Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday April 23, 2009

On Monday night I had the privilege of preaching to the Les Miserable's at the world famous Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago. I had long prayed for this opportunity (47 years) and the chance came out of my long friendship with Pastor Phil Stringer of the unique Ravenswood Baptist Church in Chicago. A few other answers to prayer came at the same time. After all these years I still find the way God works totally fascinating.

The mission was founded in 1877 and many persons who were to become famous in Christian circles came to Christ through the ministry of the mission. Its program, "Unshackled" has touched millions with its professionally produced stories of Christ's deliverance. My friend, Keith Reedy, was featured one week on the world wide radio program. Prior to that exposure Keith's most famous exposure was his well known song, "Drinking Billy Beer" dating back to the days of President Carter's brother.

I was deeply moved by the hundreds of men and women as they filed into the preaching hall and sat on metal folding chairs. Most had a vacant, haunted look in their eyes, a look of hopelessness. A few others still had a little spark of life, but it appeared to be on the wane.

As I mingled among the crowd prior to the start of services I thought, "Lord, I know no man can stir this crowd." Despair settled like a cloud of volcanic ash over the people. I prayed, "Oh, God, I know that you can touch someone tonight in a mighty way, much as you touched Billy Sunday many years ago." If a preacher gets stuck on himself, a visit to the mission will help him to get back on track. The Lord did move on some, many slept through the entirety of my fabulous sermon, and others while eyes were open wide, were off somewhere, I know not where. Perhaps they were dreamily remembering the old home place, a love that died or grew cold. Who can imagine the shattered dreams men and women recall in such a place. Thankfully some remember and rekindle a noble, holy dream, and Christ touches them, and again they crawl and then walk and eventually mount up with eagle's wings.

Pacific Garden Mission is probably the most efficiently and effective rescue mission in the world. Yet the leadership well knows the truth of Will Durant's statement about Christ in his renowned work, "The Story of Civilization" in the volume "Caesar and Christ." Durant wrote:

"Caesar hoped to reform men by changing institutions and laws. Christ wished to remake institutions and laws by changing men."

The street people wander in to a myriad of programs that may help them. But above all, the truth of Christ is preached several times every day changing men and women.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit

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