This story takes place 50 some odd years ago. It all started with a quest. The nature of this venture; to discover the meaning of life.
He was born in a small village outside the town of Pozarevac. His family moved into the city at the ripe age of 6 months old. Little did he know that even before he was born, his Creator was building inside him an insatiable desire for more. A desire that would drive him to start a journey called Life. Who was this man? The name he was given speaks for itself. His name is Dragon.
Dragon’s parents were involved with the Communist Party in Serbia. He grew up in a house that was run strictly by rules and practices, particularly when it came to religion. The Orthodox religion is predominant in Serbia. Anything outside of the Orthodox realm was not acceptable during this time. Despite the forbiddance to explore other religions, Dragon managed to find the Holy Bible on his parent’s shelf. They had never read it before. Dragon gave up after reading his first story about Moses. He didn’t understand the written words. However, it was with that encounter of the Living Word that he started his quest for the meaning of life.
Dragon couldn’t explain his hunger for knowledge. He read many theological and philosophical books written by countless different authors. Still, he found no answers. He grew angry and bitter towards life. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t find the thing he sought. Dragon was searching for unshakable, unbiased truth. All he found, however, were theories that man had settled on. The disappointment and lack of satisfaction he felt drove him to thought of ending his life. He felt that if he couldn’t find the reason for living, then he might as well just end his life.
Dragon had a god son that he knew was struggling with drugs. He had always felt like he should talk to him about this problem. His uncertainty of what to say to kept him from saying anything at all. He watched his godson’s life spiral out of control. Dragon even felt embarrassed of him. One day, he saw him walking down the street with his friends. They were completely belligerent. Dragon simply turned his face away as not to be associated with him. Not long after, he received word that his godson had overdosed on drugs. He was found dead in the bathroom of a local coffee shop. Dragon was devastated.
Just when it seemed he had reached the end of his rope, a question whispered it’s way across his soul. What if he was just searching in the wrong places? A fire was reignited inside of him. Dragon made the decision to visit a monastery. Even though he didn’t find exactly what he was looking for, he felt he might be on the right track. Dragon and his closest friend decided to get baptized together. However, he felt no change once his baptism was complete.
A few years passed by as Dragon sat content in his commitment to the monestary and all it stood for. It wasn’t until Dragon’s friend found out he had cancer that his quest continued. Dragon would go to visit his friend across the land of Serbia. The one thing Dragon and his friend found peace in was watching televion. The only thing his friend desired to watch was the Christian channel. Dragon’s friend found truth and comfort in what he saw during this time. His friend believed that he would receive healing. It was what he sought after. Although he never received his physical healing, he did receive the very thing he had been looking for all of this life. And he found it not only for himself, but he led Dragon to this answer as well.
Dragon’s friend invited him to the Evangelical church. The moment that Dragon entered through the doors, he knew this was what he was looking for. He found the one thing in the world that made his life complete. He found love. That was it. It was the answer all along. It wasn’t the love that people showed him. They didn’t even know his name. It was the love of Jesus Christ that greeted him there. Finally, his soul found rest.
Since that glorious day where all his sins were washed away, Dragon has dedicated his life to helping others find the answer; to find love. His quest took him 50 years. But it was worth every dead end, every hurt and pain because at the end of the day, he found his Savior.
I had the privilege of working with Dragon. It’s a beautiful thing to hear him pray out in Serbian as he weeps for the people that need God’s love. He is making a difference. His kind heart and beautiful prayers encouraged us in our faith. It often reminded us that the love of Jesus is the only answer to the broken world before us. Everyone is on their quest. What an honor to be a guiding light along the way.
Team Sound with the wonderful Dragon
