Transformation was in evidence everywhere at this recent believers’ conference.

Aaron Luse says he can almost imagine being present at the Tower of Babel when God created many languages out of one. He can easily see how the resulting confusion would have been tremendous when people suddenly realised they could not communicate with each other.

“I missed that event several thousand years ago, but a couple of weeks ago, I witnessed, on a much smaller scale, what turned out to be the very opposite of the Tower of Babel,” Aaron says.

It was the day that representatives from four different tribes with entirely different languages converged outside the Luse’s home for the second annual conference for believers on the island where they live and serve.

Initially, there was a little confusion, but gradually through use of the trade language, “they began to sort out who was who and how we were all going to live and interact together,” Aaron explains.

For three days, the Patpatar believers hosted the believers’ conference in their village. And it was an amazing gathering.

“Prayer, singing, testimonies and fellowship between brothers and sisters in Christ from different areas of the island was wonderful to be a part of,” Aaron writes. This gathering of island Christians included both new believers and some who have known Christ for some time, but they all saw themselves simply as one in Christ.

Seeing this unity was a blessing to Aaron and ministered to him personally in ways he could not have predicted. During the conference, he says, “God chose to take my tribal father Home to Heaven. He had been battling cancer and had gone downhill fast, but I didn’t plan on him departing during the meetings. The day before he died, I had been able to share his testimony to these four tribes gathered as one in Christ. It brought a reality to them about their position with Christ.”

Heaven suddenly seemed that much more real to them and, as God had planned it, it was the very next morning when Aaron and the gathered believers heard that this godly believer had gone Home to Heaven. And even though many from this group of believers had never met this elderly man who loved Jesus faithfully, many of them gave of their own limited resources toward a sympathy gift to his family to help with funeral expenses.

Aaron was deeply touched to see God’s Spirit at work radically changing both individual lives and tribal groups to generously and graciously extend His love in ways that are counter-cultural.

“I watched the reverse of Babel take place,” he says.

Instead of confusion and division and conflict, God’s Spirit brought joy, unity and compassion to this group of believers gathered to declare and celebrate their love for Him.

It’s how God enters a person or a people group or an island and creates great changes by His grace. Have you ever wondered how God might use you to share His message of love and transformation? Here are some opportunities to think about.