always ask

This short exerpt is from "I Loved A Girl", letters compiled by Walter Trobisch. An excellent short book touching on the issues around love, marriage and bride-price in Southern Africa. As I read this confession, I started to pray hard that God would give me the strength to always ask. While these lines do not speak for me or in any way reflect the ministry of Bridges of Hope, I still resonate with Trobisch's guilt and sorrow. Perhaps you too can learn from his lament.

Thank you for writing your whole story to me. We have known each other for almost ten years. That is how long it took us to get this far. Why?

Your letter showed me what poor ambassadors for our God we missionaries really are. When you came to me ten years ago you told me that your father was not concerned about either you or your mother. That was true. But I had no idea how much suffering and pain stood behind it. I took you in at our station and didn’t ask any more questions.

We always make this mistake. We don’t ask any more questions. We don’t want to know too much. We are afraid that the burden might crush us. We fear responsibility.

We missionaries think always we have done enough if we travel to Africa. It’s true that we see you daily at the services and in school; but there remains a great distance between us.

We’re too lazy really to put ourselves in your shoes, to look at things with your eyes. Instead of this we shut our eyes and simply proclaim the Gospel as a law.