4. God The Rescuer

Aim

To teach young people that God sees, hears and knows the cries of the oppressed just as He sees, hears and knows us. To teach them that as a Father, He is close to His children, holding us close, holding the hurting close and rescuing them from their pain.

Preparation

Rob Bell’s Nooma video Rain, Bible, short clips of babies crying projector/DVD player/latptop, blindfolds

• Nooma: Rain, Rob Bell

Crying baby clips:

1. Fake cries, funny
2. Crying baby (first 30 seconds - note "hug me")
3. Alex
4. Singing Dad, crying baby
5. A dog imitating a crying baby
6. Best way to stop a crying baby

Main Bulk of Meeting

Begin by playing the game Hide and Rescue. Next, show a few clips of the crying babies. After the youth have a good laugh, read Psalm 34:17 and Psalm 89:26. Explain that there are people in oppressive situations all around the world, all around Europe, all around the UK, all around our neighbourhoods hospitals, schools, homeless shelters, waiting to be rescued from their pain; waiting for someone to tell them God the Father hears their cries, that He is close, He is with them, He loves them.  He does this for us and He does this for those overwhelmed by the storms of life. In fact, God has a special place in His heart for those in suffering. Psalm 10:17 says: “You (God) listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope and pay attention to their cries for help. You defend orphans and everyone else in need, so that no one on earth can terrify others again.”  Read Mark 5: 25-34. Jesus was moved by the woman who had been plagued by uncontrollable bleeding for twelve years. She had heard of Jesus and just wanted to get close to Him because she knew He would heal her; she had faith that He was the one who could rescue her from the bleeding. As soon as she touched His clothes, the bleeding stopped and she was healed. Jesus was moved by her pain and by her faith.

Now watch the Nooma film, Rain.

Discussion Questions

1. Have the students break down into smaller groups, no more than four, to answer these questions.
2. When are some times in your life when it ‘rained’ really hard?
3. Have there been times in your life when you felt brokenhearted?
4. Did you know God was close to you? How?
5. What does Rob say about why God allows us to go through storms?
6. Jesus didn’t come for the healthy. He came for the sick. What does this mean? Who are      the ‘sick’ in our world?
7. What are some of the injustices causing such terrifying storms in our world? In the UK? In our neighbourhood?
8. How did the woman who was bleeding know if she could only touch Jesus she would be healed? (Because she had heard of Him and because of her faith)
9. How can we tell those around us that God does hear their cries, that God does rescue those in suffering? (By telling them how He was close to us, by showing them the story of the woman with the blood and by praying that God will literally send someone to their rescue)

Hand On

Games

Hide and Rescue- Hide one person somewhere in the room. Blindfold the others and then give them the opportunity to find the person in the room. Play a second time, removing one person’s blindfold.

Rescue Workers- One student will be “it”. Group students and place them in different areas of the room. Give each group an emergency scenario (fire, fall/injury, tornado, cat in a tree, etc). The student who is “it” has one minute to get to every group and rescue them from their scenario (be creative as to what constitutes a rescue- i.e. for the group who has a fire, the rescue worker has to act like he’s spraying them with a hose and make the noise of running water). If the student does not rescue everyone in one minute, add another “it” person and play again.

Story

Irene

At their home in Lusaka, Zambia, Irene Simbeye lived with her husband Mwelwa and stepson Agrippa. Mwelwa worked for the Zambian government and the family was financially stable owning a house, a rental property and a plot of land. When Mwelwa died after a battle with tuberculosis, Irene and sixteen-year-old Agrippa sought to carry on with the resources left to them by their husband and father. However, Mwelwa’s brother, Matthews, was named executor of his brother’s estate.

Matthews introduced a child the family had never seen, claiming that this was Mwelwa’s child and that he was due benefits. The claims were dropped as Matthews was unable to demonstrate proof of paternity. Later Matthews drew Mwelwa’s salary to distribute among the dependants but, in contrast to Zambian law, released less than 1/4 the amount to Irene and Agrippa. Matthews also obtained control of his brother’s death benefits from his former employer and paid only 20% to Irene and Agrippa and though they were entitled to the full amount.

Matthews’ gross abuse of power withheld those things that were rightfully theirs—
The very things which Irene and Agrippa needed to survive. Irene had heard of International Justice Mission, an organization that would help widows and orphans in cases of land rights and property grabbing. IJM staff in Zambia documented Irene’s case, became her advocate and stood up to Matthews and his attorney to protect Irene and Agrippa. Making a clear case of the widow’s and orphan’s rights under Zambian law, IJM attorneys secured justice for Irene and Agrippa.

They would choose their house among the properties owned, the other house would be sold
and its profits divided among Mwelwa’s dependants and young Agrippa was given absolute ownership of the undeveloped land as his father had co-signed the deed in both their names. Full death benefits were divided among Mwelwa’s dependants according to the law. Matthews agreed to the terms rather than face further legal proceeding. Two months later, the High Court signed the Consent Order bringing the matter to a close. Irene received all that she had rightly sought and the law provided.

Eleven months after her husband’s death, Irene was able to put the matter to rest and move ahead with her step-son Agrippa. Because of IJM advocates who showed up on their behalf, Irene and Agrippa are now free to live without the legal intimidation and financial threats of in-laws who would wish them harm. They do not have to wonder where they will live or if they will have food to eat.

In her gratefulness for a new life of hope, Irene delivered a handwritten letter to IJM staff  and also gave a sacrificial $11 donation (equivalent to one week’s wages) to fund the work of rescuing other widows and orphans as she had been rescued. Irene writes:

A letter to [IJM],

I thank you for helping me over my problems. If it were not for you,
I would not still be around. They would have killed me. My mother
sends greetings to you and she also thanks you because I am still alive
and may God bless you.

Continue doing the work that you are doing which God gave to assist
us widows who are in trouble like me here. God bless you. Your
reward is in heaven. Psalm 18:1-6

I used to think that I was alone but God worked through you. I
thank God that even if we cannot see Him, He works through people
and so He worked through you and helped me.

Mrs. Irene Simbeye

Questions to follow the story:

1. What were the storms in Irene’s life?
2. What makes the death of her husband and her money being stolen from her two very different storms? (the second is injustice: the abuse of power by her brother in law, Matthews)
3. What does God say about widows? (Psalms 146: 9)
4. How did God rescue Irene and Agrippa?
5. What did IJM’s work on her behalf bring her? (security of her husband’s resources, food, housing, and most importantly: hope)