Praying with a Friend

 

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." -Luke 6:20-21 (NIV)

As I share another meal with my friend Taban I again marvel at how his faith is so strong and ever present, when his life has been so hard. We start each meal with a prayer, simple but powerful:

“Heavenly father we thank you for the gift of this food that you have provided us. We pray that you bless this food. And provide to those who are not able to get, as you sanctify this in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

I love this prayer. Sometimes I say the prayer I grew up saying, in my Catholic family. But I like when we say his prayer together. There is something humbling, awe inspiring, and just beautiful praying with my friends here.

It is not uncommon for people to begin meals here with a prayer. So many people pray over their food. They give thanks for what they have and for those they share the meal with. It doesn't matter if we are part of a religious service or simply together sharing a meal. We pray.

But it doesn't feel forced. It feels like a natural part of any given thing we are doing. Religion is such a huge part of many people's lives and it is amazing. People who don't have enough food or other things to do well day to day, somehow manage to be immensely grateful and prayerful. It is truly amazing to be a part of.

The beatitudes seem to apply to the people here. They have so little but believe that their reward will be great. Their faith is very strong. Every Sunday the church is packed with people, hundreds of people.

I think you need to have some kind of faith being here. It helps get through all of the challenging times and the days that seem so overwhelming. Faith can bring you closer to the community and to the people around you here.

Faith has kept me going on hard days, guided me during rough times, and given me a purpose at times here. Faith has been the reason I was able to bond with certain people. But I also hope that I have learned a thing or two about faith during my time in South Sudan. I am grateful for those that have talked to me of religion and faith along the way.

"Commit to the lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."