Clear Away Rocks

What stops people from hearing the Good News?

There is so much to learn when you travel out of your normal context. I love the stories of how God is at work.

In one place we heard stories of believers being chased out of a village by people throwing stones at them. The villagers were obviously not yet ready for their message! Our friends explained the need for “rock clearing,” a term we didn’t know or understand at first. Before the good news of Jesus can be shared, it may be that various obstacles to people hearing this news need to be removed – this is “rock clearing”.

Our friends explained that these rocks can be small or large. Obstacles like mistrust, ignorance, or religious isolation. We need to remove rocks in order to cultivate the soil before sowing the seed. The good news is that seed of the Gospel was eventually sown!

Sport and play strategies are often great ways to clear away rocks. The strategies involve everyone, include fun, and build trust with the whole community. When working with children and teens it is especially important to engage the whole family. Children are part of local communities, and each community will be rightly protective of their young people and who influences them. Finding points of commonality and shared opportunities are important. However, it is the Holy Spirit and His pursuit of people that is most important.

In one community, we had a compassion project where children gave foot and back rubs to the elderly. This meaningful act of service removed some pebbles, or perhaps even some rocks.

What rocks do we need to clear so we have the opportunity to share Jesus in this marketplace of ideas”?

Scripture to ponder – Matthew 13:8-9

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Key Lesson: Many are not yet ready to hear the Gospel. The rocks must first be cleared so they are ready to listen.