Zambian Mission, Chipata, Zambia, Africa, Missionary John Holtz

"It’s worth the climb!"

Back Row: Larry Voigt - Dan Sargent - Ernie Wentland - Steve Lawrenz -John Hartmann
Front Row: Jason Paltzer - Peter Martin - Dan Kroll - John Holtz - Phil Birner

You don’t have to reach the peak of Mt. Everest to get a good view. Even a hill that takes but a one or two hour hike can give you a perspective that you just can’t get from below.

The rocky hills banking the Zambezi are a good example. Once atop, we were rewarded with a spectacular look at the gorge as well as the river that cut through it.

Though my legs were fatigued and my arms were scraped and my breath shorter, it was worth the climb. The pictures you see simply don’t give justice to the view I saw.

But that wasn’t even the most spectacular view I witnessed on those days spent at a camp on the Zambezi. There was something much more grand than the gorge and more refreshing than the river.

Ten of us on the Zambia mission field met in early October at a place called Tamarind Camp in the southern province of Zambia. (Across the river is Zimbabwe). It’s a self-catering camp. That means you bring most everything besides the tents and kitchen sink. So we did. We brought the food, the water, the charcoal, our pillows and the paraffin (for oil lamps).

Zambezi River and Gorge. John Holtz to the right.

Once or twice a year we get together as a field. The venue changes but the basic agenda doesn’t: a business meeting, Bible Study, worship and fellowship. Though the business meeting is important, it’s not the most important. For it can’t take us up the mountain and offer us the views like the Word of God can!

As a group we are now studying through the book of James. Perhaps you already know that the book of James is not the Everest of high and lofty doctrine. You won’t find a treatise on justification nor, for that matter, any stained glass theological discussions. What you will find, however, is grass-stained and thorn-torn advice from a down-to-earth trekker after Christ.

If ever there was a book to read with our hiking boots on, it’s James. It’s practical living in a world of rough terrain. And sometimes, as you know full well, it’s an uphill climb.

James 1:19-2:13 is not a comfortable set of verses to transverse. James is challenging theoretical Christianity with the real stuff. “Be quick to listen!” “Be slow to speak!” “Be slow to become angry!” “Don’t show favoritism!”

Do any of us ten on the mission field struggle with these issues in our life? Well, let me ask you this….Do fish swim? Do birds fly? Do hippos poop in the Zambezi? Yes! Of course! No doubt!

If we only called them “issues with which we struggle” we’d be soft-pedaling what it really is! It’s sin. And sin is not only destructive, it’s damning.

Someone once told me that on a mission field, one’s weaknesses become all that much more evident and noticeable. Opportunities abound for us to bump heads over issues. How easy it is to be slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to become angry!

Only two of us climbed the hill behind our camp. When we made it to the summit, we stood in awe. We were enamored by the majesty of it all.

But that was nothing compared to the breath-taking view that all ten of us took in when we studied the Word together as brothers in Christ. Brothers on the same field. Climbers on the same mountains.

There atop the mountains of life’s struggles and failures James had something to show us. A view so awesome. We were enamored by the majesty of it all! For we saw the mercy of Christ. Grace when we didn’t deserve it. Forgiveness flowing more steady than a river. Love deeper than a gorge.

By the way, though you may not be in Zambia, you are on a mission field. The challenge is before you, too, to put your faith in action. The opportunity is yours to live the truth, to make the climb. It’s one thing to stand on the bottom and watch others go up. It’s another to put on your boots and start hiking.

I don’t know if you’re just getting started or if you’re short of breath. I don’t know if your body is fresh and ready to go or if you’re feeling the pain of a long trek of the life of faith. I don’t know when you last read through the book of James, but why not soon again?

Some refer to James as a “lesser book” of the New Testament. Why? Because of his emphasis on "down to earth" and "honest to goodness" real life living coupled with little or no emphasis on meaty doctrines. But let's not overlook the facts about this five chapter book: It’s inspired. It’s inerrant. It’s God-given.

And as you'll find out: it’s challenging. James is straightforward. He’s a bit feisty. The book is convicting. It’s penetrating. It’ll show you things about yourself you either haven’t seen or simply didn’t want to.

But climb those peaks anyway. Even if it only takes you an hour or so. Though James isn’t the Everest of Christian doctrine, James offers a brilliant view. A view more stunning than any hill in Zambia can offer:

October 2007 Communiqué