It was our first full day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and we had hiked to the top of a “favela”-a slum area nestled against a mountain-the Morro Dona Marta. This specific cluster, a group of shaggy, low-budget homes, overlooked the major section of Rio: the high-rises, the stores, and the coastline that is the home of Copacabana Beach for which the city is well known. We were told that one-month’s rent in one of those high-rise apartment complexes could easily cost $1,200. But here, on the mountain, there were small shacks that we could tell were nailed together with cheap boards and tin. There were no window pains in the one or two windows that characterized the homes. In fact, we could see straight through the houses that had two windows parallel to one another. On our way up we could smell the sewage that ran openly under the homes as we stepped over the “streams” that ran to the bottom of the mountain. Upward we climbed, trudged, hiked- however you would describe it - for well over half an hour until our feet were sore, our breathing was labored, and our faces were blistered by the sun. Since it was only seven o’clock in the morning, we knew we were in for a rough day. It was nothing like I had experienced before. At the same time, however, I do not remember having any regrets about my decision to go to Rio. At no point in our journey did I wish I had thought twice. God had called me and that was all I needed to know.
“Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence
of things unseen.”
Hebrews 11:1
We took a break to have lunch which was simple and, of course, of acquired taste. If you have ever traveled to a foreign country, you would know that the best thing to say about strange food is that is tastes “different” or “interesting.” I personally loved trying Brazilian cuisine. For the most part, it is the same stuff we eat – only it is prepared differently. As we ate, we looked out over the city, which is nestled between the mountains in the cradling embrace of Guanabara Bay. To the right of us, on a higher peak called Corcovado Mountain, stood “Cristo el Redentor”. The famed statue of Christ the Redeemer was the one site that I had longed to see since I learned of my acceptance on this trip. I knew there would be much work to do and many people to reach, but my human eyes longed to see this work that I had heard so much about. The statue was far away, however, and clouds had covered the top. All I could see was the base of the figure. Eric (we called him this although his name “Henrique” means Henry in English) approached me. He was a fourteen-year-old Brazilian who loved the Lord very much and had a passion for the people of his country. He spoke exceptional English and was helping us to translate while we were visiting the country. He saw me looking at the statue and he said, “Many Brazilians worship that statue. They do not believe in our God. To them, that is God.”
As far as grammar was concerned, that was a statement, yet I could hear the questioning in his voice. It was as if he had wondered and prayed about this subject long before our arrival. How do you teach a people who know only the presence of a statue about the love of a God who sent His Son to die for them? I quickly prayed that God would give me the words to speak and in His own way, the Spirit moved me in me and revealed a thought that only the anointing of the Lord could provide. And just the way I spoke to Eric on the mountain that day, I write these words to you:
In a world where trust is put in visible, tangible things, true Christians have a message of faith. We are called to show people how to believe with their hearts-even when they cannot see with their eyes. My faith is bigger than any monument or statue because my God is bigger. This is the message that we must share with those who are dying around us.
Just like the statue hidden behind the clouds, our image of God is often distorted-if not destroyed-by worldly pains and failures. Our hearts, however, hold the key to the faith by which we live. God is alive. He is in Brazil, He is in Russia, and He is in America. I left Brazil five years ago with a greater realization of God in my life. I realized that no matter where I serve, God will give me a vision and He will follow that vision with faith – the unseen kind. |
