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PREACHING ON TOP OF A COFFIN
IN JAMAICA
By David Pierce of No Longer Music
OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA (ANS) -- The cities of Jamaica can be dangerous
places to be in especially if you are white. It was the first
time I had experienced what appeared to be hatred for my race.
I guess it was understandable as white people had abused the
Jamaicans, using them as slaves in their past.
This gave rise to the Rastafarian movement, which has been known
to be anti-white.
It is not safe in most cities during the day. Only countries
in civil war have a more violent crime rate than Jamaica. "Rude
boy" gangs and other gangs were everywhere.
 During
our evangelistic concert with No Longer Music, we showed the
brokenness of a girl who has been abused. We do this to show
how Jesus weeps for broken people. But we had to cut this scene
out of our set because the first time we did it people laughed
and cheered. It was also the first place I ever played where
the crowd wanted MORE blood! They applauded when I portrayed
Jesus being crucified.
After a hellish drive (our driver drove like a lunatic) we arrived
at night in the city of Ocho Rios. We expected to see a stage.
Instead we saw only people milling around a square where we
were supposed to play.
Our band stood there lost between speakers that were loaded
out of a truck onto the ground. Nothing was arranged. No power,
nothing. So an extension cord was laid over a busy road. While
cars drove over the electrical cord in the middle of the road,
we started to set up.
My band was wonderful. Out of nothing they made something. Torn
plastic serving as a backdrop, an old P.A. was put together.
Hundreds gathered in the city square waiting for us to begin.
I felt really discouraged. We had put so much effort into being
there and the local church had put zero effort into the arrangements.
Everything was going wrong. The sound system slowly stopped
working. First the guitar stopped going through the sound system.
Then the bass guitar stopped working. When I tried to speak
at the end, the sound system went completely out and was making
horrible distorting sounds whenever I tried to speak.
A lot of people have the idea that a sign of God's will is that
things go easy. The way that we can know that we are doing what
God wants us to do is that the path before us is open and easy
to walk on. But that's not what Jesus said. Jesus said in John
16:33, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have
peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!
I have overcome the world."
Jesus said that if we follow him we will have trouble. If everything
in my life is smooth and easy it is probably a sign of a wasted
life, because to follow Jesus means to go against the world's
system. And that means I'm going to face opposition sometimes.
That night we were facing just about every kind of opposition
I could think of. The church that was supposed to support us
deserted us, our equipment was broken down, I was tired and
discouraged and the crowd was hostile.
But even though everything was going against us that night I
needed to keep my eyes on Jesus. Because Jesus also said don't
be afraid, I have overcome the world. Even in the midst of the
most difficult situation God promises that he will be there
with me.
So I told the guy working the PA to just turn it off. I climbed
onto the coffin that we have with us as a prop, which was on
a table in the middle of the square. I decided to just preach
on top of the coffin without a microphone.
The whole situation was crazy but in spite of this I have NEVER
felt such a strong sense of the Holy Spirit as I spoke. While
I was explaining who Jesus was, people were captivated. A Rasta
guy with a big machete in his bag who was chanting during our
concert listened quietly. I felt an overwhelming sense of God's
love for these tough young men. I told them they had to humble
themselves.
"Get on your knees if you want to know Jesus!" I said.
Some of the most cynical mockers were the first to fall on their
knees. Suddenly all over the towns square there were tough gangster
kids kneeling, crying and praying.
As our band prayed for those who were kneeling we could feel
the Holy Spirit's power surging through us. One tough 20-year-old
guy knelt with me while tears were rolling down his face. He
told me that he wanted to surrender his life to Jesus!
With every kind of problem and opposition it was one of the
most powerful evenings I have ever experienced.
David Pierce can be contacted by e-mail at steiger@ihug.co.nz |
