Broken
...do this in remembrance of Me... Luke 22:19
Sunday December 12, 2004
This morning, at 7:45 am the E teachers gathered outside in the cold and fog, to travel together across town to the Church. It is a unique experience as most of the foreigners sit in the balcony with willing translators sitting behind them, carefully writing out one or two paragraphs of the sermon, passing it forward, then writing on a second sheet the continuing translation. The paper makes it circuit through the group and back again to the one holding the pen. The service is conducted in similar Western style, prayer, reading of the word, song, sermon, standing for song, etc...
Many of the foreigners quietly read their Bible or devotional while waiting for the next round of translation to come passing over their shoulder. I was no different, reading the Word, standing while they sang, writing and reflecting as my time here in China comes to a close. Just as my legs and back were beginning to complain in earnest about the extremely hard, small and uncomfortable seats the special portion of the day began.
Communion.
I have shared the "bread and the wine" with believers in many different lands, I was particulary honored to think as my time here ended, I was given this special blessing to share with the Chinese faithful.
The pastor read the familiar passages, the ushers passed the bread throughout the throng of over 500 worshipers, slowly making their way up to the corner balcony where the aliens sat. The communion bread however looked a bit unusual, much thinner and obviously broken from large pieces instead of our typical "communion portion" crackers. Each took the bread in quiet contemplation, the pastor prayed and we partook the representation of the body of Christ.
Today, in the midst of the familiar ritual a very unusual thing happened to me. For the first time I HEARD the breaking! The little thin wafers cracked when we put them in our mouths. During this sober and typically silent undertaking, to HEAR the breaking ...
well
it brought home the fact to be broken - takes noise. Suffering is seldom a silent event. There are tears, there is pain, and there is definately noise. It prepared me for the days later events - the visit to the broken (the orphanage for the disabled children).
On the way to the orphanage, my interpreter asked "how did you have this thought to go to the orphanage? I explained orphans are very close to God's heart. He takes special interest in them and in fact tell us to visit them in His Word. She was suprised to know this "really, it says visit orphans?" as I pointed out the passage in James.
Upon our arrival the children made noise! These precious abandoned and forgotten children realized quickly one person remembered and came back. They were ecstatic with joy. They began telling all they recalled from the last visit - their favorite trick, the funny story. Most have very sharp minds. Only their bodies are very broken.
Today, I worshipped and shared in His brokenness at church, I practiced pure religion undefiled sharing with the broken children, I praise Him for the "noise" of their laughter, I give thanks for the remembrance of it all...
and smile.
I'm sure He's smiling too.
