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Recently I was in the nation of Albania preaching the gospel. I ministered in one city in which 99 percent of the population was Muslim background. The small band of Christians, in the city, were hungry to see their friends, relatives and neighbors come to Christ. It was thrilling to watch hundreds of people listening the first time to the gospel.
One of my interpreters came from that region. He wanted us to meet his family. So on the last day we hiked two hours into the mountains to his village. Faille, our interpreter was the very first Christian from that village. As we began to trek into the mountain Faille's brother and uncle came to meet us. Both of them were Muslims but very respectful of Christians. The only way to the village was to hike up the small mountain trail.
About thirty minutes before we arrived at the village Faille's uncle began to talk to me about God. I shared my faith in Christ with him. He stopped and pointed to a ridge on a mountain across the valley. He said, "There once was a Christian church on that ridge many hundreds of years ago." "What happened to it?" I asked. He responded, "When the church came through here they destroyed all of the Christian churches and forced all the people in the region to become Muslim." He then looked up and said something amazing, "Every time I pass near the spot where the church used to stand something happens to me. I know there is a God, but that place is very special."
I smiled as I thought of the words of Jesus when He descended from the Mount of Olives. The multitudes had welcomed Him as the King who comes in the name of the Lord. The Pharisee's wanted the multitudes not to speak. That's when Jesus said; "I tell you that if these do not cry out the stones will cry out." The stones did cry out in a mountain village in Albania. But the only time stones can proclaim Jesus is King is when Christians become silent.
I have a question for you, "Who is proclaiming Jesus in your community...you or the stones? What a penetrating, sobering question for each of us to consider. Are you or are the stones proclaiming Christ in your community?
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