(This is a follow-up to the story “The Funeral” in the September 2020 issue of Adventist Frontiers magazine. It can also be found on my blog at https://afmonline.org/post/the-funeral3.)

Nearly three years have flown by since Sister Nona, a much-loved church member, passed away. At the time of her death, she was the only Christian in her family. However, soon after the church members surrounded the family with God’s love at Sister Nona’s funeral, her daughter Aelan began coming to church. Over time, Aelan’s husband, Kai, began accompanying her. Eighteen months after her mother’s death, Aelan and Kai were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church family. What a day of rejoicing that was! 

Watching this little family grow from the cultural norms of their Buddhist background into new ways of thinking and acting has been an amazing experience. For example, here in Southeast Asia, a person’s head is the most esteemed part of the body. Conversely, feet are considered the lowest, most unholy, dirtiest parts of the body. For this reason, it is important never to step over food, even when serving it to those sitting on the floor, and it is also important to never use one’s foot to point at or touch anyone. Jesus’ example of humbling himself and washing His disciples’ feet is especially significant to new Tai-Kadai Christians like Aelan and Kai. 

Seven months after Aelan and Kai’s baptism, they experienced their first communion service. As the church members moved downstairs to the fellowship area for the foot washing, I wondered what Aelan and Kai would do. Would they choose to simply observe this first communion? Moving to one side, they seated themselves in a vantage point to closely watch what was happening around them. Seated nearby was the wife of our senior pastor. They observed as our senior pastor brought a basin of water and set it in front of his wife. Kneeling in front of her, he took both her hands in his and prayed with her before washing her feet. My teammates, Kaleb and Zoe Lieben, were enacting a similar scene a little further away. As Kaleb knelt in front of Zoe and took her hands for prayer, Kai stood up and headed for the table where deacons were distributing towels and basins of water. Returning to where Aelan sat with their toddler on her lap, Kai solemnly knelt before her, took both her hands in his, and prayed with her. As he put the towel on his lap and reached for her feet, Aelan put out her hand as if to stop him, but she did not resist as Kai washed both her feet in the basin of water. Again, following the example of the couples around them, Aelan took her turn kneeling before Kai and washing his feet. Then, spiritually washed anew, they returned to the sanctuary with their church family to partake of the emblems of Christ’s sacrifice.

Watching Aelan and Kai that Sabbath, I was reminded of the power of example. Here in the mission field, teaching others about Jesus is essential. Sharing books about God and His Word is vital, too. But no matter where we reside, the most influential sermon we will ever preach is the one we live, just as the words remind us in one of my favorite gospel songs: “Do you know, oh Christian, you’re a sermon in shoes? . . Do you know the world is watching all that you do? . . so walk it, and talk it, a sermon in shoes.” 

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