“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
(Revelation 21:5)
One of the lasting images that is etched into my consciousness from my trip to Haiti was the waste and debris that litteredthelandscape. What could be a lush and beautiful land is polluted with trash; it is everywhere you look. The pristine beaches are covered with it; in the open fields it seems to grow upfrom the ground; in the cities, the refuse flows like a stream.
It was hard not to react to such a scene. I didn’t want my disgust to show; this was someone’s else’s home, for some, this was all they knew.
My reaction to this image surprised me. Once the initial shock and disgust wore off, I was overcome with a sense of hope. I turned to God, longing for the day when he would make all things new.
It reminded me a lot of when I was mucking out basements after our spring flood. The waste, the flotsam and jetsam, that was my heart. The debris, the litter, the stain that filled the spillways of Haiti, that is my heart as well.
But by the power of Christ, the one who brings life to the dead, who brings hope to those who despair, the one who liberates the captive – by the power of Christ, even my heart is made new. It would be a miracle to go back to Haiti and find it clean, rebuilt, and prosperous. But that is the miracle that Christ has already brought to my heart – and that heart work is an even greater transformation.
I recently came upon a song by one of my favorite groups, Güngor, called When Death Dies. Musically, the song is incredible, and I am ashamed to even own a guitar when I see how well Michael Gungor plays. But lyrically, the message of the song is wonderful, and I think it ties in perfectly with this hope for Haiti, and this hope for all our hearts.
When Death Dies
Like the waters flooding the desert
Like the sunrise showing all things
Where it comes flowers grow
Lions sleep, gravestones roll
Where death dies all things live
Where it comes poor men feast
Kings fall down to their knees
When death dies all things live
All things live
Like a woman searching and finding love
Like an ocean buried and bursting forth
Where it comes flowers grow
Lions sleep, gravestones roll
Where death dies all things come alive
Where it comes water’s clean
Children fed
All believe
When death dies all things live
All things live
By the power of Christ, death has died, it has lost it sting, and the stone is rolled away, all things come alive.
May you, may I, know and live in that power today!
SDG
Here’s the video of the song:
Reveds's Blog 