German Black Forest Rescue Training, René Kieselmann (Bergwacht Schwarzwald e.V., BWS), by permission, Wikipedia
The 33 men trapped underground were as different from one another as might be any group of men facing a disaster. They were all miners, although one or two had never worked on the rock, they all had their fears and guilts and desires, their lives were similar in their corner of the world, proud Chileans, except one Bolivian, all considered tough and capable enough to earn a living in a grinding and grueling way.
Yet, as we meet them in the account of their entombment, it seems likely that anyone who wished to obtain their trust or be honored to know their deepest thoughts, would have to get to know them each, differently. Some were delicate in their souls, some bombastic, some more spiritual, some very bitter, some buoyant. Just like the panoply of the people you and I know.
If you or I were to “rescue” one or two of those men in their hearts, befriend them from afar while they lived beneath the earth, their lives ebbing away physically and emotionally, how would we do it?
Even more than that, what if we were praying for them, individually, and by the grace of God hitting upon the Lord’s provision for their deepest needs? How would we begin to chip away at the rocky tombs that housed their hearts? What would we ask for, on their behalf?
Some things come immediately to mind, but we often and often quickly grow weary in prayer when we feel we are just parroting the same plea … even though tapping away at the largest rock will eventually whittle it down.
There are, perhaps, two considerations.
One … persistence matters when breaking through rock … and fear … and unbelief.
Two … it’s better to use the right equipment. In the mines, a drill is more useful than a plastic spoon. Let’s explore, next time, and with a spotlight on one of those waiting and hoping on the surface.
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)
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