ABCD
Stop: Imagine you have just arrived in Iringa, Tanzania. Maybe you’ve never been there before. Still, use your imagination. As you look around, what do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell?
Listen: Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Reflect: ABCD is short for “Asset-Based Community Development.” This is something we learned about in the Reimagining Mission Bible study series. Oftentimes we look at our community and only see problems to fix, needs to be met, or deficits. ABCD encourages us to see what strengths are already there and ask what God might already be up to.
My family and I are currently in Tanzania for a family trip. What did you imagine when you closed your eyes? Perhaps we’ve been conditioned to think of Tanzania as a “third-world,” “under-developed,” or “poor country.” But as you closed your eyes could you hear the beautiful music and singing?[1]
Did you notice the smell of flowers and fresh fruit? Did you see how our partners dropped everything to make you feel welcome, even cooking their one and only goat to prepare a generous feast? Did you see how hard the people work—most women with one or two children around her waist and bundles of dried goods for market balanced on their head?
It is a new thing to look through an asset-based lens. Instead of seeing what God ISN’T doing, we give thanks for all God HAS done, IS doing, and WILL do for each of us and our partners in Tanzania. Come to think of it, I believe God uses ABCD when God looks at us.
Here we are—sinners and unrighteous, selfish and foolish. Yet because of all God has done for us, God sees the righteousness of Jesus when God looks at us. God sees people who have gifts from the Holy Spirit to be used for loving and serving our neighbors. God sees us for who we really are and God loves us anyway.
Pray: Gracious God, give us new eyes to see our neighbors and your world. Help us to see the strengths in our church, community, and neighbors rather than the deficits. Bless our partners in Nyanzwa, Tanzania, as they use the many gifts you have given them to love and serve their neighbors. Amen.
Carry On: Is there a person or even organization that you constantly see the negative in? Take a moment to think of one or two strengths that person or organization has.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKTClWWoSO8&list=PLaOGbNiJWFGZfgHu4K2Ilxju5LPkFKKcH