Jane Goodall is legendary for her work among the chimpanzees. She saved hundreds of this intelligent primate from human destruction in Central Africa. Her chimpanzee orphanage was located in Bujumbura until the civil war of 94 that sparked ethnic tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi. As to whether these two people groups actually exist or not is still a subject of very close debate. In Rwanda they claim that such distinctions were made exclusively by the Europeans. In Burundi, I met many individuals who were proud of their ethnicity. Whether real or imagined, the war between these two groups left hundreds of thousands dead in the two countries and nearly decimated all wildlife. Jane eventually relocated her chimp sanctuary to Sweetwaters in Kenya.
When I lived in Burundi a little hotel on the edge of Lake Tanganyika boasted the only chimpanzees left in the entire country that had once been the home to hundreds if not thousands in the wild. A small iron cage no bigger than a standard bathroom in the US housed the two surviving representatives of their species. I used to go visit them and feed them mangoes. Chimpanzees have always intrigued me. They would stare at me through the bars with a deep sadness on their faces. Then they would hold out their hands through the bars begging for a mango treat. I would hand them a little mango, even though the sign clearly said not to feed them. If the mango tasted good they would devour it quickly. If it didn't they would spit it out and stretch out their hands begging for another one. Often they would fight with each other if the mango tasted sweet. It was pathetic.
They could be quite funny too. One one occasion a friend came to visit from the US. He wanted to take in all the sights of Burundi. Er.... We have a lake, some mountains, and a few chimps. He decided the chimps would have to do. So off we went.
I could see the look on their faces as we approached.
"Help we are caged chimps, please give us mangoes."
My friend was just as touched as me. Picking up some mangoes from a nearby tree he offered them to the two captives. They took one bite and spit it out.
Clearly, the quality was sub-par. One of the chimps then began to scratch himself as only primates can get away with in public before passing some very boisterous gas. Probably from swallowing too many bites of bad mango. Or some other strange snack that a visitor had snuck in. The smell? Atrocious. We grabbed our noses immediately. As if to emphasize the obvious, the other chimp grabbed his nose and did a backwards somersault as if he were passing out from the stench. Hysterical! We both laughed and then looked for some better mangoes.
I often dreamed that I could make a late night jail break with the two chimps. The headlines could read: Missionary Makes off with Monkeys. Or maybe Missionary Monkey Business? What would I do with 2 chimps though? And if I released them into the wild they would be caught and eaten. What is the point I'm trying to make? Simply this: Chimpanzees weren't born to be trapped in cages. They are supposed to be free. Free to find their own mangoes. Free to roam. Free to fart far from the noses of their comrades.
I think the reason I stared at that cage so long and so hard so often is because I could see the similarities that everyone talks about between chimps and humans. And the parallel would strike me- humans aren't supposed to be caged up either.
I don't mean by little iron cages in war-torn nations in Central Africa. I mean the cages of sin, fear, and doubt that separate them from the glorious freedom found in a real living relationship with Holy Spirit. Free from the oppression of darkness. And the sadness of soul captivity. When I think of the chimps I think of one of the greatest joys of my life. I remember the day the bars that held me fast were cut as I found the freedom that only Jesus brings. Why am I a missionary? I think a huge part of it is that I have seen too many captives panning and pining, wining, and wasting away from the torments of darkness. And yet, I have also witnessed many of these same captives run to Jesus to have their bars cut away as they experience the glorious freedom that Holy Spirit brings. Their names and faces stand in my mind as a testimony of the power of Jesus. He sets captives free. He will set you free too if you ask Him.
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