“Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (John 1:51).
Last October I journeyed from Poplar, Wisconsin to Detroit, Michigan, to attend a funeral. His wife had managed to get through the gate of heaven before him and my older brother was working through his grief after her long illness. I had hoped to help console him, which, in my mind, could mean the soothing balm of a light heart and maybe some really good jokes. But I was a little unsteady about this, imagining the possible charge of little brother who once again created an awkward moment.
But the actual environment I walked into was almost startling, and it was I who was uplifted. It was a long overdue family reunion and it was really good to see them plus make some new friends. But I wasn’t quite up to speed for three and a half days of nearly constant conversations till I went to bed. The dialogues were deep and engaging, so spontaneous, that I could hardly go to sleep. The normal boundaries, which guide us about who you should talk with or should not, somehow faded. Besides talking with family, somehow I was speaking to servers and strangers about life. All this seemed surprisingly fitting and peaceable. And there was so much laughter. It was all invigorating and inspiring; I had blundered into a move of God. I was under open heavens.
I also met Bill Stodard, my brother’s old friend who at 85 is handsome in a rugged way and sharp as a tack, being a retired Ford Motor Company finance executive. The man’s wisdom was compelling and we had two conversations that had to be at least an hour long each. I got a few words in but mostly I wanted to just sit back and listen. I was entranced as Bill told about old Detroit where his father and grandfather farmed in what is now almost downtown. He spoke of the grand old homes, massive and well built, and of course old Fords and how life was back when.
Then a shift happened: he explained how today some of the old homes, smoldering in ashes, are being rebuilt and neighborhoods reborn. But this is the intense thing: the whole time Bill is telling me all this in a room full of chattering funeral people, he moved in on me getting our chairs lined straight up and almost bumping feet, demanding my full attention, speaking with his hands and eyes and eyebrows too, and if I looked away, he reclaimed his position, pouring into me a vintage of truth that I started to treasured as my own. The moment was fraught with the presence of the Lord and I knew I was getting critical life lessons from a master story teller. All this he related to the Kingdom of God. I was under open heavens in Detroit. It’s unforgettable.
Having said all this, the purpose of this paper is to tell you how it got re-played. It was just a couple days ago that I was in Virginia, Minnesota, and waiting for coffee, still brewing. It was a slow moment in the shop so the server and I started talking. He wore a button that said (gay) Pride. He was telling a little about himself, that he was new to the area. ‘So, where are you from then?’ I asked. He said, ‘Detroit.’ It only took a second. And I was ready for the divine moment I had already been prepared for.
“Motown’s a cool place. You’ve got the Tigers, the Lions, and the Red Wings in Joe Louis Arena, not to mention the famous Motown music scene from the 1960s with iconic artists like The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5 and many others. But the really groovy thing is I hear that though part of old Detroit got burned down and wrecked, there’s a movement happening to restore those grand old homes and people are moving back.”
He looked at me hard and agreed, surprised at the connection happening. Then I explained that I learned about Detroit back in October from a friend. I added, “And while I was there, this whole place was working strangely on me in such a positive way, like I was under open heavens.” Now this guy is really staring at me, like I had lived there. And I said, “I know this feeling because when I met the Savior, he opened up the heavens to me.” The man was shaken. Eternity was suddenly in view. There had come a mysterious tie between himself and a total stranger. And me; I’m in awe of Jesus too and how he re-visits key moments in our lives that bond us to him, and even accomplish a real link to strangers. Feel the awe.
Tim Halverson
lionsheadcafe.com 