By Hubert Harriman, FAS Speaker
One of my sons-in-law, knowing my Wesleyan heart, sent me a coffee cup the other day that, in the same vein as John Wesley’s well-known quotes, with the “all you can” emphasis, says
Social Distancing for Wesleyans
Avoid all the people you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
And as long as you ever can
In this humorous sense, I became a good Wesleyan last week, speaking at a WGM Texas/Mexico Border missionary retreat. The WGM COVID-19 Task Force, giving their missionaries wise guidance through these times, determined that it would be best to not have outsiders present. The alternative was Zoom. One simply can’t get more extreme social distancing than virtual meetings. Never had I done a missionary retreat this way.
As I worked with the organizer, John Kunkle, in putting these Zoom meetings together, I immediately sensed his “can-do” spirit. Their missionary team was working through difficult decisions and changes, compounded by the pandemic, and they wanted their souls refueled and their vision renewed as they moved forward. I could feel their great desire to have the fire and focus of the Holy Spirit on their hearts as they gave themselves to the spiritual needs around them. “Record the messages,” John urged, “just in case we can’t get the Zoom to work.” We need those messages!” he exclaimed. So, I recorded them, just in case, but prayed we might still be able to do the Zoom meetings. We knew and loved these dear missionaries, and we wanted to be able to hear and see them again. And we did! And what a blessed time God gave us together!
One of my favorite quotes from John Wesley is, “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.” This kind of spirit, among God’s people, has accomplished remarkable things under all kinds of adversity, proving again and again that nothing can stop God, nor His people who are full of His Spirit. God is doing astounding things, in the face of an appalling pandemic, through some amazing people, to get the gospel to the ends of the earth. We at FAS want to link arms with them in all the ways we can!