A Bomb Could Not Stop Them

This morning as I sat in worship I noticed all the empty seats because the rain kept many people at home. My mind went back to last November when I was in the Congo.  One Sunday it was raining like a River was flowing out of the sky. I turned to my host and said that this rain would probably cause people to stay home from worship. He laughed and said that even bombs going off in the village would not keep his people away from God's house. He was speaking literally. During the rebel incursion in their region land mines were placed in the roads and along the foot paths. Yet the people longed to worship God together in songs, prayers and even offerings. So they came and filled the churches. The rebels were astounded and impressed. Some left the area for it was obvious these people belonged to God and their faith confounded their  oppressors.

The morning I was among them the rain never let up. It fell in torrents and flooded the streets. Yet the people joyfully filled the church. Their bodies were soaked and their faces were ablaze with the glory of The Lord. Today in Georgia many people let a rain shower keep them home. They missed experiencing the beauty and glory of worship in spite of the rain.

The prophets would say some oppression might do us some good in realizing how much we need to worship God together regardless of the threats all around us.