Boerenroem blog

// April 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // Rafael, thoughts

Last week I wrote a blog called ‘Good news to the poor‘ in which I referred to the verses from Luke 4/Isaiah 61. This verse happens to be the motto for Athletes in Action‘s summer outreach to Africa. Good news for the poor, sight to the blind, freedom for prisoners. And because they had their spring event last weekend, Matthijs asked me to write on this theme also. Too late and unexpectedly, I got some inspiration yesterday – so here it is, Matthijs.

The inspiration comes again from a meeting in church – the same where I met Nermin last week. (He was there again, by the way; this time he had pain in his arm and chest because he had had a scooter accident just an hour before. Refused to go to the hospital and left the church premises before the service started…) Anyway. After the service yesterday, I got to talk to a visitor who told me a bit of his story. A guy with Middle-Eastern background, a political refugee who, as a student, had stood up for freedom for his ethnic group. He has paid for that ever since: imprisoned without any notice; tortured for six months, chained to hands and feet in a prison cell with Koran verses on the loudspeakers 24/7. Released after media pressure (through Amnesty International) and now in The Netherlands for already 20 years. The sad story is that his life is still heavily marked by his past. In recent years he lost his wife & family in divorce, his home, his job… and is in fact as much captive as he was back in the prison cell.

We talked about his first church experience. He was touched by the atmosphere, the people, the view of God and religion. ‘I’ve seen too much of the effects of true islam to be a muslim’, he said; ‘I know I should learn more about Jesus’. And that’s what we’re going to do the next few weeks – helping him to understand what it is all about. Good news for the poor of spirit, freedom to those captured in their own fears and hurts, sight to those that lost all hope…

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…

// April 19th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Rafael, thoughts

Yesterday I met him again, my friend Nermin. Originally from the Balkan, now living in Almere in a beautiful part of the city. His place has 6 bathrooms, a huge pond and a basketball court. The only problem: it has no roof. And actually, the bathrooms are the public ones near the Weerwater lake and the basketball court is covered with junk and garbage as if it was the town’s dump. Nermin is homeless. All of his belongings are packed in a (stolen) shopping cart. On top of it a huge ghetto blaster, making it easy to identify Nermin wherever he is going.

So, there he was again. Sitting on the bench at our church, apparently enjoying himself with the people, the sunlight and an old cigarette. He stayed outside while we started the service, but obviously needed someone to talk to. So I sat down next to him, chatting with this homeless, psychotic, alcoholic, dirty, poor beggar. He was clearly in a bad state but also aware of it himself. As always, he asked for money, and as always, I said no. He told about the experience he had had many years ago that convinced him that God existed. I listened to his story, asked some questions, tried to debit a few thoughts to him, invited him to come in and be part of the service. As I prayed for him, he cried.

About half an hour later, I was back in the service, and as it turned out, Nermin had followed me. I noticed him talking to other people after service, but when I met him outside again, he was very confused and left the church, clearly very angry. Later I heard he had been begging inside the church, and that there had been an incident causing people to ask him to leave the building.

Why am I writing all this? Because I actually don’t know what to do. Should I have given him money? I don’t think so. Did it feel good not to give him money? No. Was it right to invite him into the service? I think so. Was it right to ask him to leave? I think so too. Do I want to help him? Yes. Can I actually, really, seriously help him? I don’t think so…

I really wonder: how did Jesus do this? In Luke 4, he starts his public appearance in a church by reading Scripture, applying it to himself and putting the words into practice when he meets a ‘Nermin’ the week after. And honestly, it makes me jealous. I wish Jesus was here to meet my friend Nermin. I wish I could be Jesus to him.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…

// April 10th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // pictures

These are special days: the trees near the entry roads into Almere are in full blossom. I took my bike and shot a few pictures. Click below for the first 8, click here for the entire set.

// April 5th, 2010 // No Comments » // thoughts, video

Thursday afternoon. The phone rings. It is our friend John, saying he is in need of a little help and some encouragement. He says he wants to go to church on Sunday and Mira explains what, when and how. We are pleasantly surprised, as it is a place he has never been before in his life.

Easter Sunday, afternoon. Our service is going to be a little different than usual; a short time of worship, sermon and prayer, then out to the playground nearby to have a picnic lunch together. I am pleasantly surprised that John is there. Mira’s sermon is very short. She shares about the reality of the resurrection of Jesus (more proof than for Julius Ceasar’s existence) and shows a little clip of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. It is true transformation, new life out of the old. Nobody calls a butterfly a ‘transformed caterpillar’. That new life is given to us in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit.

After service, John joins in for the picnic. As we are enjoying the food, he shares his heart: how he is suffering from negative feelings, how he is unable to maintain relationships the way he wants to, how he is failing in his marriage. I ask him what he thinks of the service. His response: I need to get on my feet again; I think I need some kind of a resurrection. For the third time this week, I am pleasantly surprised by John: his insight and ability to apply the message are remarkable. Pray with us that he will find the ultimate Resurrection Power.

// April 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // jesus, video