“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)
The days equipping the twelve believers in the closed country flew by like leaves in the autumn wind. Toward the end of that week, some of the believers gathered around me with much excitement.
“We have been praying about your coming to visit our church in the capital city next week. Will you come?” they asked.
“Let me pray about that,” I told them.
My heart started thumping as I thought about how active the police would be, looking for underground churches, even more so than where I was now. I prayed and asked God what would give Him glory. His answer was simple: “Go!”
He reminded me that He had divine appointments lined up for me on the flight to and from the capital as well as when I would be with the believers. I began to pray about who I would meet.
The day for my flight to the capital city arrived. The believers had sacrificed to pay my flights there and back. I got a taxi to take me to the airport and discovered that there were few signs I could read. I prayed for help to even find my gate. There was almost nothing in English in the entire airport. As I walked along, I again realized how I stood out in the crowd. No one in the entire busy airport looked like me.
I knew that people like me, followers of Jesus, were rare in this part of the world. Finally, I came to what I thought was my gate. I sat down and prayed that God would show me in some way if I was in the right place. A tall businessman carrying a briefcase sat down beside me. I asked him if this was the right gate to the flight that was going to the capital city. He spoke in crisp English, “Absolutely. You’re in the right place.”
We struck up a conversation, and then over the intercom they made a call only in their language. My new friend stood up. “Let’s join the line to board the plane,” he told me.
What Are You?
As we were in the line and boarding the plane, he asked, “What’s your seat number?” I showed him my seat number. “That’s quite a coincidence. You’re sitting right next to me!” he said cheerfully.
We walked into the plane and sat down. As the plane took off, he asked me, “So I’m curious, why are you going to our capital city?”
“I am hoping to make new friends and learn more about your country’s past and present,” I responded.
We talked back and forth very carefully. And then finally, he leaned over and whispered, “Are you of our faith?”
“No, I am not,” I responded.
Now, I was very aware that the plane was packed with people, and some seemed to be listening while others, of course, could not understand a word we said. But I didn’t always know who was who. However, he was very curious about my identity.
“So, what are you?” he asked.
“Are you asking about my faith?” I responded. He nodded very seriously, and I thought, This will be an interesting moment. What is he going to do when he finds out who I am? I don’t want to lie. I want to tell the truth, and I want to give God glory. So, I whispered a prayer to heaven, and the Holy Spirit showed me what to do.
“I am a follower of Jesus,” I quietly told him.
“Oh!” he said, with much fascination and curiosity. “I have never met one of those before. I have never had a conversation with a follower of Jesus.”
The rest of the flight was very interesting. As we compared notes, he said that he was a man of prayer. I said, “So am I.” He said he practiced fasting so that he could have a clear mind when he was praying. I said, “I fast also.” He said he practiced giving to the poor. And I said, “That’s good. I practice that too.” He said, “I believe that there is a coming judgment day when all will be taken into account.” I said, “I believe that also.”
“You might be fascinated to know,” I told him, “that I don’t drink alcohol, and I don’t eat pork. I believe that God cares about what goes into my body.”
He looked at me with surprise. “Are you sure you are not one of us?” he asked.
I chuckled, “I’ve told you who I am. I believe that God has many, many children.”
We had an amazing flight, and he asked me all kinds of questions that he had never had a chance to ask a follower of Jesus. As the plane was landing, he thanked me for the conversation. I wondered to myself how long my new friend would have had to wait to meet a follower of Jesus if I had decided that the risks were too high to travel to the capital.
Call to Action: Step Out of Our Comfort Zone
My friend, there are many more just like him all around the world. I wonder how long those many more someones, who have never met Jesus or one of His followers, will be waiting until you or I are willing to step out of our comfort zone to go and sit beside them.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman \ Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
