April 16th, 2008 - Good News

As we have thought about the Shan (Dai), the penetrating gaze of our crucified Lord quietly questions us: Do you really love me? Are you satisfied in me, even if I don’t bless you in a way that gives you honor and prestige from your work?  Will you passionately serve me still? Will you bring my message to people the world cares little about? Will you honestly care for them?

Several gracious healings have helped speed the good news from village to village.

After many frustrating attempts to connect with our Buddhist friends, we had our first serious gospel conversation. In questioning how Buddhism works, a taxi driver observed, with a tone of wistfulness, that no one can really keep the five regulations of Buddhism. This led to a discussion of how Jesus overcame this barrier for broken humanity. This man had also noticed Christian friends having a peace that he himself did not share- already a sign of God at work in the long process of revealing himself.

Sometimes being a witness of Christ is less fun. One Dai Christian asked for a falsified letter of employment. Telling her that as Christians we could not lie was a small revelation of Christ’s values, but not one that brought joy to her heart.