in Naitopwaki's House

Being back in North America has really sharpened a couple of things in my mind about why we are doing this tour. When we began putting it together, I remember my thoughts and the conversations we had with people like Maliaki, but it’s become real to me again over the last couple of days. I was meeting with one pastor in particular, at a church where the choir is going to sing in a few weeks, and we began to talk about community. I was telling stories about Maasailand, (for example, Nemburis’ testimony), and Mike (the pastor I was talking to) began telling me about the search for community that their congregation is engaged in. The more we talked, the more excited I began to get – this is one of the key elements of the story for our friends. They may not say “it’s all about community”, but as you begin to hear them talk, I promise you will hear them telling stories of life lived openly and communally – stories of doing life together.

Men playing bao and talking about cows in Orbili

This is really one of the most beautiful things about Maasailand. Whether it’s sitting together under a tree talking about the health of the cows (always a popular topic), or sitting in a home sipping chai (tea) out of a tin cup and talking about God, the Maasai are really good at doing life together. They share their joys, their hurts, their triumphs, and their griefs. Elisaba’s beauty, rather than being a threat to another woman, is seen as enhancing the whole community. Yona’s strength as well, and Isack’s jumping. All celebrate together when life goes well, and they grieve together as well.

Yona Parkasi

I’m not one who thinks of simple civilizations as being better somehow (the idea of the “noble savage” has never made much sense to me), but I am firmly in the camp of those who believe that we can learn from each other. I, for one, want to learn about “doing life together” from my friends in Maasailand. They’re teaching me about the priorities we set and choices we make, and the impact that those decisions have on our lives – our level of connectedness.

So, perhaps you want to take some time and consider what it might mean to be a little more communal – go visit someone in person instead of sending them an email from your BlackBerry as you drive by their house – and see what happens. We’ve read the words in the Bible that say “…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14 NKJV). Or how about this translation, “the Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14 The Message). Either way, I’m really looking forward to what 9 Maasai coming to the US this summer can teach us about one very important aspect of the Christian life.

doing life together