- Fyodor Dostoevsky
Too many people in New Zealand are acting under this assumption. We recently heard a Kiwi speak on such a topic and it reminded us again about why we are here.
The spiritual darkness in New Zealand can be overwhelming at times. Since we have lived here, it has hit us in waves. We continually pray that God will break our hearts for this country and for the people here, and we see it happening.
There are so many statistics that caught our attention before we moved here, but now we are seeing those statistics come to life in the people that we interact with, and it is breaking our hearts. We are seeing children and adults who are scarred by divorce and abuse, churches that are closing their doors, and an alarming increase in the random acts of crime, and people looking for answers.
It seems like every week there is a heinous and senseless criminal act reported on. This week a young girl in our town was taken from her home by a mysterious masked man. These random acts of crime are beginning to hit home more and more, with many people in our community very worried. Our hearts continue to break for this country as we pray for it's redemption.
A few weeks ago the movie Prince Caspian had its debut in New Zealand (I know, old news for the States, but it was filmed in New Zealand!) Our church booked a theater to view it and then heard a lecture (by Dr. Adam Claasen) on the biblical meanings behind the movie. This lecture, or sermon, was one of my favorite ones, I have listened to it a few times now. In this sermon, Dr. Claasen compared New Zealand and the people here to Narnia. He gave some alarming statistics about the correlation between the declining amount of Christians and the increasing amount of crime and violence.
I would like to encourage you to listen to the Prince Caspian Sermon. (You can do so by clicking on the underlined words.) If you haven't seen the movie, you may want to watch it first, but if not, you will still understand the sermon. It is about 35 minutes long, so it will take some time. Listen to it as you are getting ready in the morning or making dinner or cleaning the house (that's what I have been doing!) As you are doing so, listen for what is being said about the state of New Zealand.
When you finish, would you take a minute to pray for New Zealand? Please pray for the people here and for us as we long to show them the Love of God in a practical way that will change their lives. Please pray for our safety and our faith as we endure this darkness each day.
No comments:
Post a Comment