by Pastor Tanya Rosado
Over the last year, I have had the privilege of doing some leadership coaching with Pastor Tanya. She is a remarkable leader who has managed to navigate being a spouse, full-time parent, full-time church planter with her incredible husband, Pastor Rodrigo, and part-time (smile) coordinator for our Latin American Transformational Churches. In other words, she is amazing and changing the world with the message of Jesus.
I asked her permission to share a recent article she wrote on a beautiful perspective of Love-Driven Justice. I pray you are as blessed as I was in the reading and as challenged to remember these truths and live them out.
I went to a photography exhibit today. Steve McCurry is a renowned National Geographic Photographer even though many may not know his name. But if I were to say he is the one that took that stunning picture of the Afghan girl, many in the United States would instantly know who I was talking about.
As I walked into the exhibit with the song “King of Kings” by Hillsong playing in my ears, part of a fun habit of listening to worship when I go to art museums, I looked at portrait upon portrait of faces from different countries, cultures, and religions. What I saw in these pictures and the words that came to mind was El Imagen de Dios—The Image of God.
It didn’t matter that the people weren’t Christian. It didn’t matter that their faces were different. It didn’t matter that their lived experience differed from mine. I looked into each face, and what I saw reflected back was The Image of God.
I could not contain myself when I saw these beautiful people with beautiful faces. I began to feel heavy pressure in my chest. It was a heartachingly heavy feeling of love for these people. I struggled to understand this weird pressure and feeling because I didn’t know these people. How could I feel such a heavy feeling of love? As I prayed through this, scripture floated into my mind: For God so loved the world.
As I saw these beautiful people with beautiful faces, I could not contain myself. I began to feel a heavy pressure in my chest It was a heartachingly, heavy feeling of love for these people….As I prayed through this, scripture floated into my mind: “For God so loved the world.”
For an hour as I walked through that exhibit, the Spirit allowed me to feel just a fraction of the love that God has for this world. Let me tell you,
It was overwhelming.
It was beautiful.
It was all-encompassing.
I left the exhibit to find a place to sit and reflect. I felt within me a need to capture this holy moment, to not forget that feeling. My phone was almost dead, and I had nothing to write with, so I quickly purchased a cheap notebook and pen and headed to a coffeeshop where I could sit and reflect a moment. It’s at that moment that I write this reflection.
But I’m not sitting at just any coffee shop. The coffee shop I find myself in is situated on the equivalent of New York’s 5th Avenue, La Avenida Corrientes, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As I write this reflection, I’m watching the world walk by before my very eyes, and I realize they are living photographs reflecting the image of God as they rush home to pick up their children, tourists getting the best pictures of the city.
And I beg of the Lord: “let me feel your heart again” for these people. In this time.
I am a Free Methodist missionary based in Buenos Aires, but my role is Empowering Transformational Church Coordinator for the Latin American Area. We empower and equip churches throughout the continent to be a transformational church:
- One that recognizes that every person bears the image of God
- And on recognizing this, they work actively and intentionally in their communities for holistic transformation of each neighborhood.
But to be a transformational church, to participate with God in the restoration of this world, we need to catch God’s heartbeat for His children, made in His very image. This is the root of love-driven justice. This is our starting point.
Wherever you are today, take a step towards justice. Grab a coffee in your neighborhood, watch the people around you, and plead with God to feel His heart. May the love God shows you move you to action.
For more information on the great Kingdom work and ways to partner with Tanya and Rodrigo, please visit https://fmwm.org/latin-america/rosado/. or https://iml-latinoahttps://iml-latinoamerica.org/merica.org/.
