I stood in the middle of the intersection, with darkness invading all around me. The only sound to be heard was the swaying of the traffic light above my head as the wind howled around me. The entire city had been deserted, and there was an eerie feeling hanging in the air - though I felt its presence, I felt no fear.
Slowly, I started to walk down the deserted street. Empty streets gave way to streets lined with people. Clearly, I was in a city. I continued to walk down the middle of the road, despite the traffic buzzing around me. As I took in the surroundings, I realized that I was in the “red light” district. On every street corner was scantily clad women. Though their hair and makeup screamed beauty, their faces were portals into an empty soul. They had given every part of themselves over to the hands of greedy men surrounding them, calling them, flaunting money if they’d just submit to their every demand. The people were oblivious to my presence, but instead were consumed by their fleshly desires - not only with the women, but running in and out of the bars and shops lining the street. Smoke billowed out of the windows, and putrid smells filled the air.
I continued walking, hearing the sounds of crying babies in the distance. Crying, crying, wanting to be seen, wanting to be heard - yet completely unacknowledged. It appeared that only I could hear their sad desperation.
The lights and hustle of the city streets soon became poverty-stricken sidewalks. Children of all ages, wearing nothing but cloths to cover their private areas quietly played in the streets. There was no joy, no laughter. Sadness, hunger, and loneliness filled their eyes. These kids carried a sorrow that children of their age should not have to endure.
Huddled under the coverings of cardboard were elderly folks. They were wrapped in tattered blankets, looking out into the streets. Though they remained silent, I could hear the cries within crying for someone to notice them, for someone to rescue them.
I could tell that their lives had once been vibrant, full of love and laughter - but the world and life had not only ravished them, but had stolen everything from them - their joy, their dreams, their provisions...literally everything they had worked their entire lives for.
Propelled forward, I kept walking down the middle of the street. A new, pungent smell filled the air. To my horror, piles of dead bodies littered the roadside. Men, women, and children of every ages had succumbed to death around them and lay rotting in the streets. I angrily brushed the hot tears away from my face. It wasn’t fair! They were too young and had entire lives in front of them. Even in death, they deserved more dignity than they were receiving as they lay in the public streets rotting.
But then, something amazing happened! As I continued to walk, I realized that slowly, each one of these dead bodies was coming back to life. One by one, they stood to their feet and joined me as I marched forward.
Together, we walked forward into the building that stood in front of us. Soft hymns were filling the air, and the atmosphere was warm. Some quickly took up residency there. It was safe, inviting, but never challenged them to strive for more. It was void of any real connection, but instead was semi-robotic in nature as people stood to their feet, sang the hymns, sat back down, listened to a man on stage who spoke just enough to tickle their ears, but not enough for them to be hungry for more. I knew that I couldn’t stay here, and I motioned for others to join me, though sadly only a few chose to do so.
We continued forward, again walking towards the next building on the horizon. Life bellowed from the walls. Instead of quiet hymns, loud music declaring victory greeted us in the street. The atmosphere was energizing, and even the words spoken seemed to promise hope. But when the service concluded, everyone scattered in their own direction. Connection was lost and replaced with promises to see one another next week. Another large portion of the group I entered with decided that this was what they had been hungering for. Again, I knew that it was time to keep marching, and this time even fewer people chose to go with me.
But then I heard it!
Praise like I had never heard before in my life was calling from just up ahead. Scanning the horizon, I saw this beautiful building with a cloud of glory hanging over the top. I couldn’t get there quick enough as I sprinted towards the door! There was love, laughter, hugging - a welcoming presence hanging in the air. No one was overlooked, but instead immediately welcomed into the family that continued to sing praise. Curious to see what they were praising, I looked ahead. Encased within a rock formation was a huge lion. Prison bars held it back from the people, but its eyes were filled with love and affection - a longing for more. As people fixed their eyes on the lion, the praises became louder and louder. Nothing was holding us back! We were captivating the heart of the lion and within ourselves remained a hunger to reach out further than we ever have before.
With a sudden flash of light, the prison bars broke open and the lion was unleashed!
Some, suddenly scared, fled in terror. But many instead welcomed the freedom the lion brought, and stormed forward desperate to be in its presence. But the lion didn’t want to sit there and receive our adoration. As the lion walked forward, we followed - some beside and some behind.
Very quickly I recognized that we were walking back in the direction that I had just came. First into the connected-while-together church and then into the church that only made a drop in the ocean. We didn’t remain, but stayed only long enough to gather people. Onward we marched, past the piles of dead bodies rotting in the streets - which instantly came to life and joined us. Forward into the encampment of men, women, and children who had come to know a life of poverty. We gathered them too, and their grief quickly gave way to an unexplainable joy and excitement once again. Together, we marched hand in hand soon coming to the place where the cries of babies could be heard. We gathered each infant into our arms, all crying ceased, and we foraged onward. Storming into the city streets, our praise drew people to us - people who had once prostituted themselves on the corner and gave in to every desire of the flesh. They quickly joined our ranks, praising from the tops of their lungs. Freedom rang from the pits of our souls! But as we walked forward, the ghost town was quickly brought back to life - with amazing, brilliant colors all around us. We had reached the promised land, and had brought countless people with us - all because we refused to become complacent. Celebration erupted in the streets, and as we turned to look in the direction from which we had come, we watched as our pasts vanished into the darkness.
We live in a world that promises us everything, yet provides us with nothing. Quickly our attentions shift to fulfilling the next longing in our hearts - and we fall prey to drugs, sex, rebellion. Some succumb to the pursuit of money, believing that it will solve all of their problems only to find themselves more in despair than ever before. We’ve learned to rely upon the things that only provide a momentary solution for a lifetime of pain.
One day, we awaken only to realize that there has to be more. We realize that we’re standing in line, waiting for our turn to knock at death’s door. But then a glimmer of hope pierces our darkness. We give our lives to Christ, but become content to go through the motions. We position ourselves in churches that make us “feel good” but lack community, an atmosphere of healing, or anything that breathes significance into our lives. We stay stuck, believing the lie that we have arrived. And even if we look out into the city streets, we don’t look out to see who we can rescue but instead peek out to see who we can judge. In this place, we forget where we came from. We forget the grace that we have received, and fall prey to complacency that will hold us hostage for the rest of our lives. It’s unstable here, and many will quickly fall away when the issues of life arise like a mountain in front of them.
Some only stay for a short while, but their hunger pains drive them forward. They begin to seek out a church that is willing to pursue the Holy Spirit - on their terms. If it gets uncomfortable, they quickly seclude themselves once more. Routine becomes a way of life here, with the occasional surrender. It feels good, really good. When you walk in the doors, you know that you’ll leave more pumped up than when you came. But it’s not enough to sustain you. Each week, you find yourself falling back into the place of desperation, hungering for the next Sunday morning. You long for someone or something to refuel you once more, and believe that within the walls of the church is where you’ll find the safety, security, and provisions to move forward.
And then there is yet another group of people. They are the ones who are filled each week but still crave for more. They’ve recognized that they are better than they once were, but still have a long road to go to receive all of the healing that is being made available to them. These are the ones who will sprint towards freedom, abandoning all care of what others may think. Praise and worship is no longer a thing to do, but encompasses all of who we are. The more we seek, the more we find. We’re never satisfied, but instead keep pursuing.
We won’t settle for mediocrity, and we believe that God will inhabit the praises of His people.
This church believes that they can storm the gates of hell, and they fully trust that those gates will not prevail. They are unstoppable.
We are all called to be unstoppable. While we are called to be content with the things of this world and the things that we’ve been given, we are called to always seek more from the Lord. More of His power, more of His love, but more than anything else, more of His Spirit. When we choose to seek that Spirit and all of the supernatural and abundant gifts that come with it, that is when we can change the world.
We have to die to ourselves daily. It requires full submission, not only the parts that we feel comfortable giving up. But as we do these things, we will be the voice in the desert that reaches the most broken among us. We will be empowered to come alongside them, take them by the hand, and help them out of the pit of despair. We will welcome them, from all walks of life, from every place of poverty, regardless of their choices or the things done to them. And together, we will advance the Kingdom of God!