I’ve just had the privilege of spending a few days in the lovely Mediterranean island of Malta, leaving behind the grey skies of England and being dazzled by the sunshine and warmth of March there! The history of Malta is rich and varied, but by far the most significant event, according to the Maltese, not just according to me, is recorded in Acts 28:1-9: the account of Paul’s shipwreck on the island which led to the gospel being preached on the island and Christianity being introduced there. The gospel account is recorded in different languages on this monument in Ir-Rabat:
We went on a boat trip to the nearby island of Gozo and from there saw a statue of St Paul on the coast, commemorating his shipwreck (the place is now called ‘St Paul’s Bay’!)
Churches abound in Malta: this is St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
The domed church of Mosta, bombed during WW2, but no one was hurt as the bomb did not explode.
The church in Mdina.
Malta is evidence that one individual really can make a huge difference to a whole community. The island is full of beautiful churches, built by people of faith who were captivated by the message of Jesus first brought to the place by an apparent ‘accident’ of nature. Paul’s dedication in preaching the gospel wherever he went has reaped an enormous harvest. We should never underestimate the effect of one person’s testimony.
Pray for Malta, for each place needs an ongoing, living encounter with Jesus, not just an encounter with history. We had the privilege of witnessing the start of a service in Mosta, full of young school children eager to participate in the Easter story. Students from nearby Mattersey Bible College will be going on a mission to Malta very soon; pray they will be a blessing and help to Maltese Christians and there will be an ongoing harvest in that beautiful place.