Represent

             When I was twenty four years old I was studying abroad in Botswana which is a country near the southern part of Africa. I was there for five weeks studying HIV/Aids awareness through my counseling program at Ohio University. I remember during the middle of my trip walking into a middle school classroom, sweat pouring down my head. I had just gotten off an hour ride in a convey, a very small minivan, packed with 15 strangers. I was wearing long black dress pants, dress shoes and a black long sleeve button down shirt; I remember it just like it was yesterday. I walked into a crowded classroom of 30 middle schoolers, “I wonder if they even speak English” I thought to myself. The teacher told the class to take their seats and look up at the board, “good they not only listen but speak my language” I said in the back of my mind. The teacher introduced me “This is Zach White; he is a student who traveled all the way from the United States to be with you today”. I’ll never forget the excitement on the children’s faces after that statement; you would have thought I just gave them each a bucket of candy.

Me and the kids

                
              As the class continued to clap the students began giving attention to a particular little girl sitting in the front of the classroom, poking her and laughing. The teacher quickly asked what all the fuss was about. One of her friends spoke up for her, “her biggest dream is to go to America one day”. The rest of the class began giggling and she jokingly shoved her friend for opening her big mouth. The topic that day was “Who do you look up to”, I was impressed to learn that majority of the students chose Americans. One little boy said 2 Pac, another said Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and a few girls said Oprah. Luckily no one said Britney Spears or I may have walked out of the classroom. As we broke up in small groups to work on an assignment I went over to talk to the little girl from earlier. I knelt down in front of her desk and asked what her name was; she put her head down and mumbled “Faith”. She was so cute and innocent “Faith, it’s nice to meet you. So you want to go to America one day?” She nodded her head yes as she peaked up at me with a smile. Then I asked her a question I will never forget, “Have you ever met an American?” She tilted her head back up and said “nope, you’re the first”.

Faith and I

Something hit me at that moment. This girl’s biggest dream is to go to the country where I have lived my whole life, the land of opportunity and more importantly she has never met anyone from the United States. It dawned on me that whatever impression I made on this little girl would be how she would view all Americans. It became clear that how I treated her would be a reflection of my country and that she may never meet another American the rest of her life. My heart began to race, this sounds like an important job and most importantly I better not screw it up. That conversation not only shaped how I treated people the rest of that day, the rest of my trip abroad but how I treat people every day of my life. I never felt pressure to live up to the best of my ability to represent something before and all of the sudden I felt like I had to wear my biggest smile and watch every word I said. I remember spending the rest of the day with Faith, making jokes, having fun and more importantly showing her how Americans treat people. Eventually this encounter began shaping how I lived out all the other things I represent. I’ve always been a Christian but I felt comfortable wearing my cross, going to church on Sunday and reading my Bible quietly in my room at night. Besides, the last thing people want to do is have someone beating the Bible over their head.

As I was reading the bible recently, my visit with Faith began to stick out in the back of my mind. I began hearing people tell me how they don’t like Christians because they’ve been burned by the church, they have had a Christians tear them down in the past or that they just don’t get the whole “Jesus died for my sins” thing. That is when I began realizing I need to start living out my faith as if I am the only Christian they will ever meet. I know this may sound a bit odd because there are a lot of Christians in the U.S. but I began experiencing a calling. I began thinking every person I encounter today may have never felt the love of Jesus from a person who truly believes in Him.  As a Christian it became my duty to serve and love others the way Jesus calls us to serve, without judgment, showing unconditional love to others.

I remember sitting in a training class for my job at OSU Hospital when the topic of faith was brought up. A girl who I had become friends with leaned over and whispered to me “I’m an atheist”, her next sentence didn’t shock me “You probably hate me now.” I couldn’t help but smile, “of course not, I love all people just the same.” The look on her face was pure shock, but after that moment she began opening up and asking questions. I went home that night and prayed that she meets more loving Christians, ones who will not judge her and accept her for who she is and where she is at in life. I sometimes get the feeling that people think I am making myself out to be something that I am not and that could not be farther from the truth. I believe that what we put into our mind shines outward onto others. As I read scripture and realize how Jesus loved every person, I realize we all sin and all sins are equal. God recognizes that we are all imperfect, which is why He sent someone to show us how to live. Jesus did more than die on a cross; he shows us how to forgive, how to love and how to be selfless.

I’m not a preacher, I’m not a deacon, and I’m not a pastor. I am a Christian. This doesn’t mean I talk about my faith every second of every day. I just choose to live it out, by being an example. I wear my cross proudly; I read my bible at lunch because I thoroughly enjoy learning the answers to life’s biggest questions. Jesus tells us to be the light in the world. Just as I represented all Americans that day in an African classroom 8,000 miles away, I too, represent Jesus Christ with every word and every action. Saint Francis of Assisi said it best “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

Thank you for reading my post. If you feel this message can help someone, please share it. If you have any questions, comments or just need prayer please email me at Zachary.Tyler.White@gmail.com God Bless!!