It is beautiful isn’t it?
It easily stood out as we arrived in the new city on our way to our next housing. As we drove closer and closer I was so set on going and exploring the sancturary.
It is not common for us to see a chapel…let alone this huge and set up on a hill for the entire city to see. The past two countries we have been in (Armenia and Georgia) are openly labeled Christian nations. We openly walked into church buildings, played worship music as loud as we wanted, prayed openly for people on streets and openly told people what we were in country for. At first it was hard to adjust from the past few months but like riding a bike, we got used to saying “Jesus“ out loud again to anyone.
I have asked Christ a lot over the past few weeks why He sent me to nations that identify with Christianity. Couldn’t I be better used in the Muslim countries? Wouldn’t the impact be more with the Islamic culture?
I walk up the stairs of this chapel and notice the surrounding areas. Homes are being held up with sheet metal. People are begging at the bottom of the steps of the chapel. Children are begging for food at the corner. My teammate says, “it is built on a hill of poverty” dang, I instantly felt sick.
As we walk inside we pass a girl in a hospital bed holding a can. First thought, ”How the heck did they get that bed up here?!”. Next thought, “Okay, God what do you want me to do?” He says, “Do you want to be healed?”
We walk around inside the sanctuary and it is empty. It is clear the Gospel isn’t shared weekly here. There were no seats, pews, whatever you think you need to sit on to hear the word. It did have huge pictures of people from the Bible and those pictures were filled with stones, diamonds, necklaces, gold and other trinkets that had been donated from the people.
We start to make our way out and I head from the girl in the bed. I introduce myself and ask if I can pray for her. Her mom tells me to go ahead but her brother jumps in and asks if I am orthodox. I tell him no that I am not but that I am a Christian and have a relationship with Christ. (Because remember I am in a country where my openess is okay) He then asks if I am Catholic I again tell him no but that I have a relationship with Jesus. At this point I am confused by a few things, what Lord do you want me to say, how can I make sure he clearly understands what I am saying to him. I have Christ in me, I can pray for his sister and I have faith that she can be healed. He asks again if I am orthodox or catholic, again I ask the Father what does this man need to hear? I repeat myself with what I hear, “I have a personal relationship with Christ. I do not belong to the Orthodox Church or Catholic Church but I am follower of Christ and that I am Christian.” He summons a lady that works at the gift shop in the cathedral and we communicate through her. He tells me only the church can pray for the girl, that is the only way she could be helped. He starts yelling at us to leave so we start our way down the stairs as he is yelling after us.
The Lord says, “that is why you are in Christian claiming countries. People can claim Christianity and STILL miss me”.
Then I am reminded I am the church, I can pray to Jesus any time anywhere. The veil was torn, I have all the access I want to the Father’s ear so we stood at the bottom of the stairs outside the huge empty building and prayed for Maria and for her family.
Now I think of my homeland…if you are reading this and do not know that you can have a personal relationship with Christ, that relationship is not a set of rules to follow but instead freedom from guilt and shame it is unconditional love, let me know. I did not know this until only a few years ago and everything has changed.
