At Battle Baptist Church, we are continuing to grow our friendship with Dragan and Biljana Manevi, and their church based in Resen. To this end, three of us from the church—Louise, Evie (my eldest daughter) and myself—headed off to celebrate Valentine’s Day among them all. The remit of the trip was to support Dragan and Biljana as they once again ran Night to Shine. This is an annual event that takes place on the Friday before Valentine’s Day in over seventy countries. At its heart is the sharing and demonstration of God’s love, through honouring and valuing people with disabilities.
I’ve had the privilege of being a part of many events which seek to share and demonstrate the love of Jesus. But Dragan and Biljana’s passion to simply love those whom society often doesn’t have a place for or knows how to respond to blew me away. The guests are cheered as they arrive, escorted down a red carpet, given a three-course meal and invited to dance and celebrate, free from any prejudice or exclusion. Being invited to speak about the love God has for us all was a real joy and honour for me.
Getting to spend a few days with Dragan and Biljana, seeing first-hand their desire to give everything they have to share the love of Jesus with those around them was truly fantastic. I witnessed the simplicity and yet proud impact the love of Jesus can have to all!
By Ed Jones, Pastor of Battle Baptist Church, UK
