"As long as you turn your head and walk back, the Heavenly Father will run towards you," said a Taiwanese pastor.
Rev. Gordon Huang, senior pastor of Taiwan Danshui church and a variety show host, shared the familiar story of the prodigal son in a worldwide evangelistic rally held by Kua Global on August 14.
During the third sermon titled Heavenly Father Hears My Weeping, believers from countries all over the world such as Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Germany, swarmed onto the online platform. Consequently, instant interpretation in multiple languages was provided by 500 volunteers from 20 cities in eight countries. The online event was simultaneously broadcast on 17 different platforms with 40 partners in four sessions.
The pastor stated, "Like the older son in the story, some people want to do their best to obey the rules handed down by ancestors, not straying from what is right. But others act like the younger one who lives his life according to his own ideas and plans, disliking being bossed around or following a set of traditional values."
"But both of them in fact were far away from their home. The younger one seemed to be further away, as he left home according to his own desires, but then later suffering a famine. Similarly, affected by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, we don't know what to do, as our plans were disrupted," he added.
"When faced with difficulties, we all want to address them by ourselves. Especially those who are far away from their home, they all try to act as if everything is okay instead of admitting their struggles." Huang continued, "Seldom crying, we don’t know who to talk to about the difficulties we face and the pains in our heart."
He continued, "But do you know that you have a Father who is waiting for you to turn around? Many people don't know where their home is. Actually, the home is the place where the loving Father is. Do you know that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you? Actually, we can turn back to Him now, without needing to change ourselves in order to be accepted by Him. The Father has been waiting for us the whole time, but we should decide whether we want to turn back. God respects each person’s free will, but some of us have strayed very, very far away. Do you understand that as long as you turn your head and walk back, the Heavenly Father will run towards you?"
"Some people are successful like the elder son. Encountering a famine, they are not affected, but are still lonely, as they are unsure of their purpose. However, whether you are the younger son or the elder one, I will tell you that there is a Father who loves you and is waiting for you to turn back, but you must be willing to return... Don’t be an orphan anymore," Rev. Huang concluded.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
