Thursday, July 28, 2011

Hiccups and Fluency

Here I am in Macedonia. I've been living here for a month. Currently I am in Bitola where I've found a huge need for a missionary to come and work next to Pastor Tefik long term. I am working in Veles and travelling abroad. I can't help with the need specifically, but I can help point out the need so that someone will help.

Are you a missionary? Can you work with youth and understand or learn Macedonian? Come quickly to Bitola, MK to help!

I live in the small town of Veles. Small being sixty thousand residents. The people are friendly and welcoming and the streets and buildings tell stories of ancient culture. The love and reverence for each other is something more intimate than what you may find in a common American city. The city operates in hiccups. I realized this as I walked along hiccuping because of the massive amount of food I had just eaten. The portions here are enormous wherever you go. The street traffic consists of people driving cars and people walking. As they weave through the commotion, it's almost as if there's no right of way. I haven't recognized such a thing during any of my two-week visits over the past five and a half years. Sometimes cars stop for pedestrians. Cars many times drive on without giving much heed to anything beside their proposed destination. The traffic carries on a conversation that I don't understand yet, like the language. It is inconsistent to the point that I find no pattern beside that of increased caution in my own steps. Don't wanna get dead on a curb.

I am beginning to understand words that are spoken in conversation. It's as if I'm a genius. As iF. iF. hmmm... That sounds like a good name for a band. Little "i", big "F". Or, perhaps that's too cliche. Well, better jump on that if it's for you. It's the bees knees in band names! Off the rabbit trail, please. Thanks. Macedonian words... That's where I was. The variations on words have me confused in speaking the language yet, but I can understand the roots of words. I'm beginning to understand ownership and past tense and all that jazz. Four months left to become fluent!

Speaking of fluency, Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." By this Scripture it's evident that we are all fluent in the same language, believing or not. We have each been apportioned the same grace to give us love we don't deserve. We have each been shown mercy to detain judgement that we do deserve. Each of us have been called and are therefore fluent in the articulation of grace and mercy. The love of God is perfect and unites us all, calling us to be truly reunited in mind, body and spirit as sons and daughters of God. He has given to each person gifts to use that joy would emerge. Let's give the same grace that the Father has given to us to our brothers and sisters when we are grafted into the vine. Merely speaking the same language is not enough to maintain unity. You must understand why we speak the same language. This is so important to truly loving your neighbor. It's because we are all God's creation, valuable and created worthy of eternal life. We have made ourselves unworthy, but God wishes to make our filthiness whiter than snow by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

And further, "How precious to me are your thoughts, oh God! How vast are the sum of them!" David is saying that God's thoughts are for him. The context of this entire chapter is God's fashioning of people, His care and passion for creating humankind.

Moreover, David requests, "Search me, oh God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" He knows that he is corruptible, but also realizes the value God placed on him. David accepts God's righteousness, despite the terrible things he has done in his flesh.

This is the fluency I'm talking about. Don't look only at the value God has on you, but on the equal value and even distribution of grace for the person next to you. No one can obtain salvation, but God has decided that everyone can. God is worthy of praise. We are worthy of salvation. Not because of what we've done. No, that only makes us unworthy of anything good. We are worthy because of who we are. And we are not anyone other than who God has made us. We attempt to become a mask and deny the identity of God in us. But the mask is not what is behind the facade. We are conceived as sinners and God watches us from that moment, having patience so we will find the opportunity to receive His grace. How great is that grace, that even though we denied the worth God put on us and turned our back on Him, rejecting His truth and love, He is persistent. He calls us His own and desires to call every man and woman the same.

We are fluent in humanity, God's greatest creation.

Andrew R. M. Hanson