The Power of People and
Amen!
By: Christopher Wiles
Imagine with me for a moment the roar of the arena, the
tumult of the stadium, the jubilee in the gymnasium in the moment the buzzer beater
is scored, the overtime field goal is kicked, the extra innings home run is
blasted. As the fans are cheering in
unison, the stadium is vibrating, the arena is shaking, and the gymnasium is
alive with a tension and an energy that is felt by everyone there.
Michigan Stadium is the largest in America that holds a
capacity of 107,601 people. Simon Skjodt
Assembly Hall in Bloomington boasts a capacity of 17,222 fans. The Hatchet House has an impressive 7090
seats. If you’ve been in any of these,
you’ve felt the energy in those moments that will never be forgotten.
Now, imagine that you aren’t hanging out with just 10,000
fans, or even 100,000 fans. Imagine you are with 1.2 million people
in a natural stadium that God designed to be an acoustic marvel. In Deuteronomy 27, after
Moses has delivered all the laws he charges the people to stand with half of
the tribes on Mt. Gerizim and the other half on Mt. Ebal. One group is declaring blessings (12) and one group declares curses (13). The Levites
began crying out in a loud voice to all the people a repetition similar to the
10 commandments (15-26). After each utterance
by the Levites, all the people on
both mountain sides shout one singular word!
“AMEN!”
It’s just one word.
It’s just one meaning of “So be
it!” It is one simple declaration,
but when 1.2 million people say it in unison in a God-made stadium, I’m sure it
is a memory burned forever in the hearts of those who were fans of God’s Holy
Promises. Can you imagine a venue 10
times bigger than any we have in America producing that kind of unified message
to burn into your memory?
Yet today and every Sunday, across America, nay, across the
world, gathers a people who, like the Israelites, are called out by God to make
a declaration, to remember Jesus, and to honor our Lord and Savior. The earth
becomes God’s stadium where His people declare the blessings of God and the curse
of
sin. May we never neglect to join with others to say “Amen!” to God’s
good promises. There is still power,
encouragement, and excitement in our gathering and declaring “Amen!”
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some
people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return
is drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:25