DAY 8

"Hang Waiting" with the Holy Spirit

In South African, Peter became very active in the hang gliding community. One day while waiting for the correct wind conditions to arise, he discovered that one of his fellow pilots was familiar with Rufaro, but no longer attended the church at which they had ministered. In fact, the young man was running away from God.

Peter gave the man some perspective; “Do you know that there are very few hang glider pilots who are Christians and only one in the whole of South Africa who is an ordained minister? And I ask you the question: What are the chances of you arriving at this flying site on the very day that I am here and for you to end up talking with me?”

He didn’t have time to talk much with him because the conditions had just become flyable. But he did say that because of the amazing fact of the meeting, he very much thought that God was trying to tell the man  something. And if he were him, he would go and find a church and get back to a right standing with the Lord.

It was about six months later, at another flying site during another ‘hang waiting’ session, that Peter heard the news that a new pilot who came out from England had just been killed in a flying accident. He was shocked to discover that it was none other than the young backslider that he had spoken to.

One year thereafter, Peter received a letter from England, from the parents of the young pilot who had been killed. They said they had found a letter from their son in the mail after his funeral. In his letter, written and mailed just before the tragic accident, he told them that he had met Peter Vandenberg from Rufaro while on a hillside waiting to fly. He had taken Peter's advice and recommitted his life to Jesus and got back into church. He sometimes even played his guitar in the music group there... 

Questions:

1. Matthew 28:16-20 contains Jesus' famous words to make disciples of every nation. Have you ever come into contact with the gospel in a non-religious setting? if so, how was its impact different than in a church or christian environment?
2. In this story, Peter's "of every nation" (Matt. 28:19) happened to be the side of a hang gliding hill in South Africa. Where has God placed you at this season of your life where you can share the gospel? 
3. The story of Jonah in chapter one of his book tells of a man who was running away from God. What unique circumstances did God use to capture Jonah's attention? How was Jonah like the young English hang glider? 
4.  Jonah's story (Jonah 1:1-17) and the English hang gliders' speak to God's pursuit of humanity. What do these stories tell us about the nature of God's love?