You all look the same....by Hope Stanger

You All Look The Same

by Hope Stanger

Being in a country other than your native home can be expressed in one word: different. There is different wildlife, different food, different languages but the most exciting and terrifying thing is the different people. People with completely different upbringings and customs surround you. It is interesting to experience their world and try to understand things from their perspective. On the other hand, it is a little daunting to think about how they view us.

While I was talking to Justin, one of the Zambian night watchmen at Namwianga, he apologized for not remembering my name. He explained that our group appearance is alike, “You all look the same.” Since then I have heard several other Zambians say equivalent statements. At first it offended me a little. We Americans enjoy our individuality and I like to think that people remember me for who I am apart from anyone else in our group. Yet, it made me start to think about how we appear to outsiders.

One identifier that we can’t escape is our race. As an all-white group we stand out rather quickly here in Zambia. And it is true that races tend to be able to distinguish differing features among their own race more quickly than others. Often we recognize the difference in race quickly and fail to perceive minor changes in features. So it is understandable that many Zambians find it difficult to distinguish between us at first. I definitely have a hard time remembering all the names of the children at the clinic until I am able to get to know them individually.

What about beyond our race though? What else do Zambians see when they look at us?

I may not be able to perceive all that a Zambian notices when they look at our Harding group but I do know what I hope they see. I hope they can see the image and character of God. I hope that as we strive to emulate Jesus, they will be able to see him in us and not just our pale skin. We are called to love one another and live as disciples of Jesus so that God may be glorified.

So maybe it can actually be a good thing if we all look alike. If the Zambians can see Jesus in all of us then we will look similar as we follow Him. Plus, as we learn to view the image of God stamped on all of us, we begin to realize that not only do all of us white people look alike, but all the people in the world look alike in our ability to mirror the character of God through His grace. Suddenly all the differences don’t really matter as we begin to catch glimpses of the qualities we have shared since creation.

We really do look the same.