John 1: 4
“A light shines in the darkness”
In the country of Niger, only 9% of households have electricity. Knowing that statistic, I was excited to see the stars at night, without the glare of a suburban setting, but to my surprise, I never saw a single star. The dust was so thick from the sandy dirt roads, and from the smoke of the smoldering cooking fires, that each evening the night sky was drenched in a hazy darkness. Life for the people of Niger is full of darkness. The people of Niger live in a country that is 98% Muslim and listed 2nd to last on the United Nations Human Development Index. Health care is almost non-existent with 81 out of 1000 infants never reaching their 1st birthday. The average life expectancy is 48. In a place that is so difficult that survival is the goal of each day, how do people find their way?
I never got to see the stars shine, but I saw many shining stars in the Christians of Niger. Jesus has come into their lives and has helped to light the way. They were amongst the most joyful people I have ever met, and knew that their hope rested on nothing less than Jesus. They understood that for now the world they lived in was full of darkness, but they trust in the promises of God. Isaiah 60:19 foretold that “the sun will no more be our light by day nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you. For the Lord will be your everlasting light and your God will be your glory.”
Jesus comes at Christmas to be our light and with him comes the promise that, “We will see his face and his name will be on our foreheads. There will be no more night. We will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun for the Lord God will give us light and we will reign forever and ever.” Revelations 22: 4-5. Let Christ be the light in your life and know that with him, darkness will never win. Alleluia!
Gracious and loving father, thank you for your promises. Help us each day to live in the light, shining like stars so others can see you through us. Amen
A note from Jeremy Beebout, Missionary to Niger has been posted below.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Traditions in Niger
ReplyDeleteHere is a short description on Christmas traditions in Niger. I want to start out with a few disclaimers just so you understand that my description could have a limited perspective. Most importantly, of course is the fact that Niger is a vastly Muslim country at over 95% claiming the Islamic faith (a much lower number however are actually practicing). Of course this vast portion of the population does not celebrate Christmas other than that Christmas (Noel in Niger) is a national holiday. This primarily is due to the fact that Niger was previously a colony of France who of course brought this holiday with them. This leaves less than 1% of the population of Niger, which is around 15 million, who are Christian and celebrate Christmas. Because Niger has traditionally been a Muslim society, it must be said that Christmas traditions that are celebrated in Niger have primarily been introduced by those who brought Christianity to Niger. Needless to say, many of the Christmas traditions and celebrations here resemble those from the West. This is perhaps especially true in urban areas such as Niamey, the capital of Niger, which is what I am most familiar with. In the local church where we attend which is primarily Nigeriens, (we are the only white faces on the average Sunday, but there are also Nigerians, Chadians, Burkinabe, and others who join) there WILL be a Christmas tree setup along with other decorations. (In fact the Christmas tree stayed up all year this year!) We will have a special Christmas service both on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day which will consist of singing and a message and not that different from a Western service other than the length of the service. Christmas is also a time here where families get together like in the West however here Christians use the opportunity to take food to their Muslim neighbors often as an exchange for what was brought to them during the Muslim celebration of Tabaski. Perhaps the last noteworthy aspect of the Christmas service that we attend is that it will often be televised and shared on the public television network and therefore is a great evangelism opportunity. Please remember as you are celebrating Christmas again in your church to pray for those who may be hearing about Christmas and the birth of Jesus for the FIRST time and that they would receive this message with joy!
Thanks also for your continued prayers for our family as well!