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December 20, 2009

Happy Christmas

Dear friends,

The Fulani of Burkina Faso have two words for shepherd. Duroowo is the more common word, defined simply as 'one who herds'. The other is banyaajo – a stronger word meaning 'one who herds and knows nothing about anything except herding.' It signifies someone who is most at ease when he is way off in the countryside, someone whose conversation is limited to cows, goats and sheep. Banyaajo is not necessarily an insult but it does have a humorous edge to it.

I like to think that the shepherds in the second chapter of the gospel of Luke were young lads of the banyaajo variety. Just before the angel turned up, they were doing what they did best – keeping watch over their sheep. They may also have been humming, shivering and telling jokes, when suddenly God interrupted their pastoral idyll and gave them something else to talk about.

Advent is here and we are wallowing afresh in the delicious story of the nativity. Light and life have come into the world. Unexpected glory has shone around us. Emmanuel, God with us, has entered our darkness, our sadness and our shame, intent on sweeping us up into his love.

Unusually, Charlie and I are celebrating Christmas in England this year. We are also celebrating the birth of our first child, Liberty, who was born on 16 November. She's very sweet and we're asking God for wisdom to bring her up well.

We are living in a small village called Lavant in the south of England. Steve is writing a new book; Charlie is looking after Lib and doing the occasional fashion shoot for girls' magazine Caris. Our cottage is just a stone's throw from the inn where William Blake wrote Jerusalem – a green and pleasant land which seems light years away from our home in sub-saharan Africa.

That said, we are in regular contact with our friends and colleagues in Burkina Faso, and we fully expect to return there in the middle of next year. Steve recently assumed the role of Field Leader for the World Horizons teams in West Africa. Charlie is looking forward to developing various craft projects alongside the charity Save Our Skills. We both admit to feeling more than a bit vulnerable about the idea of being back in Africa with an eight-month old baby, and we would appreciate your prayers as the time approaches.

For now though, we wish you and your families a meaningful Christmas and a happy new year. Alla beydu jam (May God increase your peace).

Posted by sahelsteve at December 20, 2009 11:59 AM