Dust in Sierra Leone

Dear Friends,

“To everything there is a season,” the writer from Ecclesiastes says, and Sierra Leone is currently in the season called “the dries.” We last saw rain here in Freetown sometime in November. Now, the lush green of gardens, farms, fields, and forests is giving way to dust-covered and dying vegetation in various shades of brown.

This morning as I was sitting on my porch, I watched birds darting to and fro amidst the tangle of overgrown plants in my yard. Weeds and grasses in what was once my garden are going to seed and dying back, and the birds are delighted. Winged creatures also like to visit the lantana bush I planted in front of my house a year ago. The birds seemed to be feasting from the goodness of the land this morning, and I thought of Psalm 104 as I watched: “How many are your works, O Lord, in wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures . . . These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.”

HUNGRY CHILDREN AND BEER BOTTLES

As I was pondering such things, I couldn‟t help but think also of the broader context here. Sierra Leone is a nation marked by hunger, brokenness, and need. One of the most poignant things I‟ve seen is the hungry children who watch and wait for leftovers from the bowls of the strangers, and who scavenge for remains of food.
A friend told me last week of a woman she knows who collects beer bottles (from trash heaps) and receives 50 cents for every 24 bottles she finds. This is her only source of income for food and shelter for herself and her children.

Today I am holding the words of Psalm 104 and the image of birds feasting as a reminder of God‟s intention for creation: God intends all creatures to be blessed with daily bread. Sometimes the distance between God‟s intentions and the lived reality is great, and it is easy to succumb to despair. Today, though, the birds are a sign of hope and a reminder that God continues to be at work creating, redeeming, and sustaining this world. God‟s faithful people in Sierra Leone believe this and trust this with all their hearts. With them, I live each day in a season of thanksgiving.

In Christ‟s peace,
Pr. Kate Warn, Pastor-In-Residence