Windows to the Soul

Tonight our group gathered together to sing praise songs and share the things we've gotten to see God do in the lives of Swedes we've had conversations with. We sang the words, "Shine a light and let the whole world see, for the glory of the risen King" and I couldn't help but think how we are here to have God use us to shine a light here in Sweden. The first day we were here, the long-term leaders Barrett and Victoria Hawkins, told us the spiritual climate in Sweden can be difficult and disheartening at times. Many Swedes just don't think about whether or not God exists, let alone contemplate if He did exist, if they'd want to know Him. The reality of ministry here has been discouraging for us from day to day or sometimes hour to hour!

It was great to hear from each other the traces of God's Spirit working in the lives of Swedish students each of us have encountered thus far. One of the main ways we initiate spiritual conversations is through a tool called "Soularium." Soularium is a collection of fifty pictures of different images and a few questions that help us get into the lives of people around us (in Sweden and back at UNC). We ask them to pick images that describe what their life currently looks like, what they wish their life looked like, what image they think best describes God to them and what image best describes what their spiritual journey has looked like thus far in their life. Ralph Nichols once said, "The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them." This is so true when we're talking to Swedes using Soularium. Pictures themselves evoke more emotion and cause people to open up more about things in their lives they might not share using just words. This tool also helps us grow in listening more to the Swedish students we meet, which builds report with them and, I believe, can make them be more open to asking us what we think about the questions. This has, time and again, given us opportunities to share the hope we are each experiencing in Christ in our own walks with the Lord.

Tonight Emily, a junior at UNC-Wilmington, shared about a student she and Amber met at the English faculty on campus. As they began asking her the Soularium questions, they were encouraged by what Nina shared. She chose a picture of a statue with cobwebs to describe how she sees God right now. When they asked her why she chose this image, she told them it was because the picture looked blurry and out of focus, and she felt like it was hard for her to see or know God. Emily asked Nina if she could share with her how she began to see who God was more clearly in her life and had the opportunity to share the gospel, as well as her own personal story of how Christ is changing her life right now.

Light is pretty important in Sweden. In the summer, the sun shines from 3am to 11pm and in the winter, it only shines for an average of three to four hours! As we talk with Swedes each day, one thing they've told us consistently is that the weather and light greatly affect Swedes. One girl I met doing Soularium by the river told me she would have answered completely different on a winter day! Not only do Swedes literally want light, I keep praying that God would open their eyes to see their great need for Christ in their spiritually darkened lives. Only until He moves in their hearts will they be open to talking with us and hearing the gospel. We are continuing to pray that God would shine a light in this country.