Muslim

Our Fabulous African Swahili Celebrity Culture Club

Our Fabulous African Swahili Celebrity Culture Club

4 min read

How did we end up here? We were running about in a poor African village on the shore of the Indian ocean, videotaping the villagers here in this 700-year old Swahili outpost. Just us and some rich western tourists milling about, mistakenly getting in our shots. Also, a few dressed-down celebrities here for the authenticity. We had been told to be respectful of the villagers and we thought we were. But a few of these poorest of the poor still looked down on us. I love moments like this. It’s a snapshot of God’s delight in producing endless variety… and humility.

Abu Tommy And The Hubbly Bubbly

4 min read

Ever feel outnumbered? I don’t mean to sound like too much of a Western chauvinist, but on my Royal Jordanian flight to Amman I was definitely the outsider. My clothes, fair hair and blue eyes clearly set me apart from a sea of dark complexions and darker beards. Not that anyone else seemed to give a damn. They weren’t alarmed about my copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul.  Or even when I started humming, “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”. No one looked at me funny or reported me to the flight crew for being too white. Although they probably should have.