At the centre of this collection of photos - taken in Senegal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Mali, Ethiopia, Liberia, Chad - is a photo of Christ the Redeemer statue, which I took 23 years ago, on a trip that would change my life.
There's a reason why this photo in the centre of this collection, which Storly and I wanted to place in a central spot in our home to help us remember the world - not our little world, but God's big world - and with that, for me to remember the people in these photos, to remember hearing their stories, connecting with them in the middle of the bigger stories of war, hardship, poverty, violence, loss, survival, help, provision, hope, and redemption.
I took this photo of Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro on July 24th, 1993, during my first mission trip, with fellow students from Aston University. It was a month-long, God-directed, life-transforming, eye-opening, faith-stretching trip to Brazil, to work alongside local missionaries with World Horizons, a ministry working then with street kids and developing a missionary sending centre to train and send missionaries from Latin America to places and people unreached with the Gospel.
By the time I finish writing my memoir, this trip to Brazil and its impact on my life will take up a few chapters, for sure.
Obrigado, Brasil (Thank you, Brazil)
But for now, I've loved watching coverage of the Olympics from Rio this summer. There were plenty of controversies before and during the games: raw sewage in the outdoor swimming area; forced evictions of residents of the poorest slums, the favelas; the Zika virus; security concerns; doping; and then, Lochtegate, and more. And plenty of stories of athletes who have triumphed over great adversity, injury, poverty, discrimination to succeed in their chosen sports. Inspiring!
I've loved seeing reporters from our local TV station, Indy's Channel 13 and their stories from around Brazil. Loved telling our girls as we all marveled at the gorgeous views of Rio and of reports from the favelas, "did you know I've been there?" and then sharing with them some of the stories, the good, bad and the ugly, from that trip. The energy, the diversity, the rich culture, the struggles of life in Brazil, particularly for the poorest, for the kids living on the streets. I've loved being reminded of the place Brazil and its people have played in my own story. And of the lessons God taught me there.
The Name on Everyone's Lips
And I've loved hearing the words "Christ the Redeemer" coming out of the mouths of news reporters and sports commentators. Seeing the images, the inspiring photography and panoramic views of Rio that include the Cristo Redentor statue as the icon of Brazil, the central image used in TV segment intros, online banners and other media elements that branded Rio 2016.
From a distance, and up close, the statue is mind-blowing. But nothing compared to the One who is the Christ, the Redeemer. Our Redeemer.
The International Olympic Committee has predicted that half the world's population, more than 3 billion people, watched some part of this summer's Olympics, with growing numbers of people around the world now watching online and on mobile devices.
As the media has moved on to the drama (groan...) of the US Presidential elections, I wonder how many people around the world heard the words "Christ the Redeemer" for the very first time as they watched the Rio Olympics. I wonder how many people asked themselves, asked a friend, or typed into a google search "who is this Christ, the redeemer?" The Rescuer.
If that's you, take a few minutes to watch this video below.
Now that the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics are in the history books, I pray that many people who have seen the statue and heard the words Christ the Redeemer as they've watched the coverage will seek and truly find this Christ who is our Redeemer, our rescuer.
No comments:
Post a Comment