Multiplied Blessing

There's always at least two sides to every story, more accurately, there are a million different spins I, as the writer of any story, can put onto the actual events with you as the readers at the mercy of my decision-making. Last week, Andrea, the kids and I travelled down to a place called Kamaashi for a Gmz song-writing workshop and as I consider what and how to write about it, I am stumped by the many options. I could talk about our clanking and squeaking truck and the mental/emotional stress that added to my week as we clattered our way well off the main roads. At the same time, I could write about the beautiful scenery of Western Ethiopia and how it surpasses what we see in our usual travels North. I could tell you about the delight it was to stay in the same hotel with Dr. Julie, the well-rounded and incredibly-experienced ethnomusicologist who led the workshop. 

Or I could focus on the misery of that hotel, the stench of the toilet, and the sickness and fevers that Andrea, Micah, Grace and Julie fought throughout the week. I could tell you about the transportation problems our team of 11 guys had when coming from the North, or the communication problems that created some strife within the ranks. I could highlight the sad times of seeing Christ's body fractured into denominations, or I could share the glimpses of that body coming together again in writing and singing Gmz worship songs. All that to say, every negative story I write, has a light in the darkness. At the same time, every glowing positive story has its own bumps in the road which try very hard to dampen our joy.

As I had the privilege of sitting in and even at times teaching during the workshop, I can't help but marvel at the great effort put into writing good, Biblically-based songs in the Gmz language and style. One of our big prayer requests was to find ways that we could help the various denominations in contextualizing their worship so as to speak to the Gmz hearts not only in their language, but in the Gmz musical style that effortlessly engages their hearts. The guys from Gesas, as expected, shined like stars, after all, they've been writing such songs for more than two years now. Dewaan, Worku and a new person from the "Full Gospel" church wrote an excellent song on Jesus' response to Satan's first temptation attempt – man does not live by bread alone! The tag line at the end of the song really brought smiles to the Gmz faces, "Let's eat God's Word like bread! It’s the food of life!" WoHiis and Wene worked with a person from the "New Testament" church denomination to write an excellent song from one of my favorite passages – Habakkuk 3:17-18 – "When the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, when the olive trees do not produce and the fields yield no crops, when the sheep disappear from the pen and there are no cattle in the stalls, I will rejoice because of the Lord; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me!" The Gmz people face many, many similar hardships, and so I repeatedly had to fight the tears in my eyes whenever I heard them singing that they will rejoice in God their Savior even when everything around them bears only discouragement. Finally, Habtamu and his new friend from the "Christ is the Foundation" church knocked the ball out of the park with their song taken directly from Ephesians 4:28, encouraging those who steal to instead work hard with their own hands, that they might produce extra and honor God by sharing with those in need. Each of these songs speak directly into issues that Gmz people wrestle with. The Gmz work hard all year in the unrelenting cycle of subsistence farming, yet there is more to life than this hand to mouth cycle! The Gmz are weighed down with hardship, yet there is reason to hope in God their Savior! Many Gmz in need quickly resort to stealing, rather that abiding by their own tightly-held cultural value of working hard! And to put these powerful messages together with powerful song, the initial result was immensely encouraging to see. I can't wait to see what happens when the CD of the workshop is released to the greater Gmz population!

 While the Gesas guys really impressed me, it wasn't their outputs that most kindled my joy. Rather, it was another denomination which I will leave unnamed. We invited and welcomed this denomination into the song-writing workshop knowing that their tradition does not typically approve of worship songs in the local musical genre. Just as American churches initially feared and rejected the instruments of sin-filled rock-and-roll culture such as guitar and drums, so also this church has tightly restricted the musical style allowed in church worship to only a few – all of which are very foreign to the Gmz culture. We understand that, and it isn't all bad. Yet, we prayed that this workshop could present some fresh ideas that would challenge some of those views and get the Gmz believers thinking about how they can worship God from within their Gmz culture. From day 1, it was encouraging to see how the 5 workshop participants from this church interacted with the topics. Later in the week, they too were asked to try writing a song in the Gmz style and they did! Not only did they give it a try, they jumped in with both feet and wrote what sounded like a very nice song relating the story of Jesus' feeding of the 5000. It’s a great start, communicating God as the abundant provider as he takes our human efforts and multiplies them exponentially. The multiplication of food resources is a huge miracle in the eyes of subsistence farmers. In addition to that, it provides a very reasonable justification for why we bless our food BEFORE we eat (can you imagine just a single bite of mashed potatoes multiplying times 1000 inside your stomach?!?! On second thought, better not try to imagine it in great detail.)

 

In a sense, the multiplication of five loaves and two fish is an inspiring parable for what we hope to see happen as a result of this song-writing workshop. Seven denominations attended, thirteen songs were recorded and are now being polished for publishing on a CD. We pray that these songs might be heard far and wide within Gmz communities; that they might multiply themselves in encouraging the production of more and more songs. And dare I pray that these songs and their offspring be effective in bridging the divisions of denominations imposed from the outside upon the Gmz Church. The Gmz traditional music is sung in a circle, it is sung by clansmen. Might Gmz Christians sing past man-made divisions in unified worship of their common Savior, that all might eat and be satisfied.