RUSH TO THE ROAR
“Submission to the will of God.”
Regardless of how it may appear, did you know that’s what Islam means?
It’s 4am and in the darkness I notice it’s the 19th.
The 19th—The day I was born.
The 19th—The day my mama died.
The 19th—The day I was diagnosed with cancer.
In addition to its personal significance, the spiritual symbolism of the number 19* isn’t lost on me—breakthrough, new beginnings, the symbol of God’s divine order and judgement on the world.
In context of all of this, I am mindful that in a few short hours my dear friend, Jordan, and his family, will be boarding a France-bound plane.
You should hear Jordan worship and preach. He’s a poet on the platform with a fearlessness that speaks to the character of our Creator and how he is chronically working in our lives. Through our mutual passion for writing and content-creating, Jordan and I began working together on developing my blog. His designer’s hand and constant affirmation are embedded in every word, adding a spiritual dimension to what is read or “taken in” that is more perceived than plain.
It’s extraordinary, really, that Jordan and his wife Vanessa felt called to carry their love of Jesus to my beloved France: God strategically embeds our people into the foundation of our story and then weaves the fragments of their offerings through every glistening thread.
Yesterday, my goodbye conversation with Jordan circled around our curiosity of the timing of his departure, in context of the headlines of the day—
All along I had imagined the language of Jordan’s ministry would be thick with, “Bonjour” and “Merci.”
Yet, with nearly 10% of France’s population being Muslim, it is just as likely that Jordan will be frequently uttering, “’Ahlan” and “Shukran Lak” to hundreds who will meet the God of Love [not retribution] through selfless acts of kindness…not ones they read about, but what they see.
If you’re reading this, it is most likely that you are the kind of person that anguishes for humanity far into the night—your deep empathy transcends wonder or worry to embody a compassion of action that asks, “What can I do?”
There are some, like Jordan, who were brought to this earth to move and minister among the crowds. Those who rush to the roar aren't waiting for virtual audiences to come to them. Even those with thousands of followers couldn’t possibly be compared to the exquisite humanity of pressing in—the touching cheeks, joining hands, wiping tears.
I am struck at this moment that even the slightest tug on His garment accessed an all-encompassing power that can’t be named. Everywhere we turn we are desperate to touch just a little piece of Holiness now.
But have we misunderstood Holiness as something perfect, something clean?
Holiness is in the righteous anger, in the grief, in the incomprehensible scene.
And the Creator of all things is asking us to run to the center of the commotion, not to distance or look away.
There, He is working.
There, He is loving.
There, He is manifesting.
What delights me most about Jordan is his remarkable ability to take it all in stride—there is this rare light-heartedness, even joy that he will bring to those who are experiencing excruciating sorrow and pain. He will teach them to sing and worship amid every imperfect thing.
When I asked him to share his thoughts on the timing of it all, in cadence with his character, Jordan quotes one of his “wise teachers,” Gandalf, who was himself faced with the decision to lean all the way in— “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
As for submitting to the will of God, the Creator of all things brings us to him through grace. And that’s the message Jordan and his family embody.
FOLLOW JORDAN ABINA—