This summer a friend of mine gave me the book "Cry, The Beloved Country". It really is a beautiful book. The story is set in mid-20th century South Africa and hovers in general around the social struggles in that part of the world as apartheid was beginning to emerge, but specifically around the conflict of a devout man as he seeks to be reconciled to his lost son in Johannesburg.
Sitting in a church service, the main character Kumalo listens as his new-found friend and fellow priest Msimangu begins to deliver his message:
"Misimangu opened the book, and read to them first from the book. And Kumalo had not known that his friend had such a voice. For the voice was of gold, and the voice had love for the words it was reading. The voice shook and beat and trembled, not as the voice of an old man shakes and beats and trembles, nor as a leaf shakes and beats and trembles, but as deep bell when it is struck. For it was not only a voice of gold, but it was the voice of a man whose heart was golden, reading from a book of golden words. And the people were silent, and Kumalo was silent, for when are three such things found in one place together?
'I the Lord have called thee in righteousness
and will hold thine hand and will keep thee
and give thee for a covenant of the people
for a light of the Gentiles
To open the blind eyes
to bring out the prisoners from the prison
And them that sit in darkness
out of the prison house.'" (Isaiah 42:6-7)
and will hold thine hand and will keep thee
and give thee for a covenant of the people
for a light of the Gentiles
To open the blind eyes
to bring out the prisoners from the prison
And them that sit in darkness
out of the prison house.'" (Isaiah 42:6-7)
Have we not all heard before, at least once, someone reading the Holy Scriptures with such love and passion? Was it not something that stirred us up as the inspired Word was honored and elevated in such a way? When you have the opportunity to address others and read from the Bible, love the words you're reading.
2 comments:
YES!! hmmm was that too emphatic? ;) I remember a few years back I was teaching in the sr high ss class and my son was reading and I thought, "oh no, I don't even want to hear what he's reading." It didn't take much later on that day to communicate with him and all my children that they have a great opportunity and responsibility any time they are called upon to read the Word of God. Since then to hear them read and pray has been a blessing as they realize the privilege and worship that comes with participating in the ministry of the Word and prayer.
Thanks for teaching your quiver-full as well... It is a good thing that we not become an obstacle to the hearing of God's word. Good word brother!
"It is a good thing that we not become an obstacle to the hearing of God's word." That's a great point, Tim, because it's sure easy to be an obstacle by the way we present God's word!
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