Mighty to Save

I plopped myself down in Chapel next to a seminary student that had become a friend of mine over the last year. I will call him Pastor Elijah.
I had not seen him in months and I was so excited to sit with him and worship with him.

Pastor Elijah is from Africa.
He stands about 6 feet 3 inches tall.
His facial features are so dark that his eyes, his eye brows, his nose, his dark glasses, his high cheek bones all meld into one until he smiles and then there is this mini explosion of "white" that covers the lower half of his face.
His African accent is sharp and I love listening to him talk.

The temperature was in the low twenties that day and I asked him how cold it got back in his home land. He laughed and said, "Maybe 40?"
His easy laugh is the type that relaxes every muscle in your body.

Our faces could not have been more the 24 inches away from each other and I said, "Pastor Elijah, remind again which country you hail from."
The words "South Sudan" that came so confidently from his lips stopped me dead in my tracks.
I responded with, "Wow... a lot is going on down there right now."
He said, "Yes David. In the first two days of fighting 2,000 people were killed. In those early days they came to my sister's home and killed five family members."
My mouth dropped open.
My eyes fixated on his eyes...
His lips spread wide and his explosive smile whispered to me, "Yes David... they go door to door looking for people and then they just kill them right there..."

The worship leader called us to worship.
We stood to sing...
No words escaped my mouth.
The only thing that escaped for the next ten minutes were the tears that leapt over the brim of my eyes and rolled and raced down my cheeks into my awaiting lap.

My iWitness...

I stood and could only read the words to the song.
My friend Pastor Elijah stood next to me with his smiling singing voice full of confidence and joy...
This is what he sang:

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

[Chorus:]
Saviour he can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as you find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

[Chorus 2x]

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen king Jesus [2x]

The song is called "Mighty to Save."

Indeed our God is mighty to save!
May He save the people of South Sudan...
May He save us...
And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

“Fear not, O Zion;
    let not your hands grow weak.
¹⁷ The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3. 16-17)