As I watched the Chewa Ethnic Group potters in the
mountains of Malawi I found that African pottery reflects deeply the call to
mission of all people. The mission of Jesus, the one sent by the Father, was
very much like that of a potter as he molded his own disciples and as he tries
to mould us as well. That potter tries to mould us into new beings who are more
loving, caring, open to others, and ultimately more human because we search for
Christ and his Good News.
Nevertheless, our own call to be Christians through Baptism means that we do not
only receive life and shape from God but that we also have to give that life of
Christ to others. In other words, we mould and shape the life of others through
our own faith and belief in the Good News. We are like potters who give shape
and form to clay, while God gives life to those objects — the pots — which in
themselves, do not have life. God is the "Master Potter," and we partake in his
own task, in his own mission.