In the States, we attend worship services Sunday after Sunday in well-kept church buildings. We take it for granted. They are always there. But in eastern Malawi, over near the lake shore community of Nkhotakota, that conclusion is not valid. Recent rains and heavy winds destroyed a church building where about 80 people had been meeting. Wilson Tembo, Executive Director of Action for Progress, sent a series of photographs depicting the aftermath of the storm. They show a group of Christians gathering for worship services. They are sitting on the concrete floor, with only a few bricks lining the outer perimeter of the foundation. Most of the rest of the bricks are lying in broken piles along the outer wall. The image of the devastation lingers in one’s mind.
One can easily mistake the scene for a construction site. However, Tembo’s accompanying note reveals the building had been destroyed by intense storms. The devastation extended well beyond the building; it affected crops, villages, houses, and the lives of many people.
Dick Stephens, of the Malawi Project, notes, “I have not been able to get these scenes out of my mind. They give me a different perspective when I enter our church building in the States. I am struck by our intact walls, well-painted interior, and finely finished ceiling. I am more aware of the warmth and comfort of the interior, the padded pews, songbooks, and Bibles readily available for all attendees, and the carpeted floors. The stark contrast between what we have and what they have is hard to comprehend. As I look around our auditorium, I recall the Bible verse, “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48).