Been thinking of ideas for a Harvest sermon. I was remembering how my mum used to talk about harvesting time when she was growing up in the countryside; how it was a community event when farmers and growers all turned out to help each other, and how they shared machinery and man-power, and how at the end of it all they shared a meal together. There was a lot of sharing.
Today's Harvest themes are also full of sharing. Especially for us city dwellers there is much food for thought on food banks and sharing what God has given us, especially in these days of credit crunch and recession. We may be a step or two from the fields, but as we 'harvest' in the supermarkets we have the opportunity to share some of what we have with others.
Being in Africa certainly takes us closer again to the earth and to where things grow. Especially as we travel outside the city we are surrounded by those lovely green hills that Rwanda is renowned for - 'Land of 1,000 hills'. We step outside someone's little home to see avocado and bananas and mango growing on trees so close you could reach up and touch them. We see people - most often women - bent over in fields digging, planting or gathering maize, potatoes and maybe even rice.
It all looks good until you learn that although this food might be growing right outside within reach, or that although someone spends back-breaking hours in fields - the food is not theirs to take. The food belongs to landowners, and those who live by it or work to grow it don't see or taste the benefits. There isn't much sharing going on.
But one of our greatest joys in Rwanda does involve sharing. We take what is generously given here, change it for food and share it with those in greatest need. It is a huge privilege and amazing blessing to be those who get to share, but we are always conscious of those who have shared already so that we can share with others - thank you!
What is really lovely is that the sharing continues. We know that as we leave a home, those who have received that day will share with family and neighbours, because some other day when the tables are turned they themselves will benefit from sharing.
I read this the other day from Paul in his letter to the Corinthians - 'they gave offerings of whatever they could - far more than they could afford - pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of the poor'.
Sharing is good. Can we afford not to?
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