Two moving scenes from Sarah, Martha and Bishop John Burt’s visit to Tanzania are their visit to the village Muheza and their departure. Christ the King Muheza had just been formed two years before the Burt’s visit, their priest was out of the country, yet there was no damper on their welcome. Bishop Burt writes that, “long before we reached the church, the congregation met us on the road so we [got out of the Land Rover] and walked with them the last half mile singing hymns as we wound our way through maize fields.” Martha writes that, “women drummers greeted us as we arrived at their handsome contemporary church building and I was honored once again to dance their native wedding dance.” I love imagining such a community that is in such solidarity to walk together to meet a guest, sing together on the streets, and dance together with their guest. Muheza knew how to celebrate with such little expense.

The Burt’s departure was very emotional. They had amassed so many gifts that the Ohioans filled a “crate” with what they could not carry in their luggage. At the final gathering at the airport an airline employee, who was also Anglican, was so moved he bought all the crowd soft drinks. Martha writes that, “tears streamed down all our faces.” Even Bishop Burt (in the early years of the “gender revolution.”) wrote, “our eyes were wet for quite some time.” OK, very likely tears. His eyes could have been wet for other reasons, but the Burt’s were clearly sad to leave such loving people.

I have concern about going from my busy life into a people who will appreciate our visit even a fraction as much as they appreciated the Burt’s visit 37 years ago. Attention is at a premium in our culture. We have comodified attention and lost community attention. Walking the last half mile with visitors to our church! I am trying to imagine that happening in Fremont! And dancing with visitors! Fremont used to dance at the Rainbow Gardens, but our church member Ruth who most loved the place just died at age 102 and it has been closed since she was 59. Our lives are so busy we often will only give attention to accomplish something or to entertain ourselves. I feel undeserving of the attention of people who give attention to others so freely with out the expectation of accomplishing anything or being entertained.

My hope for my life, St. Paul’s, Fremont, and our Diocese (I have little hope for my life changing without our whole diocese changing. I can not live much differently unless many others change as well.) is that the Gospel returns to us with out much of the baggage and business of our life styles. A good sign of this fruitfulness will be if we begin to resemble the type of community the Burt’s described, if we begin to give more attention to each other and guests with out any expectation of accomplishing anything or of being entertained.

I can’t help but mention here that I experience a kind of community similar to communities the Burt’s describe in the Bishop’s Bike Ride. Eugene Peterson is fond of a Fredriche Nietzsche quote, "The essential thing 'in heaven and earth' is that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, some thing that has made life worth living." From 11 year olds to 80 year olds we commit to each other for five days, going in the same direction. We probably would not do it if we couldn’t “accomplish” the miles of the day. But then maybe the more valuable part is the “long obedience” of being together after each day’s ride. That time is longer than any time I spend with anyone through out the whole year with out any other agenda than to give attention to each other.

I pray that these relationships with Tanga, Tanzania and with Belize will be “a long obedience in the same direction.” I pray that we in Ohio will learn from our companions more of what this is actually like. (Is this wrong to have an agenda to learn from others to not have such an agenda?) I pray that in Ohio and Tanzania and Belize we will greet visitors a half mile away, sing on the streets, and then dance in celebration.