Dios

First off, sorry for taking several days off from blogging. A couple days I was really tired and a couple other days I was trying to organize my thoughts on what my next post was going to be. Get excited because you'll get several posts in the next couple of days. The following post may make you think, make you mad, make you happy, make you sad. I tried to take my time writing it the best I can, so please don't dismiss it, even if you don't necessarily agree or know where you stand. It's a long post, but it has to do with my recent experiences in Spain, so read on...

The title of this post is Dios, the Spanish word for God. On Tuesday, I attended a prayer service for young adults at a local non-denominational church (Amistad Cristiana). My friend Danielle from back home had recommended this church as she studied abroad in Madrid several semesters ago. During the service, I experienced a feeling of safety that I haven't felt anywhere else in Spain. I don't know how to explain it, you just have to experience it. I've been a Christian for a long time, but I don't think you can truly understand the depth and breadth of the Father's love for mankind until you listen to other people, from other cultures and other languages, yearning to be closer to the source of the only unconditional love in the universe, Jesus Christ. God didn't just set the world in motion and abandon it. God is real, dynamic. His love is ever-reaching and knows no race, ethnicity, sex, nation, political party or social status. Sure, Christians are imperfect at times (okay, many times, I admit!), but the Lord is perfect, and even better yet, He has a plan for the world and He wants us, as individuals, to be a part of it.

This service reminded me of that fact, that God is waiting to meet us no matter where we are in life. I was also reminded of what the cab driver in Dallas told me before I left, something to the effect of "No matter where you go in the world, you'll find that all people are just like you and me." It's true. No matter how you try to convince yourself, you are not the only one struggling. There are others around the world wrestling with the same issues, doubting the same things, questioning the same ideas, having the same hurts, hang ups and addictions. Believe me, I've had them too. It's the human curse. But, there is hope. There is something so much greater that reaches you in all those corners of the world, in all those times you find your back up against the wall, all those times you think you are alone: God's love as demonstrated to us through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. He loved us so much as to send his son as the perfect sacrifice so that we might have a real, personal relationship with the living God.

One of my friends from school told me before I left that Europe is a relatively God-less place and that I would be challenged to grow in my personal relationship with the Lord. He was right. Though most Spaniards claim to be Catholic, most only go to church for baptism and marriage. As a result, not many people here know what it really means to be a Christian, to be a follower of Christ. I'll admit that I turned my back on God last semester, didn't want to listen to him, didn't want to spend time praying or meditating on His word. But going through life on your own sucks. This semester I'm hoping to get back on track; I hope to come back different than when I left.

Today I went to the official Sunday service. I don't know that I've ever been to a more genuine service. First, the church doesn't have enough space to fit everybody in it's building, so they meet in a nearby bar. Yes, a bar that smells a bit like ammonia because members of the church have worked tirelessly to clean it from the night before and set everything up for service. The worship team, mostly young people my age, stands on a stage that is set up and taken down every week, a stage where who knows what was performing the night before. But to have the opportunity to worship the Lord right in the community means so much to the members of Amistad Cristiana that they are willing to devote themselves to this. When I walked in, I was greeted by many new people, Rebekah, Ana, Esteban, and others. They recognized I was new and wanted to connect with me. It was all in Spanish, but all the better. During the service, I was amazed to see such praise devoted to the same Lord that I worship each week back home; that I worship here as well. There weren't any formalities here, no attempt for perfectionism, no attempt to "look trendy", no endless liturgies or "traditions", etc. Instead, the microphone kept slipping on the worship leader who was playing the piano so someone went up and fixed it. The offering plates were tupperware containers with a hole in the top. In other words, people were devoting their hearts to the Lord alone; no one was trying to sell you an image or a facade. They let their love for others, coming from the love that Christ first showed us, speak for their message.

I hope that you all have the chance to think about what I just posted. I hope you mull it over and think about it. Respond if you want. I know that so many times church in the States can just seem like either going through the motions or appears like a production, one doubts if there really is any life in the body of Christ sometimes. Believe me, I've had the same thoughts! But again, Christians are humans too, which means they tend to do stupid things, but Christ alone is perfect and we can rest assured in that. At the same time, questioning and considering are not wrong, instead they help you to seek truth and not become lazy and apathetic towards that which you may or may not claim to believe. I'm sorry for those of you who may have a negative view of Christianity, I'm sorry that it may have been an imperfect Christian (maybe even me) who somehow did something to hurt you or turn you away from the Lord. But remember, He alone is perfect.

If you have questions, comments, concerns, or would like to check out this whole God-thing out when I get back, please don't hesitate to let me know via comment on this post, e-mail, or facebook. I hope you all have a wonderful day. Hasta Luego.