African Preachers and Living Truth

It is a well-known characteristic of the African preacher to illustrate the truth he wants to drive home. A mission- ary in Kenya sends some examples of the way they make the truth real and vivid: “Do you find it very hard work being the only Christian, perhaps, in your village? You are like a gitugi (the forked stick that props up a bunch of bananas): the owner of the garden has put you there, and He wants the fruit of all in your village to be His.

If you were not there it might fall to the ground and be spoilt; so even if it is hard, or you are persecuted, go on witnessing for Christ.” “The native beehive hangs in the tree waiting for the wild bees to swarm into it. Let us become like the beehive, and receive the Lord Jesus as the bee to dwell in it. Then He will bring His own honey, and our lives shall be full of sweetness.”

One pastor prayed as follows: “O God, we are Thy cooking pots. Give us the fire and the water that we need, so that the food for Thy children may not be spoiled, and the children go hungry. Thou art the murugi (mother who cooks) ; use us to cook food for Thy children.” And another prayer: “Father, there is a little piece of my garden I have always been ashamed of, and I have never wanted any one to see.

Dig your panga (cultivating knife) in deep, and cultivate it for me.’”