Salvation...and Rest!

Three days ago, Alissa died. Not really, but it is the fourth time that the innocent traveling girl with a purse has been "murdered" by a mechanical pencil. Justice was served, however, as the masked "assailant" was carried from the room on the shoulders of an American hero, followed closely by a terse heroine. Dragging the criminal before the judge, they told the story in two words, receiving a verdict in one: "Muarte!" Death for death.

It seems like a nice little play, but the reality is inescapable. We all deserve the death of the criminal - and we all know it. Paul makes it undeniably clear: if you don't feel the bite of sin, you're working hard to ignore it: "For even though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God...but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:21).

The joy of salvation is that it doesn't end there. Just as the guards were carrying the man to his sentence, the judge took his place. Taking their hands off the guilty one, he moved between them, pushing the criminal away. "Libre. Free." With a short word, he took the death. It's ridiculous. It's crazy by any justice system. But the wonderful thing is that it works. The only one without sin in a cosmic court is its maker and judge: God. The only one able to take sin is God. Contrary to the best human reason has to offer, he took our place.

This is why we are set free. This is why we sing. This is why our hearts should be filled with inescapable joy. Unlooked for, hoped for only by the cryptic words of prophecy, God came to earth and died. We are baffled, and we can't explain it, but we know its true. We must. Truly, it is the only way to deal with sin, since nothing the sinful man does can truly atone for the past.

Our second class in Maneciu was filled with joy of a slightly different kind: American and Algeria went head-to-head in the historic struggle for international recognition. The following American account is brought to you by Romanian hospitality, popcorn, and Coca-Cola (figuratively speaking).

With cries of "Ole" from Caleb and Dr. G, we headed to Pastor Cezar's home. Amidst a patriotic game of Euker (which Alissa won), the Romanians watched Americans scream at a television screen while devouring popcorn and peanuts. Every close call, every card was met with jumping and loud cries. In between, criticism abounded from opinionated fans. Opinions for the world, opinions for players, and opinions about the opinionated were offered with reckless abandon. If only the television allowed fans to actually communicate. The information overload alone would send the internet crashing to the ground in flames. In the last few minutes, the Americans scored, sending two spirits soaring to places that voices cannot follow. A third was left in awe, while the rest remained in "respectful silence."

It's hard to believe that a second week is nearly over. We've already entered preparations to bid farewell to our two classes, and I'm certain that tomorrow will be a longer night than most. Pray for wisdom. With all the help we've been given this week, it's easy to get too comfortable and miss the small, but important details.

...of course, some things take longer than others to post. I assure you, there is a good reason for the delay. Today, of course, is Saturday. On Thursday, we formally introuced Excel for the first time to a class of fourth graders. They learned quickly how to make graphs and tables. The kids also made custom powerpoint presentations. Our Friday send-off became a bit more involved in Maneciu. Parents were invited to the presentation showings, replete with animation and pictures of cars and flowers. Then, we all sang for the parents, handed out official graduation certificates, and took one last round of pictures. Some parents seemed to be deeply affected by our work with the kids, and we pray that hearts and minds were opened by this work.

Today, we decided to relax by driving to Sinaia, a small tourist town built around Peleş castle. Built in the 15th century, the architecture features elements of the Baroque and Rococo eras. It was also one of the first with full electrical, air, and elevator systems. Florentine mirrors, huge chandeliers, intricately carved wood, and expensive paintings covered every available wall. The place was so opulent as to be oppressive. The sheer weight of royalty must have made the family as uncomfortable as their visitors. Several German kings, followed by Mihai the Brave, called this castle their home. Today, it houses an impressive armor collection and features tours in several languages, including English, French, and Romanian. The grounds around the building had many statues, primarily of explorers, wolves, and lions. Many of the lions wore expressions of fear, as if the king’s very footfall scared them out of their stone skin.

After the castle, we returned to the house for food, sleep, and now fotbal (soccer). Even now, American players are losing to Ghana 1-0. Pray for the players and our ministry with the kids.