Struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Cor. 4:9 ESV
By their very nature, earthquakes destroy things. We’ve all seen the disheartening news coverage afterwards. Thus, we are not at all surprised when a powerful quake inflicts devastation and suffering on those who live within range of its epicenter.
Just the other day here in Nepal, from where I’m now writing to you, we experienced a brief but strong jolt of the ground beneath us, and we were reminded again of the earthquake that struck this nation just over four years ago. That quake, of course, was much more than a “jolt.” With a magnitude of 7.8, it resulted in the death of nearly 9,000 people and property damages totaling 10 billion dollars. United Mission to Nepal, our long-time partner here, was among the many NGOs that responded to the disaster, bringing aid and development to the regions most affected. UMN, of course, also brings the love of Jesus.
Perhaps you, like me, recall praying at that time for the people, and especially for the Christians, of Nepal. We prayed that God would be with the growing but still relatively young church in this country. I remember praying specifically that God would empower the believers to be the Body of Christ in the midst of the pain, sorrow and loss, and that in the end they would see God’s reign of grace increased in their land.
Over the past few days we have been privileged to meet with congregations and church leaders in Nepal’s rugged Dhading District, home to the epicenter of the 2015 quake. So much of what we heard confirmed that God indeed answered their prayers and ours!
Enthusiastic church leaders, both old and young, shared with us that after the earthquake they began to see and do things differently. They saw God wonderfully at work among them. Local churches began to unite with one another as never before. They recognized their need to rely on God and upon one another. Furthermore, where they once thought they needed to separate themselves from the rest of their society, they were learning that the Holy Spirit wanted to move them out into their communities, participating in reconstruction efforts and sharing the love of Jesus. A training program of UMN, called “Sangsangai” (Together), has been very instrumental in this process. It has changed the way the believers consider their neighbors, and the way the neighbors view those who have become Christians.
In a development that I found particularly interesting, the earthquake caused many people from the heavily damaged mountainous rural areas in the north to migrate south to the lower towns and cities. It is in these rural areas where the gospel had previously thrived. Now, in a reversal of what is perhaps more common in the history of Christian mission, the Good News of Jesus was moving from the rural areas into the cities. As a result, the churches there have grown dramatically. There has been rebirth and growth among a younger generation. God indeed was and is at work!
After the earthquake, they said, perhaps more than anything else they learned to pray more. Fervent and faith-fueled prayer has become a more central part of what they do together. During a worship service we attended, I paused from my own prayers to open my eyes and watch as the nearly 500 worshipers, a majority of them young people, each prayed out loud, passionately lifting their prayers before the Lord. The sound and the sight inspired and energized me! These are the people of God in Nepal, “struck down” perhaps, but certainly not destroyed!
My friends, the church in North America has not experienced a similar earthquake. No such death and destruction has been visited upon us. Nonetheless, the spiritual landscape of our land certainly has shifted. New fault lines have appeared, and we have found ourselves “shaken.” With continuing social tremors that no doubt dismay and alarm many Christians, things are not “as they once were” for our churches. How shall we respond? More importantly, how will God respond? What is he doing?
I pray, and invite you to do the same, that we might do as the church in Nepal has done – and I trust that God is similarly at work! In spite of the turmoil and difficulties created by the 2015 earthquake, things changed for the churches in Nepal, and from the accounts we have heard, ultimately they changed for the better.
Might we experience a similar reorientation of focus in our churches? Would God even bring revival to our congregations and a renewal of mission spirit? Will we pray? Will we share the love of Jesus with our neighbors and with our world? Will we live out our faith and the Great Commission in relevant and radical ways with and among a new generation? Could it be that in these times, wherein the ground of Christendom has shifted, the Christians of North America will not just survive, but actually thrive as grace-filled, Spirit-driven, change-capable, mission-focused followers of Jesus? I believe that, by God’s power and design, it can be so.
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28 ESV