CROSS WALK EAST LOS ANGELES
Articles By Tom Alexander May 23rd, 2010After a special walk in downtown Los Angeles, I headed west on 6th Street that eventually turns into Whittier Boulevard and headed for the heart of East L.A. It was late, so I decided to get a motel room for the night and walk the cross in East Los Angeles the next morning.
After a nice and long talk with my wife through the free Skype’s computer program, which is quite a miracle in itself, I got a great night’s sleep. Early the next morning I ate my normal McDonald’s breakfast (which has become my on-the-road office of sorts) then headed east on Whittier and found a great parking spot. Unloading the large cross, I lowered it to my shoulder and headed west down this large and very busy boulevard.
This is a largely Hispanic city and I know I’m always going to get a great reception from the Spanish community. So many men and women of the Catholic faith love seeing the large cross. I am always amazed at their responses, though never surprised.
Of course, East Lost Angeles has a reputation for being home to one of California’s largest gangs. But this is one of the reasons I came to this beautiful city. God owns East L.A. as well, and he loves all the people living here as well.
Asking God To Expose The Good Ground Of People’s Hearts So His Good Seed Has A Place To Set, Germinate And Grow
As I walked the cross down Whittier Boulevard, I found the people to be quite friendly. So many here have a reverent fear and respect for the cross. Men and women would greet me in Spanish and ask if they could touch the cross. Of course they can touch the cross! Many would simply reach out and touch or kiss the cross and then go on their way, a smile on their faces and a new song in their hearts to the God of glory.
At each street corner I hoisted the large cross and bowed my head, praying first against the satanic forces that adversely manipulate people’s lives and which inflict misery, greed and fear on humans. Then I asked the Lord of the Harvest to spiritually transform the cross into a large plow and plowshare and break up the fallow ground of the hearts of all people who see the cross.
The parable of the sower came to mind. Hardened hearts, stony hearts, thorny hearts…but also good hearts. Like all people in every city, life can turn your personality and soul into a hardened, stony or thorny heart. But beneath all hardened, stony and thorny heart-soil lies the good heart-soil just waiting to be turned up and exposed to the good seed, the Good News. This was my prayer for the people of East Los Angeles.
As I walked the cross, shook hands, smiled big, and prayed hard, God’s power from on high began to descend. People walked up and asked for prayer for themselves or for loved ones. And God answered their prayers. I felt the oppression that accompanies fear and distrust lift, and in its place a new freedom and liberty in Christ filled the streets of east Los Angeles.
There’s Room At The Cross For Everyone
The cross was making quite an impact in East Los Angeles. Of course, there’s no magic in a cross. It’s a symbol of the greatest truth ever revealed, the greatest love ever shared, and the greatest power ever displayed. The magic, if you call it that, is what the great God and Savior Jesus Christ did for East Los Angeles residents over two thousand years ago. Today, the people of this great city were getting a taste of divine love and mercy. Only a living God can breath new life into a dying corpse. And only Jesus Christ the Resurrection and the Life can give the command and lift the lives of all people out of the tomb of despair and into new beginnings and new hope.
This is exactly what the Lord of Revival did for the people of East L.A. This day would be like no other. Today, the cross would plow through all hardened, stony and thorny hearts and expose the good ground to the sower, who, indeed, would sow the good seed of God’s Word into the hearts of these men, women and children…all because of God’s amazing love in Christ Jesus.
I heard God’s voice declare, “Today’s the day of salvation.” And, as I walked the cross for several hours throughout this city, I knew that East Los Angles would never be the same. God’s Spirit would see to this. His power and love would break through the darkness, shatter the darkness, and command the darkness to depart. Today, this city would enter the light. Today, great revival was not only on the way; it was already breaking out.
Today, East Los Angeles and its people would experience first hand just what a little bit of soul-winning can do. All because of God’s amazing grace! Amen and amen.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.