Free Darry

May 23rd 2010
The meaning of freedom.
Last summer in YouthWorks, I spent the entire summer trying to understand and to teach the concept of freedom. Every week I would talk about the power of God and of the beauty of his liberation. For the entire summer, I really focused on it. By the end of it, I hoped that I had begun to understand the concept.
Today, I think that I understand the concept better than I ever have before.
The city of Darry is a bit obsessed with the idea of freedom. Over the past fifty years (and a lot more) the city has been torn apart by the fight for freedom. Streets have been soaked in the blood of protestors, buildings have been bombed by terrorists, homes have frequently searched by the police, and even today IRA graffiti covers many of the cities walls. Here, along with the rest of Northern Ireland, always rests the question of whether or not the country is free.
Today, I visited Cornerstone City Church in Darry. The goal of the church is to unite a broken and divided city. It felt so familiar, so welcoming. For the first time since arriving in Ireland I felt at home. What really got me though is the fact that the first song sung at the church was “”Holdiong Nothing Back” (Yes they like Hillsong here too!) The song declares that the singer has been set free by God. It states “Nothing is going to hold me back.” Because the singer is free, nothing has to hold him back.
In a city that has been torn apart by lack of freedom and the search for it, this song mean s everything. This beautiful community of people understand that God is the only source for true freedom. For them to sing that song, means a lot.
I really want to come back here someday. I love this church, it blows my mind that people on the other side of the world know and love the same God that I do. It blows my mind that I will get to spend eternity of these people.
Friends at home, I can’t wait to introduce you!
P.S. There will be accents in heaven, I am convinced.