Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
What a joy it is to share those words, and the beautiful message behind them, with someone who has never heard or understood them before! What a joy it is to hear those words come from the lips of a new believer, who says them for the first time through faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit! What a joy it is to say those words with fellow Christians in churches, restaurants, apartments, and dorm rooms! These are some of the joys I have had while serving as a vicar in Hong Kong and the neighboring areas. The story below recounts more of the joys I experienced during Holy Week.
On Holy Saturday, four WELS English teachers and I met in an apartment to remember the momentous events of Holy Week. We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus, rejoicing in the salvation that God has sealed for us. Reading the passion account from the Gospel of John, partaking in the Lord’s Supper, singing the precious hymns of Lent and Easter – we could not help but think about the Easter celebrations of our families and congregations half a world away. We could not help but long for the sounds of pipe organs, trumpets and hundreds of voices swelling in praise of the Lamb who once was slain, but now in glory reigns.
Yet God in his wisdom chose to give us a different Holy Week experience this year. He chose to provide an opportunity to spend Good Friday evening testifying to a man named “Richard.” Before that evening Richard had never heard the full story and significance of Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection. At first he concluded, “It’s interesting, but it’s only a myth – just like the story of the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, Hui Neng, who lived in this town 1500 years ago.”
What a challenge! What a blessed opportunity! A chance to explain to Richard how unique was the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. A chance to explain how remarkably different are the teachings of the Buddhist sutras and the Holy Word of God. We were able to share with him the certainty that we have because of the events of Holy Week some 2000 years ago, and Richard came to realize that with Buddhism there is never certainty of salvation.
Though Richard did not walk away from our meeting shouting alleluias, it was clear that he was thinking seriously about the weighty matters just discussed. Whether he will come to trust in the salvation of Jesus’ death and resurrection, only God knows. But we thank God for giving us the opportunity to share with him the beautiful message of the crucified and risen Christ!
Trusting in God’s promise that he will work through his Word for his good purpose, we ask you to join us in praying for Richard and for all others who heard during Holy Week – for the first time or for the hundredth time – the message of God’s love and forgiveness in Christ!
God bless you as you continue to sing the joyous alleluias of Easter in the coming weeks!
In Him who lives,
Vicar Adam Gawel
