“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” Romans 12:14-16
Much of this text that was written by the Apostle Paul, goes against the grain of our world today; bless those who persecute me and bless, don’t curse? Have you watched the television, read the newspaper, internet or sat socially distanced in a public gathering recently?
As Christians living in North America, we have our struggles listening to politicians giving advice during this pandemic and the children attending the Lutheran school in Mammou have their struggles with simple things like having to listening to the vodou priest down the street sacrificing animals at night and saying Jesus is dead, buried and is dust in a tomb. There is a song ‘He is Here’ by a Gospel group called the Talley’s that I heard recently and it reminds me that God is in fact here and in Haiti and is calling out to each of us.
“He is here! Hallalujah! He is here! Amen! He is here, holy, holy, I will bless His name again; He is here, listen closely; Hear Him calling out your name; He is here, you can touch Him; You will never be the same! I sense an awesome moving of the Holy Spirit; I see His countenance resting on your face; I know that there are angels hov'ring all around us, for the presence of the Lord is in this place. He is here! Hallalujah! He is here! Amen! He is here, holy, holy, I will bless His name again; He is here, listen closely; Hear Him calling out your name; He is here, you can touch Him; You will never be the same! I searched for peace among the shadows dark and lonely, gave up on finding that strong and lasting love; I tasted all the things that sin could think to offer me, but today, I feast on manna from above. He is here! Hallalujah! He is here! Amen! He is here, holy, holy, I will bless His name again; He is here, listen closely; Hear Him calling out your name; He is here, you can touch Him; You will never be the same!”
Rejoice with the children at Mammou, knowing that our Triune God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to rescue us from the lawlessness, confusion and sinfulness of this world. He is here, with us every day and the ‘high and mighty’ of this world cannot separate us from our Savior.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay