Is He Worthy?
This reflection is an excerpt from a newsletter written by a missionary who recently moved to the Waha field and is raising funds to serve there long-term. “Waha” is a pseudonym for a Global Partners mission field in the Turkic-Arabic Area.
A few weeks ago, I had the joy of visiting Trinity Bible Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. What an incredible group of people; a beautiful community coming together as the body of Christ. I was so grateful to go back for the second year in a row to share with their young adults about NEXT (Global Partners’ internship program) and connect with a group from their missions committee.
During worship that Sunday morning, we sang a familiar song, “Is He Worthy.”
From the very first line, it felt like the song reached straight into a longing that’s been sitting in my heart for some time now.
We live in a world where the heaviness of sin and brokenness is impossible to ignore. Daily headlines remind us of injustice, violence, displacement and grief. And closer to home on the Waha field, we encounter stories marked by loss, fear and unanswered questions.
We recently had the privilege of sitting down for a meal with our teammates and their friends who are refugees. They escaped the conflict in Palestine one year ago. We will never forget hearing our new friend say, with tears in her eyes, “wherever we go, nobody wants us.”
At times, the weight of it all can feel overwhelming, leaving us quietly wondering: Can things really be made right? Is there a hope that holds?
That’s what makes “Is He Worthy” so powerful. It doesn’t shy away from the pain. It names the ache. It acknowledges the tears, the waiting, the groaning of creation. And then, through its call and response, it gently lifts our eyes:
Do we feel the world is broken?
(We do.)
Is all creation groaning?
(It is.)
Is a new creation coming?
(It is.)
The song leads us to the better question—not whether the world is broken, but whether Jesus is enough. And the answer rises, again and again, steady and sure: Yes. He is worthy.
The song “Come Jesus Come,” by CeCe Winans (which just won a Grammy, how cool!) also gives voice to the weight of sin and brokenness in our world, and the deep longing for Jesus to make all things right.
When we sing this refrain, “Come, Jesus, come,” we sing it not as an escape from reality, but as a declaration of hope in our broken world. A reminder that Jesus is not distant from our suffering. He sees. He knows. And He is coming to restore what is broken. The darkness does not get the final word.