making roofing material). Then, they began to fill in the grave and moved all the dirt until there was a large mound of dirt over the grave. Mpeli again spoke of Sanga’s life and the assurance of his eternal life with God through Jesus Christ. He encouraged the wife and friends in Jesus Christ. He prayed for them. Using one of the digging tools, Mpeli and Sadeke (worship leader at Kidetete) made the form of the cross on top of the large mound. The choir sang and the funeral was over.
Once again the contrasts of life in the village began. The women had prepared some food. But, most of the men wanted local beer (a funeral custom). As we left, tensions were rising over the insistence of serving the food first and beer last. I witnessed again the grace, love, and caring of the Kidetete women in the whole situation.
Please pray for Sanga’s wife. She is now at the mercy of Sanga’s relatives regarding the property. Mpeli explained that she may be okay. But, even distant relatives could cause her trouble in trying to get the farm and house from her. Pray for her to follow Jesus Christ and pray for her to be protected from those who might want to take the farm. This is a real issue in African life for women. When a husband’s dies, too often the husband’s family presents a real problem for the wife in keeping the farm or house.
posted by Becka | 1:46 PM
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