I’m back home again after two weeks away where I had the privilege of talking about God’s WORDS OF HOPE to women from all over the Middle East (believe me, it was no easy task honing down a years worth of blogs into just a few messages).
(In Limmasol, Cyprus)
One day prior to the retreat in Cyprus, our team of volunteers did a little bit of sight-seeing, visiting historical sites (Limmasol & Kolossi) near where Paul and Barnabas might have traveled as they walked from Salamis (now Famagusta) to Paphos, oh-so-many-years-ago. There in the amphitheater, we broke out in song: “It’s Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, pour out our praise…to You Only…”
Two days prior to the retreat in Jerusalem, we visited the ruins of Magdala and Capernaum, then sang a multitude of praise songs (& danced) our way across the Sea of Galilee (in a boat of course…), where Jesus walked on water and calmed a chaotic storm.
For me, these times were moving experiences. Truly, indescribable.
“Seeing” brought color, texture, smell, and life to the gospels in a fresh new wave.
For some, touring in other groups around us, perhaps not-so-much.
I overheard a conversation (okay, I may have been eavesdropping) of one young American woman, who was completely over her sight-seeing. In her words, she was “so done” looking at piles of rocks that archeologists had uncovered; amazed that they were still sifting through dirt looking for treasures-of-knowlege regarding the past.
I take in those things, sitting with them, pondering…
As I pondered, I was reminded of some words of Jesus…and, went back to look them up. The story begins in Luke 19, as Jesus made His way down the Mount of Olives, into the Kidron Valley, heading into Jerusalem, riding on a colt. We know this as the Palm-Sunday-Story. Let’s pick the story up in verse 36 and end at verse 40:
The religious leaders were spitting mad.
Jesus was anathema to them.
They vehemently disliked Him.
He was a popular teacher, with great crowds of followers…but, when His followers began to praise Him as the Messiah, they were of one-adament-mind to SILENCE the notion.
So, they whined to Jesus: “Tell them to stop!”
But Jesus…Those words He spoke?
“Even if you silence my followers, the stones will cheer for me…”
“Even if, over time, My praise get drowned out, the ROCKS will cry out…they will tell my story!”
I think what I’ve realized as I’ve been mentally processing this trip is that I have seen with my own-little-brown-eyes the TRUTH of this sound-bite straight from Jesus’ mouth.
What is just a “pile of stones” to one is “evidence of God’s reality” to me!
The proof of this reliability points to the life, death, resurrection and CREDIBILITY of Jesus-as-Messiah.
What is TRASH to one is TRUTH to another: veracity…certainty…undeniable fact!
And, when the stones cheer the AUTHENTICITY of the ANOINTED ONE, they also cry out the fact that we have a God, who is our HOPE for every tomorrow…a HOPE that is an anchor of the soul.
Have a Blessed and HOPE-FILLED Thanksgiving.
Don’t make those rocks cry out on your behalf!!!