Richard Rohr writes, “Christ is everywhere. In Him every kind of life has a meaning and a solid connection.” Upon reflection of my trip, I now understand that I experienced Christ in every person I saw in Kinshasa.
Christ in the woman digging through ashes to collect something she understood as valuable. Christ in the steely-eyed teen dressed in camouflage, automatic weapon slung across his chest. Christ in the half-dressed children playing in the dirt. Christ in the body of every human packed beyond the capacity of a gutted-out van. Home to 17 million people, Kinshasa is the most populated city in Africa. Christ in 17 million people.
My role on this trip was to teach the teens and employees several lessons from the “Making Sense of Your Worth” curriculum, created by Cindy Lee at HALO project.
Inside the oasis of Theresa’s House, I led participants through lessons on self-worth, recognizing lies we believe about ourselves, how God our Father views us, and forgiveness. I was particularly impressed by the open and eager spirit of learning among the adults. It was so beautiful. Christ is in them.
During the class, each person was instructed to write a lie they believe about themselves on a rock. For example: I am not lovable, I am not good enough, I did something unforgivable, or I am a burden.
After reflecting on the heavy load we carry when holding tightly onto these lies, participants were encouraged to paint over their lie with truth: Who does God their Father say they are? They are lovable, good enough, forgiven, and precious.
I saw Christ in these beautiful people because that is where He resides. And if our understanding of God holds up, which I am confident it will, then the life of every image-bearer in that home has meaning and a solid connection to Christ. Thank you, Jesus, for your steadfast love to them, and to all of us.
