Entering Into The Suffering of The Voiceless

This past Saturday will go down as one of the most memorable events of my spiritual walk with the Lord. I don’t think words can truly express the emotions that were stirred on Saturday June 17th at the Seek Justice conference. As I pen these initial impressions I am mindful that there are more treasures that will still be revealed as time passes. Yet I am grateful to the Lord for the privilege He gave to all of us who were there that day to have a personal and deep encounter with Him and for the opportunity to enter into the suffering (albeit a glimpse) of those who have are held captive in ways that are hard for us to understand. Yet through the speakers, the Lord made it possible for us to connect in a deep emotional level that there was weeping and sobbing. No doubt our hearts were pierced. People were led to just sit in stunned silence as they absorb what was being spoken. Others led to hug and comfort one another and others finding consolation sitting quietly praying with each other. Personally, I found myself ‘sobbing to the point that I was hyperventilating. But I am grateful for these moments as I believe they are gifts that He has given us as we walk the way of the ‘cross’ and choose to let ourselves be touched by the atrocities that we see and hear about.

For myself personally, my emotions are still very raw but as I read the conference survey feedback it has been an encouragement to hear the responses of people. Lord thank you for Your presence, thank you indeed that the Holy Spirit reigned down upon us all as we opened our hearts to you and cried about the injustices we heard. Thank you for the privilege you gave us to ‘share in the fellowship of Your suffering’ as our hearts were broken by the things that grieve Your heart Lord, I pray that you will continue to use this event to be a spiritual marker in people’s lives; That they will be inspired and led to respond in ways that are beyond what we can ever ask or imagine.

I think of some of the responses I received already:

• One person wanting to sponsor a child and thinking of going on a mission trip next year to Cambodia
• Another person ---a non-lawyer has decided to read the book “Good News About Injustice’ and wants to get involved with Int’l Justice Mission
• A stay at home mother of two who experienced a ‘divine appointment’ that day and is now asking ‘Lord, how can you use me here and now?’
• A teacher crying as she gains cultural insight to the Vietnamese and Cambodian students that she teaches and feels convicted to pray for their home situation
• A friend who shared that she’s never cried so much during a benediction and that it was such a testament to how sensitive she became to the calling. Upon reflection she has itch to do something, but didn’t know where to go from here
• A nominal Christian trying to figure out how to respond

These are just some of the ‘seeds’ that were planted that day that the Lord has been gracious to reveal to me. Thank You Lord for all that you have done during that day and all that you are continuing to do in each of our lives as we process and reflect upon this experience. As the Apostle Paul wrote in book of Philippians ‘He who began a good work in us, will complete it’.