Wonderful African Friends

We have some wonderful African friends here in the UK who always inspire and make me feel just a little inadequate in my faith. Kathy and I were invited to a Housewarming on Saturday so we went along, I suppose expecting the usual type of party thing. But I couldn't have been further from the truth.

We were first to turn up and Thembisa was still hoovering (when will we learn that when an African says 7.00 - 7.30 they actually mean sometime that evening) Anyway people started turning up at about 8.30 and after greetings, people very soon began praying and blessing each other and singing. And I mean really singing - full on, very loud and with plenty of dancing, mostly in Zulu so I hadn't the foggiest what we were singing.

We briefly paused to eat from a table that was laden with food brought by many of the guests and then after eating our fill some of the "Pastors" present were asked to share a word and pray a blessing which they did most articulately and with passion blessing the "twins" Thembisa and Thembeka, and their house. Then with a gently request from Thembeka each of us in turn was asked to introduce ourselves and pray or share a word. Many just started out in song and the praying, blessings, singing and dancing went well into the night.

Now THAT is what I call a housewarming!

Reflecting afterwards on a wonderful evening I couldn't help thinking how much our English - Western culture had lost in really knowing how to celebrate, with God in our midst, over simple things like getting a new house. Also Kathy and I were the only English people there but we were so warmly welcomed and knew we were amongst brethren and friends. I wonder if an English party would have made an African couple feel so warmly part of the evening?