The Better Part

Shortly after I finished university, I moved to the Sahara for a job and then ended up spending almost 10 years there. In my last couple of years I helped teach English classes at the university in Niamey. Class sizes were a little overwhelming as a first time teacher, with my first class having over 100 students, and the next class with over 200 who showed up. During the spring semester I assigned a three page (handwritten) essay of their choice.

I learned a lot about culture, thought, and future hopes of these students from reading their essays. Of the hundreds of essays I read, one was quite different than all the rest.

This student pointed out that to have a developed nation, they would have to give up some of the cultural traditions that are deeply rooted in each culture in Niger. This student pointed out that have a fully developed nation, they would need to give up some of their time spent with family and friends.

You see, culturally, if a person had to choose between attending a wedding, a baby naming ceremony, or school, then the two social occasions would be prioritized over education. Every student I surveyed answered the same. School/Class/Education was always a lower priority than social engagements.

This made me begin to ponder many things. How many of us could say that it’s better to spend time with friends and family than to have running water and electricity? How many would prioritize a conversation with a friend over our to-do list?

Jesus addressed this issue when a woman named Martha came and told Him to tell her sister to do her part. Jesus replied that Mary had chosen the better part.

Martha was busy preparing the house, the dinner, setting the table, and doing all the things every good hostess ought to do. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening. (Luke 10:38-42)

Western culture tells us we need to be busy, need to have a settled job, need to make sure our children are well-rounded. The Bible tells us to love God and love our neighbor.

Do we ever wonder if some of the violence we see, some of the rudeness, some of the lack of concern for others comes from our focus on being developed – having the best – being more efficient – and we’re really missing out on actually seeing the humans around us?

What would it look like if we said a prayer for the person in line in front of us instead of wondering how much longer they would take? What if we took a minute to count our blessings instead of honking at the “idiot” driving in front of us?

Just after God gave Moses the 10 Commandments Moses turned around and gave them to the people. Then Moses told the people that if they obeyed these commands then all would go well with them and they would live long lives. (Deuteronomy 6:1-9)

Obeying God + Loving your Neighbor = a good long life

It seems so easy. And isn’t that what everyone seems to want? A good life. A long life.

In our desire to improve our lives and make things easier are we forgetting the people around us?

I’d love to hear from you – what do you think?