Monday, January 14, 2013

Power of the Cross

Here is the closing illustration I used yesterday at NRN:


Power Of The Cross   by Ricardo Sanchez

There are certain events and people who cross our paths and leave an impression so deep it resonates throughout our lifetime. I'll never forget one such lady who showed up at my office unexpectedly one morning, leaving a mark that birthed the inspiration for the title song, "Power of the Cross".
Serving as a staff pastor at my church, part of my role was to minister as the "Pastor on Call" or the "POC" a few days a month. And that is how Gloria crossed my path. Gloria showed up unexpectedly one morning and after the normal pastoral protocol and greetings, I simply asked what I could do to help her. Gloria responded with a brutally honest answer that left me speechless. "Ricardo...I've been going to this church for seven months and I didn't want to come back because of YOU." Stunned, I prodded our conversation to see if there was something I had done to offend this woman whom I had never met. Again, I was left speechless by her response. "Nothing you have DONE has offended me, but simply who you ARE offends me." The confusion on my face must have communicated more loudly than my words because Gloria began to weep and communicate simultaneously as she was pushing out years of pain and unresolved issues through her tears. Gloria said, "Ricardo, my husband and I moved here 9 months ago. We were trying to find a good church where the Word and the worship could minister to our family. We felt the presence of God at this church, BUT..." Gloria trailed off in tears as she paused to finish her sentence. "I found out you were a second generation Mexican and I freaked out because my parents were deep into the Klu-Klux-Klan and I was raised to DESPISE people like you."

I wasn't sure how to respond to Gloria, but asked the first question I could think of... "Why are you meeting with me TODAY?" I asked. Gloria said, "Yesterday, you sang the song, "At the Cross," and you began to sing the chorus." She softly began to sing..."At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light. And the burdens of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the days!"
When Gloria finished her solo the room was silent. She looked at me and said, "Ricardo, I have three children and I don't want them to HATE the way I was raised to HATE." For the next 45-minutes Gloria sat in my office and laughed and cried and found healing from years of bondage and prejudice. Upon leaving, she said, "Ricardo, one last question. When I asked how I could meet with you today, your assistant told me it was your "POC Day". What does that mean?" I explained to Gloria that the acronym stood for "Pastor on Call" and was a responsibility shared by those on staff. Gloria smiled said, "For me...it stands for Power of the Cross because that is the source of my healing."

Gloria left my office and I sat in silence mulling over the only true source of Power for us all...THE CROSS.


If you like the song above - please take a few moments to experience the song below:



No comments:

Post a Comment