A Sweet Sweet Spirit

I’m still basking in the glow of last month’s visit to the Asbury University campus for the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1970 revival. For me, being there felt like a taste of heaven, getting to meet so many of the men and women who had been students during that blessed time when God’s presence was so apparent on the campus. Here’s a special story from that wonderful event.

I often referred to Robert Coleman’s book, One Divine Moment, when researching my novel, Sweet, Sweet Spirit. In his account of the revival, he told the story of an Asbury student traveling to Azusa Pacific College in Los Angeles and how, when he told what was happening at Asbury, revival broke out there as well. One Azusa student felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to the home of Sirhan Sirhan, Robert Kennedy’s assassin, and witness to the family. This is something I mentioned in my novel because of my heroine’s fondness for RFK.

At Asbury last month I was standing in the front of the auditorium when my husband came toward me from the back with a man he was especially eager for me to meet. He said, “This is the man who went to Sirhan Sirhan’s house.” My mouth fell open. I felt as if the Lord had given me a special, sweet gift in meeting this man. We had a pleasant visit, and I got to know more about his auspicious call upon the Sirhan family, for whom he continues to pray.