O ra ne Kum ni; Risen Indeed!

By Chris Stevenson

I’ll always remember our first Easter in Africa. Every Sunday was a joyous celebration in the church, but this was the best day of the year. The morning’s service went on and on, but the exuberance did not wane. At one point an elder remarked unforgettably, “If you are not a fish, you should be sweating by now!”

Afterwards, elder Simon, also my language helper, asked if I would accompany him on a visit to one of the outlying preaching points, a place called Worvao. I was torn between this opportunity and a desire to be with my family on Easter day, but when I thought of how the Shepherd was willing to leave the ninety-nine in search of one, I knew I should go. I had been in this village before and knew a few people were open to the gospel. They would gather on Sunday afternoons whenever someone arrived to teach them. Unfortunately, the elder who gave primary oversight to this village lived far away and had only a bicycle, so he did not reach them very often.

In this gathering of one man and a number of women and children, none were literate. Their meeting place was the local school—not a building, as you would imagine—just a lean-to with a thatched grass roof and a few old benches. We sat down to “hear their news.” All was not well. They shared reports of recent “fallings down.” One older lady was among those afflicted, having fallen onto a cooking fire where she was seriously burned. Another woman had dropped a baby. I was told this happens in this village and that it is attributed to spiritual forces. All this was new and strange to me.

Elder Simon leaned over and asked if I would be willing to take the sermon. It is not unusual for a qualified visitor to be called on, but as a language-learner, I wasn’t expecting to be asked. I felt “on the spot,” so I prayed, recalling Jesus’ words not to worry for He would give what to say (Luke 12:11). His peace settled, and the book of 1 Peter, chapter one came clearly into my mind.

This passage starts with a greeting from Peter. In Dagbamba culture, greetings are of great importance. And given the occasion, I asked Simon whether they had a special Easter greeting. He had never heard of any such thing, and didn’t expect it to exist, given that the Dagbamba are predominantly Muslim, with traditional animistic practices mixed in. Together we worked out an equivalent of “He is risen; risen indeed!”— O ra ne kum ni, O ra ne kum ni yelimanli!

Peter follows his greeting by noting the challenges and sufferings believers were facing in the places they’d been scattered to, encouraging them that their trials were not uncommon. As we’d shared the Easter greeting used by churches in so many parts of the world, I had sensed their surprise at how vast and wide-spread the Church is. (Their concept of the worldwide body of Christ was extremely limited—understandable, given their context.)

As I continued in the passage, relying on Simon to translate, I could see in their faces something like realization: first that Christians in so many other places, like them, face great trials both physically and spiritually; secondly, that this was a day of celebration! They were only beginning to gain a heart understanding of the fact that Jesus died and rose again.

God gave us the privilege of encouraging these truth-seekers through sharing our living hope in Jesus. His gift is very precious—something even fire cannot damage or destroy. He sees them in their sufferings, and has something far better in store for them, which He Himself promises, as they persevere in seeking the truth. I don’t know what those villagers recall of that Sunday, but I know I’ll never forget those dear, searching people. We went away much humbled and greatly blessed through their courage in the face of trials. I can only pray for new chapters in the building of their faith. May they not be neglected.

Chris and Stephanie Stevenson, with their two children, spent just over two years in Ghana and are now serving in the Finance Office and MK Department of WEC-Canada.

> Top of page