Will You Move Mountains With Us?

Usually, I spend the first few hours of my day with God—reading, writing in my journal and meditating. But the other morning was different.

I saw a message on my phone about a mandatory evacuation on Ocracoke Island. My sister and her family live there, so I immediately opened the link. With Hurricane Maria marching up the east coast, authorities had declared a prompt evacuation for all tourists.

Maria had devastated Puerto Rico the day before and left the region without power, water, and food. Thousands were left homeless, hurt, or worse dead, but mostly, people felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness in her wake.

Then I read another article about a man who walked into a church that Sunday morning and started shooting. And then another, about a two-time felon who brutally beat an 8-year-old boy to death because the boy tried to save his younger sister as the man raped her.

I sat in my safe, comfortable, over-sized chair, and cried—the big crocodile kind of tears. Uncontrollable grief ripped through my body for people I’d never met, but for whom, I felt intense sorrow.

I cried out, “Why, Papa???”

He answered, “Isaiah 12.”

Isaiah 12 tells us to sing to the Lord and make known his praise. And with joy, we will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation. Then we will sing, “Thank the Lord! Praise his name!”

WHAT???

“Papa, I poured my heart out to you for these injustices, and you lead me to praise? How can you ask us to sing songs of joy and salvation when there’s so much pain?”

“Because I AM,” I heard.

I then began journaling the words that rang in my ears.

“It’s not about which religion is right or wrong, or who’s going to heaven or not. It’s not about the color of our skin or our gender—it’s about God’s love, mercy, and grace. It’s about caring for others so deeply we feel their pain because we are one body of the living God.”

So, I boldly ask everyone to unite and lift songs of praise to God, or to whomever you call the creator of the universe (I call him Papa) and ask for peace on earth as it is in heaven!

On October 10th, we will celebrate God at the Galilee Ministries on Central Ave. in Charlotte, NC. The Ministry provides a safe sanctuary for refugees and people of all nationalities and religious beliefs.

This event is a unique, non-denominational worship celebration and is open to everyone who believes that anything is possible when we unite together with the purpose of healing.

With faith as small the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains.

Will you move mountains with us?