Then all hell broke loose
it seemed…
They aren’t our religion! They can’t be allowed to speak!” These
were the cries from the opposing elders. Then the Catechist got up
from his chair near the pulpit of the huge cathedral. Dressed in his
colored robes he stepped near the stone steps and gave a talk that
seemed to rebuke the shouts. “They should be allowed to speak!
Christ was not of a certain religion was He?! We should hear what
they have to say!” And these were the cries of the elders who
supported us.
(In our heads)
“What in the world, is
that guy really getting the people to come against us?! Are these
elders really blatantly disrespecting their Catechist in this way?
Wow, I feel like Paul did in the Synogogue when he stood there while
the sadducees and pharisees argued with one another if he should be
allowed to speak! I wish I could say something now in our
defense…”- Jedediah
“Ughhhhhhhh……. what
is going on. I think they hate us. Oh I hope nobody has any rocks! Oh
Jed please don’t talk, please don’t talk!” Rache
minute argument, with us standing there at the front, they came to
the decision that they would let me speak after the service, and
those that wanted to leave could leave. So the end of the service
came, and again they called me up to the front. I hobbled up there,
still having a cane at the time, put my notebook and bible down on
some pew, patted the shoulder of my translator and started with the
message…
grateful to be here today, to hear the beautiful songs of the choir
and to have the privilege to speak to you. As I see this cross on the
wall behind me, it reminds me of the common bond that we have
together, that Jesus is our Saviour…” – Jedediah
As I Began to speak, the
elder who was first against me stood up very fast, he knelt down,
bowed to pay his respects to the cross at the front, and walked out
very fast. With this some of the other elders followed, and then most
of the congregation followed them out. It got down to only around 50
people that stayed, wanting to hear the message I had titled, “The
Chief’s Son”. So after the elders who supported me saw so few
people left they kindly sent me a messenger to the front of the room
to tell me that I should summarize the message and finish it at a
different time when there was more people. So for at least ten
minutes I spoke in a Roman catholic church that has never had a
non-RC speak in it, and I saw the result clearly. After the message
the ones that stayed to listen came up asking if they could hear the
rest of this message, that they loved hearing the story of the
Chief’s Son already. This was encouraging to hear, and also I felt
reminded of how it’s so true that God has called the few and not the
many, with which the path that leads to Him is narrow, and the
majority do not know this path.
more
visits to the Catechist, who still supported us, and even apologized
to us about the elders and the argument, saying to us that he knows
that a lot of his congregation are not true followers of Christ, that
they just come to church but show no change in their life when they go back home. I came to
love this man, because I saw that the change in his life was genuine,
that he desired to follow the King, Jesus, and walk in a way of love.
We had many talks with him while in this village, exchanged emails,
he fed us, gave us tea, we talked even about Mary and how we
shouldn’t pray to her at all (because it gives her glory, when all
the Glory belongs to God) and he was very open to what we would say.
He prayed for us, encouraged us in our journies, and Rachael even
played and sang him some wonderful songs on the guitar, which he
loved to hear! He’s now a good friend of ours, and he has his own
battles to fight in his village for those around him who do not have
that relationship with Jesus. By God’s grace alone He offers eternal
life with Him to all, yet the choice is still up to us if we are
willing to give our all for His gift.
Aww what can I say? I’m
just
a poor awful sinner that has been shown the truth of the dark evil
sin living inside my heart, all I can do with this knowledge of the
truth is to run after the only gift the Father holds in His hand that
I know will save me from myself, His endless grace…
“So Rachee Pagee, it was
some awesome experience in that village eh? And by the way what was
that one song about, the one you played for the RC leader?” –
Jedediah
“Two words. Common
Denominator!” – Rache
