Chapter 3

Acts 22-24
“ ‘And now, compelled by the spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

14/8/2001
Detroit Nazarene Church,
Detroit, Michigan.
The Missionary’s
Return Night.

Pastor Mathew Jeremy Garret/M.J/Pastor Garret welcomed the people into his church to the missionary’s ‘homecoming.’ The missionary was called Josh Worthen, who was technically Episcopalian in denomination, not Nazarene, but Josh had been his close friend before he left for Colombia, so he decided to do two slideshows) to both his home church and to M.J’s (although he had to remember he was doing a ‘PowerPoint’ at each nowadays).

As could be expected, the atmosphere was positively ecstatic. A missionary returning from Medellin, Columbia of all the exciting places you could be in as a missionary was pretty high up on the ladder of places to get your imagination going. Colombia was notorious for its violence, a fact that was obviously known by the 8-year-olds, as they seemed to be searching Josh for any signs for scars from some long forgotten war. The last stats he heard was something like 97.5% were Christian, but tell that to the guerrillas.

M.J had looked up Colombia in his old Operation World copy and found the following disturbing paragraph: “Missionaries live under great stress- especially those from the USA. Some have been murdered, others have received death threats and many have had to be withdrawn from ministry in dangerous areas where leftist or narcotics terrorism is rife. Pray for courage and faithfulness to there calling. Internal mission/church relationships have been a source of tension, division and grief. Great humility and sensitivity is required in the complex ecclesiastical scene in order to have a viable fruitful ministry.”

Even the specific city he had been sent to, Medellin, had its own paragraph about its hardness to the gospel, nation’s capital of crime with 300 gangs of paid killers, 7,000 murders a year etc etc.
These were NOT the most reaffirming of all the words he had read and it was something that had been keeping Josh high on his prayer list, so needless M.J had been greatly relieved to seeing Josh alive and well. Indeed, Josh seemed to have grown out of all of it. And not that the growing up as some adults see it when they want to describe ‘realising’ that its not worth trying to keep your passion for life. Indeed, Josh seemed to be truly alive, passionate, mature, wise, joyful. M.J recognised it.

It was the look of one who truly had faith of a child and the wisdom near that of Solomon. M.J also gained this look since the 7 years he hadn’t seen them, and a exchanging of stories was greatly looked forward to by the both of them. When everyone was seated, and his watch said it was time to start, M.J walked up to the pulpit and welcomed everybody.

* * * * *

Brett Mathews sat next to a kindly middle-aged woman who had invited to her church for the missionary that was coming to it. She said that the missionary was very nice and could possibly be able to help him. He said: ‘what? Did he work in Peru or something?’ She said: ‘no, Colombia,’ and Brett couldn’t think of anything to say to that except for a weak ‘oh’.

Brett was a patsy of the organisation (the one this story is mostly concerned about) and the person who was ‘in control’ of him knew exactly what he was doing, but he was not concerned, indeed, it seemed to be a big plus. Brett had been seen into depressing situation (which obviously led to a depressive state with the skill of Brett’s ‘carer’) and thus had met some old lady who had suddenly decided Brett’s life mattered. Brett’s life had already started been replanned to allow for this new contingency of the church.

Nobody was worried. It has long been seen of people to put their ‘faith’ in weak religions and failing miserably, then to recede into worse depression. Indeed, the case of ‘FD” was in a member of her church singing group among other things but still considered herself a failure, driving her to attack a prominent government official, a much studied success of Operation: Control. All they had to do now was to wait for the opportune moment to strike.

But back to Brett himself. He was sitting at one of the 10 tables that were covered with dinner that the congregation that showed up this evening were eating at. As he was new, he was seated near the pastor and the missionary. After about 10 minutes of grace, ‘pass the…’s and pleasantries came the conversation turned to serious matters. And eventually of course one of the conversations (one the pastor, elderly woman and missionary in) came to Brett.
Josh turned to Brett and asked: “So, you’re new I take it? You don’t seem to be talking too much. Did you like my presentation?” “Yea it was great,” (which he meant wholeheartedly).
“Good. Did you learn anything from it? You learn to make most of everything in Colombia and I believe strongly in learning things when it comes to God.”

“It feels nice that you’re not the only one with a big bummer for a life,” said Brett, then instantly resenting opening up himself to one big ‘let’s help the sinner’ conversation. Although, that’s what he is supposed to want, right?

M.J unashamedly broke into the conversation (as all pastors have a right to): “Life sucks and then you die right?” Brett smiled a grin I can only describe as defeated and replied: “something like that.” Josh and M.J suddenly felt that the Colombia-Brett’s life correlation wasn’t so out of place. With it, came a wash of the Holy Spirit suggesting, or rather commanding that Brett become a Christian. For a split second their eyes became open and like the prophet of old that came into the throne room of Yahweh himself and saw a glimpse of Gods plan.

They saw different ways things could come about, and very quickly different emotions flooded their minds as their souls reacted to every scenario put up by Jesus. All suddenly became clear to them. They saw that their race was now imperative to this particular plan only and that this was the final leg of the race that the apostle Paul strived so desperately to complete. And it all became so clear. And it all faded, although it did not disappear.

Their experience helped set their spiritual compass in the right direction and they learnt the voice of the Spirit, both were needed for what was to come. They also learnt the magnitude of what was coming. Thus the Holy Spirit became busy as it always does to claim Brett’s soul through the persons of M.J and Josh using all the skills they had and a little bit extra thrown in.

I am happy to say, dear friend, that they succeeded. Spiritual beings belonging to both heaven and hell became enraptured with bated breath waiting and warring out this story. Brett experienced something he had never experienced something that he had never experienced before: God’s love (and in no small proportions). And indeed there was partying in Heaven that day.