Expect the Unexpected

If there is anything that I have learned while living in Africa, it is to expect the unexpected.  The most consistent element of life here is its inconsistency.  I have come to realize that that is not a bad thing.  It is just the way it is. 

Today’s events provided yet another example of this reality.  We arrived at church with the intention to conclude a three-day set of revival services that had already been revised and altered to accommodate the changing needs of the church and village.  We were greeted by the pastor, who advised us that rather than having church, we would be preaching the funeral of the two-year-old daughter of a church member.  A minister here knows that he must be prepared for whatever ministry need dictates at the moment, so we assisted with those needing a lift and navigated the rough terrain to the neighboring village for the service.

 

An explanation of a Malawi funeral would fail to adequately relate the event.  Men and women sit in separate locations.  The body of the deceased is housed in a casket in a room filled with female mourners who are singing and attempting to bring comfort to the bereaved.  Women outside are busy cooking over open fires, enough food to feed all those in attendance.  The menu usually consists of nsima, rice, meat, and cooked vegetables of some sort.  Other than the chairs provided for those of honor, seating for the group is on the ground.  There are pockets of people scattered among the houses and structures.  Great respect is shown in a solemn atmosphere while friends and family share conversation and necessary activities.

Once the meal is prepared and served, the service begins.  Men form a circle around the casket and sit on the ground in a cleared, open area designated for the service.  Women and children sit on the ground in an outer area. Most of the service is conducted in Chichewa.  I am told that the sermons have less to do with the person’s life and more to do with Christian teaching.  There may be more than one person who shares during the memorial.  A list of those giving donations for the funeral is read.  A prayer concludes this part of the ceremony, and the casket is then carried or transported by vehicle to the burial site.

Attendees by the hundreds walk behind the casket to the gravesite with singing and the wailing of mourners. Once there, men sit closest to the body, while the women sit on the parameter of the area.  More thoughts are shared, prayer is offered, then the casket is lowered into the ground, and the grave is covered by men from the village as a last means of respect and duty.  Final comments and prayer are shared, and then the crowd walks back to the village area.

As you can surmise, this process is not concise. Funerals here consume much of the day.  The process offers an opportunity for those in attendance to actively or passively express acts of kindness to the family of the departed.  Though it may sound odd, I enjoy the sense of community and camaraderie expressed at a Malawi funeral.  For a brief moment in time, I am part of a shared experience.  Easing the sting of death becomes a common goal of all.

Though unexpected, I expect that ministry today was performed by more than just the preacher and that the message was heard by all.  My continued thoughts and prayers are with this mother and her family.

(Please note that all photos were not taken today but were taken with permission of participants.  No photos were taken at the burial site.)