Monday’s
in Taiwan are my “To Do” days. They are
the days when I don’t teach, and I get to take time to myself and get crap
done. I love these days for multiple
reasons: (1.) I get time away by myself to recharge and prepare, which is
needed, as I have lately discovered that I am actually an introvert who is
highly sociable, (2.) I get to mark things off my to do list, which brings me
more joy then a lot of other things could possible bring me, (3.) I love coffee
shops. In Nashville, my Saturday’s are usually
my “To Do” days, and I typically fill those afternoons with a different coffee
shop, a cup of black coffee (iced or hot depending on the weather), work to do,
and every once and a while, a friend who wants to tag along. Somehow, I always find my way to a coffee
shop on a Saturday to get things done, so where else would you expect me to be
on my Monday’s here in Taiwan? I am sitting in lovely coffee shop, drinking a
delicious iced coffee because it is always freaking hot in Taiwan, and
completing my “To Do” list for the week.
Along with
completing my to do list, the other thing I love to do in my coffee shops is to
dive deep into the word, my journal of thoughts, and Jesus. In these moments, it’s as if Jesus and I are
having a conversation over a cup of coffee. A conversation in which I reflect
upon all he has done lately, all he has taught me, and in which he prepares me
for what is coming. So today, as I sit
sipping on my cup of coffee, listening to Twenty One Pilots, and reflecting on
Jesus, I thought I would share some of the things he is doing lately:
1.
He
is drawing non-believers to him. We have
about half of our students who do not know Jesus at all. Some of them had never heard of the name of
Jesus or the Bible until two weeks ago when they came to SYME. Now, each day, they are reading the bible for
homework and discussing Jesus in classes like Life of Christ. Already it is cool to see what Jesus is doing
with that time. One of our students,
whose sister recently accepted Christ, went to church for one of the first
times and came back talking about how much he learned. Another student is learning what it means to
be God-designed, purpose-intended, significant, lavishly-loved, prince, and son
of the King of the Universe. Several of
the students are asking questions, deep questions, and you can see their eyes light
up as they study the word and encounter Jesus for the first time. And that is the key, and something I truly
believe, when people encounter Jesus, the real Jesus, they are drawn to him and
they are changed. It is what has shaped
my life in the past two years. I began
to see, understand, and study the real Jesus, the Jesus from the bible, not the
Jesus from our dead-religion, and I have fallen madly in love with him because
Jesus is an incredible, life saving, truth baring, grace showing, man. If you don’t believe me, try it for
yourself. The reality of Jesus changes
people. It changed me, and it is rapidly changing the lives of students here.
2.
He
is teaching his followers daily. Whether
its from a Secret Church on Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare, which some
of the staff did on Friday night, or through personal encounters with him,
Christ is teaching all of us something.
I have learned about endurance, and the importance of a quiet time just
to make it through a day. I have learned
what it actually looks like to pray continuously, because here, you need to pray
constantly and continuously. By spending
so much time with Matt and Sarah’s kids, I have learned how different the bible
looks when seen through the eyes of child.
Because of the language barrier, I have learned how complicated we tend
to make the gospel through our use of Christianese. The gospel is simple: “For God so loved the
world, he sent his only son, that whoever believes him shall not die but have
everlasting life.” It is all about
Jesus, it always has been, and it always will be. Jesus is reminding me not to
forget that key message.
3.
He
is teaching me how fun seeking a Great Perhaps actually his when you are
already seeking The Great Perhaps in him.
I have now officially survived a typhoon (hurricane), eaten strange food
like sea urchin (I still refuse to eat the Stinky Tofu), gotten lost, created
relationships with people around the world, (from Brazil to Taiwan), attended a
Chinese church, and seen that Jesus is still Jesus around the world. He is moving, he is loving, he is saving, and
he is inviting us in to seek the Great Perhaps. This question is always, will
you join him?
So I leave you
with this:
“We proclaim to
you that which we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us,
and our fellowship is with the Father and his son Jesus Christ.”
-1
John 1:3
“I go to seek a
Great Perhaps.”
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