And suddenly all are there and are all ears

Marco Acuña stands at the coffin of a young woman

Marco Acuña is out and about a good deal.  By order of Diospi Suyana he travels through Southern Peru and speaks about his Christian Faith.  He regularly writes about what he experiences on his travels and today’s pictures are taken from his latest news report.

A young woman died.  She died of cancer like so many others.  Her neighbours and relatives gather round her brown wooden coffin and listen to Marco’s sermon.  In simple terms he speaks about what Christ said and did.  “Jesus willingly died on the cross so that our sins might be forgiven.  Whoever trusts in him has eternal life!”

Most of the people listening to him are not devout Christians and very few would have set foot in a church in order to listen to Marco.  But now they are there on the Campo Santo, the holy field.  It is the same in secular Europe: one is invited to a funeral and one goes, perhaps out of solidarity or to be seen.

At the open grave questions catch up with us that we prefer to ignore in our busy day to day lives.  “What is my hope in this life?  With what hope will I die?”  On God’s Acre even the mockers become mysteriously silent.  “Perhaps Jesus was right with what he said?“ “Must I really stand before God and give an account of my life?”

Marco’s sermon would be just as relevant on a cemetery in the Western World.  Our hope lies in Jesus’ empty grave on the third day.  There is no better news than that./KDJ

A young woman has died and the cemetery is full of people.
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