If pathetic
fallacy was not derogatory, I would readily say that the weather tonight
reflected my mood of the past few days – dark, chilly, stormy. Being Christian
has not been easy.
Just now
at iClub (an evangelistic programme my church runs on a weekly basis), we had
to make last minute changes to the venue because the main building had heating
issues. It was pretty hectic, and I was admittedly somewhat grumpy – though I thought
I was quite good at hiding it.
Despite
the weather, last minute changes to the programme and my weakness, a Chinese guy
who has been a regular attendee – Stanley – decided to commit his life to
Jesus. And just a week ago, his friend – Caso (also a Chinese student) –
repented, and trusted in the gospel.
This week,
we looked at the resurrection of Jesus and its significance for us. As we were
discussing a few questions, Caso was asked why he decided to become a
Christian, and as he answered, I noticed that his voice started to break – and I
suspect it was because he was on the verge of tears. Stanley was also very
comfortable answering questions; he agreed that Jesus’ death was able to save sinners
and his resurrection signified that he had triumphed over it, giving us new
life and calling us to live with his as Lord. When we challenged Stanley about
what was stopping him from becoming a Christian, he had a few small
misunderstandings. But after resolving those, and explaining the cost of
following Jesus, Stanley eagerly – with childlike wonder – said he was ready to
become a Christian! We prayed with him to confess his sins, ask for forgiveness,
and commit to follow Jesus.
It felt
surreal when these things were happening. For some reason, I failed to grasp the
significance of these events. But now I am moved to tears thinking about the
magnitude of what happened in a small room in a church, in a small city like
Durham, involving insignificant people like us.
After
all that, I witnessed a touching scene: Caso extended his arm towards Stanley,
and called him – brother.
Brother.
This is probably an aspect of Christianity that I neglect, not because it is
unappealing, but because it is so difficult to actually live out. Christians forget
that in the gospel, natural enemies have been reconciled; Christians forget
that the gospel transcends culture; and Christians hurt one another too often. But
that does not diminish the fact that we are now part of God’s family through
adoption (Mark 3:31-35). And so I have gained two more brothers in Christ.
I also
want to consider one other thing: the Christian’s call to live in light of the
gospel. So I would like to share this theologically-rich song. (I chose this
song because another iClub helper was singing it as we were packing down. It also
reminded me of my days serving with YFC.)
Hear the call of the kingdom
Lift
your eyes to the King
Let His
song rise within you
As a
fragrant offering
Of how
God rich in mercy
Came in
Christ to redeem
All who
trust in His unfailing grace
Hear
the call of the kingdom
To be
children of light
With the
mercy of heaven
The humility
of Christ
Walking
justly before Him
Loving
all that is right
That the
life of Christ may shine through us
(Chorus)
King of
Heaven, we will answer the call
We will
follow, bringing hope to the world
Filled
with passion, filled with power to proclaim
Salvation
in Jesus’ name
Hear
the call of the kingdom
To reach
out to the lost
With the
Father’s compassion
In the
wonder of the cross
Bringing
peace and forgiveness
And a
hope yet to come
Let the
nations put their trust in Him
