It has often been said (and I've said it myself) that the church in Africa is a mile wide but only an inch deep. I suppose that it would be difficult to argue against this, for in many ways this statement is a fair description. But before we swallow that slogan as the whole truth and draw an unfavorable conclusion, I want to give another perspective on Jesus' "wide and shallow" church in Africa ... and by the way, it would probably be wise to remember that it is His church ... and it is ordinarily good practice to use care when speaking of another man's wife!
Ever seen the Nile river on a map? It's really long. It runs from Lake Victoria in Uganda all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. To help you appreciate the value of this river, Uganda is preparing to build a new dam at the source of the Nile in order to generate electricity. Not too long ago Egypt threatened to send fighter jets into Uganda and blow it up if anything should happen to reduce the flow of water to Egypt. That's pretty serious!
I have now been on both ends of the Nile. As it leaves Lake Victoria and starts its 4000+ mile safari to the sea, it cascades down a set of falls with such amazing force that rafters and kayakers travel from around the world to experience the world class rapids it creates. Having rafted this stretch, I can tell you that there are moments you seriously wonder if you will live through it! But on the other end, in Egypt, the river moves at a much slower and easier pace. When you are there floating along serenely between its wide banks, it is hard to imagine that this life-giving water (note the green in the satellite photo above in contrast to the Sahara Desert through which it passes) finds it source thousands of miles south in a very wide and shallow Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria is the 2nd largest (and widest) fresh water lake in the world (26,000 sq. miles) spreading itself approximately 150 miles wide. It has over 2000 miles of coastline which has become one of the most densely populated regions on the continent. Its extensive surface area belongs to three nations. But, though it is vast in size, it is the shallowest of the great lakes. So, it too has the dubious honor of being notoriously "wide" and "shallow" ... yet a source of life to so many!
Perhaps width and depth is not the complete and, therefore, true measure of things. Besides, what are we measuring against? Just how "deep" is the church in the West? I really wouldn't underestimate the life giving force of this "mile wide but inch deep" church. In the coming years this continent will most likely have the highest concentration of Christians in the world. If the same Spirit that hovered over the tumultuous waters of the unformed earth (Gen. 1) dwells in the church in Africa, it would be foolish to be hasty in forming a judgment just now. I have a suspicion that at the end of the day, God will look upon it and say, "It is good".
