“Night is coming when no man can work. There is work to be done and a world to be won, and we must be about our Father’s business. The time for playing games is over.” With those words, Rev. John Ahern, chief organizer of the March for Jesus in Belfast, Northern Ireland, set the tone for Saturday’s event (Aug. 23), the first of its kind in the city and one of 16 marches for Christ taking place across Europe this summer.
The march begins at 12:30 p.m. at Ormeau Park, with participants setting off at 2 p.m. before concluding at City Hall for worship, prayer, and testimonies led by musician Brian Houston from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Organizers say the Belfast gathering builds on last year’s march in Dublin, where about 12,000 Christians took part, as previously reported by Christian Daily International. Another march is scheduled for Dublin again on Sept. 27, beginning at the Garden of Remembrance and ending at Merrion Square.
“Jesus said, ‘If I be lifted up from this earth, I'll draw all men unto me,’” said Ahern, an evangelical pastor. “And so there's something very significant about the church coming together. Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.
“And, you know, we need God in our cities, in our homes, in our hearts, and certainly in our nations. I just believe prophetically as the church when we gather to pray and to humble ourselves before the Lord and to worship and give him the praise that belongs to him as God; that there's a blessing that's released in that.”
Church leaders of different denominations on the island felt it important to bring fellowships together and “lift up Christ” during a “tremendously important time,” according to Ahern, when “we're seeing so much darkness and despair in our societies.”
Ahern is conscious of some headwinds opposing the event by a few churches on the grounds of denominational differences and beliefs. Yet, he believed there was a danger on the island of the culture wrapping around the gospel “to the point where it's almost impossible to recognize the gospel if you're not in that culture.” He observed a similar challenge with Filipino, Indian and Nigerian churches. That is why the March for Jesus is presented as a neutral platform to proclaim Christ to a new generation.
He cautioned against demonizing any denomination for its beliefs, despite his own strong evangelical convictions, stressing instead the call to boldly proclaim the gospel and care for a generation grappling with addiction, suicide, and other social struggles.
“I think as long as we're in our isolated little bubbles, the enemy has free reign to do what he wants to do. But when, as the people of God, if we're willing to humble ourselves and pray, as the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, and turn from our wicked ways, God has promised to hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land.”
Ahern acknowledged that the history of bloodshed in Belfast and the “Troubles” remains heartbreaking and raw, but said the church must not remain fixated on the past at the expense of embracing the gospel for the future.
“Maybe I am naive but I’d like to believe that Christ, the Prince of peace, can bring peace, not just to our hearts and our homes, but to our cities and to this land. Because terrible things were done on both sides, whether by Catholic or Protestant, whether by Loyalist or Republican. Terrible things were done. And I believe as the church that we can prophetically lead the way forward, because a politician cannot fix this. Only God can.”
Ahern said issues such as addiction, brokenness, isolation, fear, and prejudice in Belfast and Dublin can only be addressed by a change of heart through the gospel — a central purpose of the March for Jesus.
“It's by taking Christ public, taking him into those public places and lifting him up and and telling the world you know, there's a different way,” added Ahern.
Ahern acknowledged that the deep-seated divisions within churches and the wider culture in Ireland and Northern Ireland will not be solved by a single march, but he believes public witness to Jesus Christ can have a powerful impact for the gospel.
“Unity doesn’t mean uniformity. The differences in the body of Christ exist. They’re real. We’re not saying they’re unimportant but Jesus said, ‘By this all men will know you’re my disciples, by your love for each other.’ And so it’s important that we put aside our various differences and distinctions. We’re not saying they’re unimportant but there is a significance, I believe, to the people of God coming together in unity to pray and to worship Christ.”
Ahern added that the March for Jesus initiatives were open to everybody, Christian and non-Christian alike, to come and “taste and see” God’s love.
“We have empty churches in so many places and praise God for the revival that’s starting but it’s only the beginning. And the reality is there is a whole generation that needs to be reached for Christ.
“The Bible I read talks about the good shepherd leaving the 99 and going after the one. In many instances, it seems as if the church is satisfied if we can get the one and leave the 99, and I don't believe that's the heart of God. I don't believe that pleases him. He wants us to win the world.
“He said, go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. And so that's that's our job. That's our goal.”
Ahern recalled how St. Patrick brought the gospel to Ireland and how Great Britain was “great” because of the power of the gospel in days gone by. He longed to see Jesus Christ proclaimed as Lord over all the the islands of Ireland and the U.K.
“There is a Christian foundation that goes way back and yet, unfortunately, it’s been undermined in so many ways. I believe as a church, prophetically speaking, we need to call our generation back to Christ.
“God said to Joshua, ‘Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given to you.’ (Joshua 1:3a). The marches are family-friendly, non-political, Christ-centered days where we simply celebrate Christ and the Christian faith. And we lift up the hope that we find in him.”
