The Journey To the Margins (2)

Andrea from Adventures of an Ordinary Christian sent me a comment in my previous post and asked me how I knew God gave me new eyes to see, and how God revealed Himself to me. Well I think these questions deserve a post to answer them.

I believe that God reveals Himself to us through His Word, His Spirit, people and even through circumstances etc. I agree that God makes known to us His will readily if we respond to Him with obedience, and when we seek Him with all our hearts.

Since I started studying at Bible College, God has been teaching me a lot about the Incarnation - one of the chief reasons why Jesus became human was so that he might display what God is like in terms human beings could comprehend. I have had lots of reflection through my studies, reading, ministry and discussion with other Christians about these theological concepts and ideas.

Indeed many missionaries worked hard to practise incarnation, contextualisation, and discipleship as they follow God's will in their lives. I always ask this question: how am I to be engaging in the culture around me? As I walk around my neighbourhood, I see a number of artists busking as they entertain, draw, perform in the public place not knowing how much they would get as a result of their work. I've been moved to pray for them for a while now, yet recently I sensed that the Holy Spirit wanted me to get to know them, and to share God's love with them. I was grappling with issues of contextualisation! I am committed to contextualising the good news of Jesus in this environment. This, I feel, is part of loving the Lord with our total personalities, and our neighbours as ourselves (the Great Commandment).

God is the Ultimate Artist. After all, He is the Creator of the whole Universe. And we are made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), so when people create (draw, compose, sing, perform), they are actually reflecting God.
Hence God has revealed Himself to me through these artists very vividly. I can see God in these people. More and more as I get to befriend and spend time with these artists, God has truly given me new “eyes to see, and ears to hear”. I see their emotions, their hearts and passions, and I understand their hurts, their needs and their lives through listening to them. Although they are seen to be the centre of our culture (since arts is prominent in Melbourne), they are actually the marginalised as not many people understand them. The Lord also has given me a heart to love these artists, and I look forward to sharing the gospel with them, just as a begger telling another begger where to find food.