Commercial Nomads

There is another type of nomadism that is even less respected than pastoralists. They have no animals to dictate their movements but yet they have no permanent settlements instead preferring a life on the move. These are the commercial nomads, the ones you may know of as the gypsies (and other groups like them).

Like the pastoralists commerical nomads are also experts at making use of marginal resources. Instead of moving herds to find enough pasture and water, commercial nomads move themselves to find enough work and customers. For example, they may be travelling entertainers that bring shows to communities where there is no full time theatre. Or a large town will have a hardware store, or childrens clothing store, but a nomadic family can make a living selling these things in towns too small to support a dedicated shop. They may also be able to provide services that are not required year round like paving driveways; or become labourers in seasonal fruit harvests. Some commercial nomads are even attached to pastoralist groups and move with them meeting needs such as blacksmithing.

The down-side to this is that commercial nomads can often be mistrusted. There are no warranties on appliances purchased from a travelling salesman. And if your driveway turns out to be flawed it is impossible to call the nomadic bricklayers back for improvements. These problems, even when they were not intended by the seller, still reflect badly on him.

The life of commercial nomads is even harder for settled people to understand than the life of a herdsman who at least has his animals to explain his way of life. Settled people tend to think it to be more honest to reside permanantly in one place and reputations are based in longevity. But, the commercial nomad bases his reputation on ingenuity and self-sufficiency, which we can also respect.

The truth is we must learn to respect the commercial nomad if we are to reach him with the gospel of Christ, or make peace with him as our brother in Christ.

Ephesians 4:1-6

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Don't be surprised if the first Gypsy you get to know is a follower of Jesus :) It's hard to count, but the Romany in many parts of Europe might be more Christian than the general population is! We have plenty to learn from them about carrying our faith with us instead of centring it on a building.

The commercial nomad bases his reputation on ingenuity and self-sufficiency, which we can also respect.