“Few people arise in the morning as hungry for God as they are for cornflakes or toast and eggs.”
Dallas Willard makes a pretty accurate, and damning, observation. He does more than that for me. He raises a question which I dare not avoid:
“Brian, what is the first thing that you think about in the morning? What is the last thing that you think about as you fall asleep?”
Another question follows: Have you ever seen someone hungry for God?
I have.
His name is Fofana.
I still remember the day that Fofana and I first met. It was in December, last century.
At the time, I was working with Bethel Lutheran Church here in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Fofana arrived just as the Sunday morning Bible class was about to begin. He never left. As a matter of fact, as you can see from the photo above, Fofana has become a pastor himself.
God writes straight with crooked lines.
Fofana is living proof of this proverb, which has become a favorite of mine.
He grew up in a Muslim region of Liberia. As a young man, a simple exchange altered Fofana’s destiny. A Christian handed him a tract, which he did not throw away but read. Later, Fofana told his housemates that he was going to church. They teased him that he was just trying to find a girl. Fofana got the last laugh.
My friend is a gifted dancer, which is what brought him to the U.S. He was a part of group doing performances. While in Oakland, Fofana briefly attended a Lutheran church. A short time after this, he arrived in the Twin Cities (which has a large Liberian community).
Fofana was bound and determined to find a Lutheran church, so much so that he walked a mile and a half up hill, on a cold Minnesota morning in December, to reach Bethel. He remains there to this day: baptized, confirmed, and ordained.
Fofana’s hunger for Christ is as strong as ever. It’s a joy to see; it also challenges me when my hunger begins to wane.
What about you?
Do you know anyone who has a deep and abiding hunger for the kingdom of God? Someone like Fofana?
My friend Fofana works two jobs. He’s done this now for decades. He’s what is known as a worker-priest. His Monday thru Friday job is as a custodian at a local Lutheran high school. This is the one that pays his bills. Fofana also leads an African fellowship that is a part of Bethel Lutheran Church. This work can be much harder than that of cleaning up after teens and teachers. How so? Many of his fellow Liberians have lost their hunger for the things of God in pursuit of the American dream.
“Few people arise in the morning as hungry for God as they are for cornflakes or toast and eggs.”
I’ll be thinking about what Dallas Willard wrote tomorrow when I sit down to breakfast.
What about you?
I love brief, true stories of inspiration and a touch of whimsy. This is one. 🙏🙏🙏
Otherwise it’s not a meal 😋