Faithful witness

It’s a winter Sunday in Karachi. The late 1990’s. The worship service of the International Church of Karachi closes with the benediction.

Children run outside to play tag on the lawn in the sunshine. And adults filter slowly through the doors onto the patio.

Greeting one another. Stopping to chat and catch up. Pouring and sipping cups of tea in the shade of the carport. 

Many linger for these fellowship times after the services. Sometimes for longer than the actual service itself. 

Getting to know one another’s stories. Offering encouragement as we navigate the urban and cross-cultural challenges of living in the megacity. Karachi.

“How did you come to faith?“

I introduce myself to an American woman who is visiting.  She and her husband are stationed in Pakistan on brief assignment. 

“Brief” is typical here. In a place the State Department and various international companies label “a hardship post.”  

In the course of our conversation, I ask,“So, how did you come to faith in Christ?” 

Serving the poor

“I was a nurse in Washington, D.C.,” she says. And the story unfolds.

Part of her job at the time involved providing home health care for the poor. In the projects. 

There she met several elderly widows. Poverty-stricken. Subsisting on bare essentials. Facing daily challenges in an unsafe area. Surrounded by graffiti and gangs.

And yet. Something was different about them.

Singing in the darkness

“They were so…joyful.”

In the darkness of their surroundings, these women were often singing. Hopeful. Courageous. 

Why? 

Jesus. 

They were radiant followers of Jesus Christ. And their trust in Him flowed through their conversations with her.

Light displayed

“I knew I didn’t have what they had,” she says.

They had joy in the middle of poverty. Joy she didn’t have in the middle of plenty. 

And they celebrated with freedom that didn’t make sense, considering their limited means and mobility. 

She looked forward to her visits with them. And was drawn to the light they displayed.

“That was when I came to faith. That was when I turned and followed Christ.”

Faithful witness

I rejoice with her. 

And we thank the Lord for the faithful witness of those elderly widows in Washington, D.C.

Everything about their circumstances speaks hopelessness. Injustice. Relegation to the margins of society.

But everything about their God speaks extraordinary hope. Love. Peace.

Open display of the Truth

Their example encourages me again. Today.

Ordinary earthen vessels living an open display of the Truth. Bearing witness to the life-changing message of the gospel. And the power of God that saves and transforms.

This is what He calls us to live and speak. Every day.

O praise the Name of the Lord our God.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13

What about you?

Who shared the love and light of Jesus Christ with you?  Have you asked someone their story lately?

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