Along with Claire's birthday, today is also Purim. So last night we had a Purim party and skit to act out the story of the Book of Esther. The children in the flat complex were the main actors and they recruited Godwin (a linguist specializing in Semitic languages particularly Hebrew and Syriac), to play the role of Haman. No one else would be the bad guy. It was great fun. While preparing I was particularly struck by the line in Esther, “these days should be remembered in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. They should never cease to be celebrated.” (for a copy of the skit, just email me, I'll post it on the Festival in a Box website later).

Last week a British guy stopped by my office at the Theological College to say hello. His name is Stephen, a Catholic priest from Pretoria, a 2 hour drive from here. (Very odd to have a Catholic priest at a reformed seminary!) We talked about how we found ourselves in South Africa and he told a story about growing up in England with Jewish neighbors. As a boy, he was invited to do things around their home on the Sabbath that Jewish families weren't permitted to do. One particular Sabbath, Yom Kippur, he remembered the woman of the house asking him turn his pockets inside out before coming inside. It was an abrupt request, as if she wanted to make sure he wasn’t hiding anything. It made quite an impression on him. It made an impression on me too, but in a different way. The act of turning out pockets on Yom Kippur is an ancient tradition tied to asking for forgiveness and getting stuff right with God. Stephen didn't know it but he was taking part in a custom that later carried great meaning and a place in his Christian walk with the same God.

I promise to write about my adventures in rural South Africa. This week has just been filled with remembering and celebrating festivals. They amaze me with their richness and God’s goodness.