3 minute read
When God Arrived
from April 2022
Gò0dNews for Everyone
When God Arrived
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by Dean Draper
Iwill never forget that day. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon in Hawaii. With the sun gleaming through the palm trees, our college choir boarded a tour bus and headed for a luau. The young tour guide greeted us with a Hawaiian “Hello” and off we went. She introduced herself and began to entertain us with island stories and jokes, some of them funny, some of them with inappropriate overtones. After all, we were college students, and her job was to entertain.
The luau wasn’t what we expected. Yes, the food was incredible, but the entertainment was again off-color. One of our students was summoned up on the stage for a gag. Unfortunately, she was embarrassed by one of the male entertainers and left the stage in tears. The mood was different when we reboarded the bus. We had experienced the real world with its emptiness and darkness.
As we headed back, our tour guide asked us to sing a song. I’m sure something in the realm of “Chattanooga Choo Choo” or “Rocky Top” would suffice. But instead, we proceeded to sing one of the most beautiful Christian songs I’ve ever heard, “The Majesty and Glory of Your Name.”
“Oh Lord our God, the Majesty and Glory of Your Name, transcends the earth and fills the heavens. Oh Lord our God, little children praise you perfectly, and so would we.”
As we sang, I truly believe the Holy Spirit filled that bus, because the atmosphere suddenly changed. Tears streamed down that young lady’s face. Yes, the façade was shattered. The one-liners ended and she stood there in complete silence. God arrived, and we all knew it.
When we approached our hotel, we had all gathered up cash to leave her a large tip. After all, she had worked hard and deserved it. But a different person said goodbye to us. She wasn’t the same silly entertainer we met hours before. She was still wiping her eyes, touched by the music she had heard. She wouldn’t take our money. Instead, she hugged each one of us. The song was worth far more than what money could buy her. Just another day at work, another tour group, became something much more.
I thought about how the Gospel penetrates the human heart, often through music. I was reminded about how the Holy Spirit can unexpectedly arrive when our focus turns from pleasure to worship. I’m not sure that special moment was for us, as much as it was for that young lady. I am quite certain she had never experienced anything like that.
I’m reminded of Matthew 5:14, when Jesus said, “We are the light of the world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hid.” Light penetrates darkness, and it can break through any barrier and transform the human heart. There was no greater example of this than in that special moment. It would be easy to just blend in, to adapt to our environment. But God didn’t call us to be chameleons, did He? He said, “Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel.” And yes, sometimes that’s through song.
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