From Mourning to Dancing
I cried out to you, O Lord, "Hear
me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me,
O Lord." You have turned my mourning
into joyful dancing. You have taken away
my clothes of mourning and clothed me
with joy that I might sing praises to
you and not be silent. Psalm 30:8, 10-12
NLT
When the war broke out in Lebanon
during the summer of 2006, people
suffered acutely. Many died. But in the
midst of tragedy, Christ turned his ear
and heard their cries for mercy.
Believers all over the earth began to
pray as news of the war circulated
around the world. Initially, stories
were filled with depictions of violence
and destruction, but the daily reports
of pain changed to accounts of thousands
of Shiite Muslims arriving in
predominantly Christian areas to seek
refuge from the bombings.
Shiite families found shelter in
schools and church buildings, and many
believers responded quickly to their
urgent needs by providing food,
mattresses, blankets, and toys for the
children. One little Lebanese Christian
girl went around her neighborhood
collecting toys to take to all the
displaced Shiite children living in a
school near her home.
During moments of shared grief, new
friendships formed between Lebanese
Christians and Lebanese Shiite Muslims.
In the solidarity of walking together in
the shadow of destruction, love was
shared. These relationships provided
fertile ground to share the Gospel in an
environment of trust. Modeled after how
Christ loves the one in front of Him, so
these believers loved each one in front
of them. From the living words of the
Gospel, God watered the seeds, and faith
grew.
Many more Shiites are now following
Christ, led to His feet by the hands of
His servants who responded to their dire
needs during and after the war! Today
these new believers are gathering to
worship, pray and discover how to be
followers of Jesus.
Though bombs fell on Lebanon and
buildings and lives crumbled, God was,
and is present, through His people,
comforting those who mourn. Jesus is
always in the midst of rubble, building
households of faith, stone by stone. We
cannot be silent: He turns our mourning
into dancing!
