How Beautiful the Feet

by Holly Sullivan

I’ve heard the metaphor of the church being like the actual body of Christ my whole life. Since I can remember, I’ve been taught that each person has something to contribute to the Kingdom of God. Some are good listeners while others are better encouragers. Some have the ability to meekly serve, drawing people to Christ, while others speak with boldness proclaiming the wonders of God’s goodness. Our group of 27 students proves this metaphor to be spot-on. We have quiet servants and those ready to initiate conversations; we have people who speak the truth of God into the lives of others and those who lead by their love.

One particular portion of this metaphor has shown itself to me more and more as the days keep progressing: the feet. Something so unkempt, but so necessary. Feet. The part of the body that takes the Word and the power of God to people across every border.

Our group has encountered so many people here who perform the duty of the feet: Meagan Hawley, a woman who has just moved back to the Namwianga Mission indefinitely so that she can give her whole being to the children at the Havens. Fighting day and night for the orphans’ lives. Roy and Kathy Merritt, servants who have dedicated years upon years of their life to the boys of Eric’s House and prison ministries. In their sixties they are still serving the youth of Namwianga. Not to mention the countless Zambians here at Namwianga who have been touched in some way by Jesus Christ, and are taking it upon themselves to spread what they know to their companions and families. It is remarkable to meet people who have been raised in an incredibly different context, whose upbringing, struggles, and experiences are so foreign to what I know. To see them act in a way that truly represents the transformational power of the Good News is a challenge. It causes me to look inward and see what it is that I am doing for the Kingdom.

If I had heard the stories of these people about a month ago from a blog like many of you are reading, it probably wouldn’t impact me very much. In fact, it would almost seem like a lifestyle that is not only unlikely, but unrealistic for me to be a part of. But that was a month ago.

Being here at the Mission, seeing, listening, touching these people through whom God is doing incredible things, has made the feet come alive to me in ways I thought were fiction. The missionaries and the Zambian people that are working together here in Kalomo are common people. When I met them there weren’t any beams of light coming off of the crowns of their head or any background music. They are people like me. Meagan laughs at the same things I do. Mr. and Mrs. Merritt love to sing like I do. The Zambian people love to play sports and get excited when they make a new friend just as much as I do. These aren’t artificial robots living in a whimsical African world. These are real life people like me doing things that frighten them, just like it would frighten me. I am witnessing the church in action. Seeing people actually doing what the Bible talks about. And I’m realizing that I am also capable of doing it.

Having all of these observations and realizations makes me question and reassess what body part I actually am. Am I a foot? Is this kind of life that the Lord has in mind for me? I’m starting to notice characteristics in myself that would fit perfectly into this kind of living. I love my family more than life itself but I don’t find myself becoming weary with homesickness. I love my friends and the life I have back home, but I don’t find myself dying to keep in constant communication. I feel fulfillment and purpose when there are 6 toddlers crawling and drooling all over my legs. After having several conversations with a few of the people here I feel like I’ve found bonds I’ve been looking for my whole life. This is not to say the people here are better or that friends from home lack anything. It is simply the culture of relationship taking precedence over time. It allows connections to flourish the way they were meant to.

So have I encountered these people to confirm my calling? Was God’s purpose for me coming on this trip to show me what I wished I could do, I actually can do? There are so many of these kinds of questions and uncertainties from a number of people in our group and we are scrambling to try and keep all of our thoughts together. If this is the part of the body some of us are supposed to be, how will God let us know? What will tell us if this is right or if we would better serve as something else?

I wish I knew the answer, but with two months left I’m still on the journey. I haven’t figured out what or where or how long. And although I don’t know right now, if I keep searching to know the heart of God and figuring out who He is, maybe I can learn what it is He expects from me. I am supposed to be a representation of Him. So to know Him more intimately will give me insight on what it is I am supposed to be. And whether it is a mouth or an ear or a foot, in Africa or back home, I pray that I will have the courage to contribute everything I have to offer to the work of His body.