ATLANTA (ABP) — When Darrell Smith explains the development work he does in Macedonia, he often tells the story from Luke's gospel of Jesus cleansing the lepers.
“Jesus healed them simply because they asked,” said Smith, who is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. “They did not have to listen to a sermon. They were not required to do anything in order to receive healing. In fact, Jesus knew that 90 percent would never say thank you or give him a second thought. But he healed them anyway.”
This is how the Texas native sees his own work of providing clean water, working with farmers and participating in disaster-response relief work.
For Smith, providing clean water is the most life-giving part of his work. He started to sense his own calling when the Berlin Wall fell. At the time, Smith was working as a biologist for the U.S. government, and he began to feel a spiritual burden for Eastern Europe. Now living with his family in Macedonia, Smith is able to use his doctorate in ecology to make unique contacts within the scientific community there.
In addition, he is able to work with the Macedonian government in what he calls “creation care.” Smith says that Macedonia faces many environmental challenges, but he has been able to improve the water quality of a dying lake, help clean a polluted river and establish new nature preserves in the region.
It isn't only about clean water. The environmental work provides a chance for Smith to share his faith — a faith that motivates his work.
For instance, he was recently sitting in a restaurant with a local village leader and a civil engineer. The engineer's firm had just completed a design plan for a village sewage system, which was primarily paid for by CBF. As they were discussing the plan, the engineer turned to Smith and said, “I know you're a Christian and have helped us a great deal on this project. I think Christians and Muslims are really more alike than different.”
Smith said he was thrilled to realize that a door had opened for the three friends to talk about the similarities and differences of their faiths.
“What an opportunity it was for us to build bridges through our mutual compassion for the villagers, who had been living with contaminated drinking water and sewage flowing in the street for so many years,” Smith said.
That conversation and others like it are especially important, Smith said, because it was only a few years ago that Christian Serbs had tried to exterminate the Albanians of Kosovo.
History like that means “to be a Christian is to immediately engender suspicion at a most basic level,” Smith said.
Clean water not only gives health to families who need it, but in Macedonia, it builds peace. It is a reminder of reconciliation.
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