Today has turned into a relaxing and restful day in Harare, thanks to the kindness of Anne and her family who I am staying with, while Andrew stays with friends and has meetings with the Youth Hub. Anne has a lovely place and it has been a real treat to rest up, shave off two weeks of beard and catch up on news and emails.
It also marks the half way point in the Cape2Kigali and it’s got me thinking about the first two weeks of the trip.
When you plan for something like this for a year as we have, you imagine all sorts of things and you anticipate it keenly. Yet, the adventure has been beyond anything I could have dreamed. The majesty of creation has been simply stunning and we’ve seen parts of it that very few people do. From the jewel encrusted beauty of a Kalahari Desert night to the heat and wildness of the Caprivi Strip; from the burning edge of the Namib to the vibrant Okavango Delta, we’ve seen incredible things in a somewhat unusual way.
I hadn’t realized what a stir our bikes would cause, but everywhere we’ve gone, people have been interested and have wanted to talk to us. Every service station has a conversation about where we’ve come from, where we’re going and why we’re doing it, normally with laughs of disbelief when we tell them. Every campsite has led to conversations where people have recommendations to stop next or tips on the route ahead. We’ve had offers of food and accommodation from the most unlikely places and all sorts of advice from all sorts of sources.
It’s led me to one clear thought. People are beautiful.
We haven’t heard much news until today, but I watched BBC and heard a litany of bad news from around the world, acts of evil and war, political betrayal, moral and ethical bankruptcy. Yet this stands in juxtaposition to the everyday people we are meeting. People like Josephine, a worker here in Anne’s house who talked to me about her family as I showed her pictures of mine. Her face lit up as we told each other stories and tales. I’m still not sure she believes me when I tell her I’m going to Kigali on the bike parked outside, but it sure made her laugh. She can’t do enough to help me today and despite my attempts to assist her, attempts that she seems to find hysterical, I’m being fed, having my clothes washed and enjoying coffee on tap.
I think that at heart, people want to help, to do the right thing. We don't always get it right but we are made in the image of God and sometimes, that shows in almost subconscious ways. There are a few contrary examples we’ve come across, but by and large, those we have met can’t do enough for us, from the waves of almost every child we whizz past, to the stern policewoman who ends up breaking into laughter as we try and charm our way though road blocks. People want to do good and be loved in return.
This trip is reminding me once again that we are all part of Gods creation, That we all deserve dignity and respect, that no one is above another whatever their circumstances, that we are all in this together and we all need to stand in support of one another.
Tomorrow we will head up to the Eastern Highlands near the Zimbabwe Mozambique border where, after rethinking the hugely long day we had planned, we will camp, before heading across Mozambique into Malawi. Over the next two weeks we’ll head to Lake Malawi, then ride North up the Great Rift Valley, with Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda still to come. We are only half way and have wonderful things to see ahead. But I’m pretty sure the most wonderful things will be the people we meet and the stories we will briefly share as our lives intersect.
People are beautiful and it is a deep privilege to be meeting so many luminous examples that prove this to be true.
