From the April-June 2008 Issue
Light in the darkness
Diego and Maria Guirao
Reformed Presbyterian Church in Mataro‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever’ (2 Chron. 20:21). We thank God for Jesus Christ and for the privilege of belonging to a great universal family in Him (Eph. 2:19). It is a joy to share the work which he is doing with the whole EMF family (Prov. 25:25). God does his work, firstly with each one of us, then in our families, with husbands, wives and children. Sometimes we forget the vital nature of these basic aspects of his work – that those who form the Christian families will also be the Church of Christ. In our day when this biblical order and God’s values are questioned, and we see the social, family and institutional consequences, we are better able to appreciate and value the vital importance of God’s order for humanity (Gen. 2:23,24; Ex. 20:1-7; Eph. 6:1-3).
Nothing new under the sun
The secularist society in which we live has broken all principles and values and gone beyond all limits. This is nothing new! (Isaiah 5:20). The worst of it is that society thinks it has come of age and has all the answers, but it is in reality a total failure. It has no answer! Not in philosophy, sociology or psychology. This is nothing new! (Rom 1:18-25). There is talk of rights and the fundamental liberties of human beings. There are total contradictions and much that is incoherent.
In Spain (and I think in almost all the Western world) we see the failure from political, social, family and educational perspectives. The radical intransigence of our different nationalist groups leads to terrorism in the worst cases. Politicians who are unable to leave behind the traumas of our history and their ideological differences, make peace with our secular society and, in doing so, oppose society. There are apparently 400,000 divorces in a year, which is almost one every four minutes. The majority of these are during the first year of marriage. Education has totally failed. Effort, order and discipline are not developed, rather a lack of authority in schools leads to minimum effort, relaxation and lack of responsibility. Add on genetic manipulation, abortion, euthanasia, etc., etc.
The light of Christ
Perhaps this time of confusion and darkness is the perfect moment for the church to use all its strength to proclaim with mercy, grace, kindness and sympathy the marvellous light of Christ. It is necessary, then, that as men and women, families and churches, we first live the faith ourselves in a deep and genuine way, and in so doing we become light in the midst of the darkness (Matt.5:13-16; 1 Peter 2:9-10).
With this aim I continue to serve the Lord in the church in Mataró and also at the daughter church of Pineda de Mar. The number of those attending is growing, due to immigrants from Eastern Europe, South America and Africa. We allow our premises to be used by a Christian group of about six families from South Africa. This group is led by a pastor from the Ivory Coast, Mr Samake. In Mataró there is also a Chinese congregation. The Lord is adding daily to his church those who are being saved, and he gives us the sublime privilege of being his co-workers (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:18-21).
We have a Sunday morning service in the church in Mataró and in the evening at Pineda de Mar, 30 km away. Between 70 and 80 of us meet together. On Wednesdays I meet with up to five immigrant families to study God’s Word. We meet in the home of one of them. We also have a Sunday school, a young people’s meeting on Saturdays, a Bible study and prayer meeting on Fridays; then once a month a men’s meeting, and occasionally a supper for couples. We do thank God for this work which he began and has maintained for 34 years in Mataró and for 13 in Pineda de Mar.
The risen Lord continues to build his church and will do so until the end. We pray that he will help us and use us according to our different gifts (Rom. 12:4-6) for the blessing and salvation of our generation, and for the praise of the glory of his grace (Eph. 1:5,6,11,12; Rom.11:33-36). Amen!