As the nights darkness caves in, your feet tread the dusty, narrow, corridor-streets
High cement walls nestle your traveled bones; enclosing you completely into the dense life surrounding you
Heavy doors rest half open, handles of all different designs worn from overuse
Windows sit like eyes, wide-open, waiting
Waiting for someone, something, to bring forth a light to illuminate the darkness
Voices simmer, cats scatter, and bread is broken, but the air remains weighty
Every home holds souls, blindly sleeping to the eternal wrath awaiting them
Despite the soft light spilling through the cracks, darkness echoes and light is void
But
Your feet are walking these streets
An everlasting flame rips brightly through your soul, only concealed by skin and bones
Tears sting your eyes as Hope wells, though sin abounds, Grace abounding all the more
And suddenly, you’re looking into the heavy eyes of a void heart, begging the Father to wake the unaware, sleeping soul
Your lips part and the breeze softens
The night air stands still
And a name is whispered among the voices
Jesus.
A small light strikes the black night
The darkness trembles
For the first murmur of truth has brushed the concrete rooftops
And your feet that were made for walking
O how beautiful they are
The feet of those who bring good news.

Family of Christ, what kind of people will we be? Those that actively pursue the lost or those that passively stand by? Be careful not to forget the millions of souls, now as we read, waiting to be breached with the Gospel. We are the Church, the weak vessels privileged to be used by our mighty God! Let us call to mind Jesus’ exhortation to his disciples in John 4:34-35, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest…”

I pray this simple poem, written in an unreached village of North Africa, where the fields are ready today for reaping, stirs your soul to labor with all zeal in making disciples of all nations.