The Apostle Paul at Rhegium / Reggio Calabria

Taking a ferry from Sicily across the Straits Messina, we made it to the town of Reggio Calabria. In Paul’s day, the town was called Rhegium.  In Acts 28, the Bible says Paul passed through Rhegium after his shipwreck in Malta and on his way to Rome as a prisoner.

As we stopped to look out at the water and the area where the harbor would have been, one of the pastors in our group shared a powerful message  to consider Paul’s heart to share the gospel. Paul didn’t come as a celebrity looking to be liked and admired, but Paul’s identity was as a slave and prisoner of Christ. What does this mean to us?

Also, as we looked out at the water, just to realize the shipwreck Paul endured and all that happened from there to Malta to Rhegium then on to Rome. The question was asked, consider what storms in your life God has gotten you through and thank Him!

Once we made it into the beautiful, elaborate church we had several meaningful conversations with others in our group and how they grew up. One sharing how he grew up in a very legalistic household and how years later the goodness of God came and he experienced the true grace of God and healing years later and after to see God’s redemption reach his family.

Before that our missionary friend on this trip shared the insecurities she felt growing up as a teenager and the pressure to drink in college. Her roommate was a Christian, but never shared with her how to become a Christian too. All she was receiving was a load of guilt and pressure from her church, but she kept drinking to fit in and was still feeling miserable. One of the first things she told me when I first met her was how at twenty-five years old she became a Christian. Christ set her free and now she lives in Columbia sharing Christ freely, secure in His love and spreading it to everyone she meets. I see that here on this Italy trip, just watching her interact with others she meets.

These moments today reminded me of our high school girls Bible study back home that my friends Elaine and Christine lead. As we are looking to find identity, and teach what God says our identity is in Christ, it stands out that yes, the Bible teaches us one of our identities in Christ is as a slave.  One week we focused on just that. As the Bob Dylan song lyrics thoughtfully say along these lines, “you’ve gotta serve somebody”.  We are all serving something or someone. I think our group and even our tour guide expressed it that, today we have been inspired by the preaching of God’s word by the water. It was the best part of our day! Others around were listening too.  This one man told our tour guide,  Vincenzo, that even though he didn’t understand all the English…he understood. That is amazing to see the power of God at work!

This is an incredible group of pastors, missionaries, and other leaders that are on this trip. But, we know it is all God’s grace and His love that covers our sins.

Once, the disciples asked Jesus who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom. Sometimes I foolishly wonder the same thing.  Then Jesus gives the most perfect answer it brings tears to my eyes, because I must repent. What does He do, what does He say?

Jesus called a little child to Him and put the child among them. Then He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:1-20).

My new friend on this trip serving in Columbia and I talked about how repentance is daily, we go straight to God and He hears us, what a blessing!

As I think back to the storm question, personally, I want to thank God for saving me from my sins, giving me a new identity in Him, and His invitation to be a part of His beautiful, everlasting Kingdom!