AMEN!!

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till he stops me. And when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognizing me... my banner will be clear.

(From a note found in the office of a young pastor in Zimbabwe, Africa, after he was killed for his faith.) Quoted in The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning

Lent is over. Our journey through the wilderness – to the cross – led us to a place where we can roll away the stone and let light into the dark tomb. Light penetrates into a place where we assume there is death – only to find life. That is why the pastor above wrote powerful words in such a dismal time. The passion that evoked the words of this pastor is something I wish we could all feel on Easter morning.

So that our words change, our thoughts change, and our actions change. Our whole being is changed in Christ – our journey doesn’t end – instead, it begins. The light of the resurrection cannot be extinguished. God’s love for us cannot be abolished. That is a banner we can all hold high!