Amy Boucher Pye

Month: May 2014

  • Devotional of the week – Our Commission (6 in John 15-16 series)

    And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. John 15:27

    Photo: by Chris Yarzab, flickr
    Photo: by Chris Yarzab, flickr

    When I was an editor at HarperCollins I commissioned the memoirs of Canon Michael Green. Sharing the good news of the gospel seems to pour out of him naturally, with his winsome words accompanied by a bright smile. I, however, am not a natural evangelist like Michael. In fact, the thought of city-center evangelism sends chills down my spine.

    But Jesus tells his disciples here that they must testify. In the Greek, the “you” is emphatic, underscoring that we are not off the hook. Sharing our faith with friends, family or strangers may be out of our comfort zone, but God has entrusted his message to us. We may stammer or feel incompetent, but the Holy Spirit will strengthen us and give us just the right words to speak.

    We aren’t limited to the ways we can testify about Jesus. We might encourage a friend who finds it hard to trust God with examples of his faithfulness in our own life. We might extend a listening ear to an older neighbor who is lonely. Or indeed we might tell a friend about how Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins, that she might live in freedom. God’s ways of reaching out to his needy world are endless, and we have the privilege of being the conduits.

    Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m amazed that you use me to share your love and grace. Work through me, I pray.

     

  • Review – memoir of life in Afghanistan

    408143_1_ftcI came across this gripping memoir through a review in the Woman Alive Book Club, and was grateful for the recommendation. In the Land of the Blue Burqas tells the stories of an American woman who spent five years in Afghanistan, working for an NGO with the goal of helping Afghan women. She recounts her experiences in a winsome manner; when reading I felt like she was sharing the stories over a cup of tea – even though she used a pseudonym to protect herself and her friends. I could sense her love and respect for the Afghan people she met.

    What struck me most was the hidden world of Afghanistan, namely the world of women. They live behind walls, closed in. In public they walk silently, not making eye contact with men. Nor would any man enter another family’s aouli (family compound) unannounced. If he visited, he would be served in an outer courtyard by a young girl or boy; the woman would have been given time to hide inside. But women move freely from one aouli to another, joining in with the lives of their women neighbours and forming a deep sense of community. The author experienced this strong friendship as she sipped their tea and ate the nuts and treats offered.

    Kate McCord found out that for women, the worst day of their life was when they married. Brides would be young – twelve or thirteen – and the marriages arranged. As one woman said, “My husband is a good man; he only hit me a little at first when we married.” But men said their best day was when they marred their first wife (many have more than one). The author learned more about women in Afghanistan than many men knew.

    I also appreciated how strongly she held to her Christian beliefs, sharing them graciously without forcing them on anyone. She learned the local language and sought to find out about Islam. When issues of faith came up, which was nearly every encounter, she sought a creative way of putting things, often by telling a Bible story that would lead to an unexpected ending. It would blow away the hearer’s preconceptions – if they allowed.

    When the security in her town disintegrated, she was forced to leave. She left her home, fruit trees, dog and the friends she had grown to love. But the stories of these beautiful people she will have as a gift forever.

    Jump into the rickshaw and enter this fascinating world.

    In the Land of the Blue Burqas, Kate McCord (Moody, ISBN 978-0802408143)