Patpong Rd. is Thailand’s worst flesh market. It’s a scary place, but
God wants His people to invade the dark places of the world in order to
shine his light.
Yesterday, our World Race team did just that and blogged about their prayer walk.
It
broke their hearts. The young girls sold into prostitution by their
families looked at them through pain-racked, vacant eyes. They’ve given
up hope of anyone ever rescuing them.
When the team was finished with the prayer walk, all they could do was cry till it hurt to cry anymore.
This
is what I call a “branding experience.” God used that prayer walk to
break their hearts with the things that break His heart. And they have
been marked as His own, their inner man consecrated for kingdom
purposes. They’ve been ruined for the ordinary.
Many Christians have mistaken the God who brands His children for a God who is interested in their comfort.
Let me disabuse you of that notion – your identity is this: you are a
hero-in-waiting. The glory of God is poured out through your courage.
Perhaps you have never been branded – your spiritual flesh seared by
God’s holy purpose. Maybe you’ve kept your heart safe and unbroken.
The
girls of Patpong Rd. and the orphans of this world need a hero. They
are waiting for you to summon the courage to ask God to strip you of
your comfort and break your heart. I pray that you do.
Seth,
The blog posted by the WR team was very challenging to say the least. After reading about such a harsh reality, as the body of Christ, must begin to ask ourselves what systemic ills have led to the development of such an awful situation? When reading the blog I was struck by the juxtaposition of a “starbucks” within a “brothel market”. Another question we must ask ourselves is how have my actions, and the institutions that I have supported contributed to the development of these same societal ills. More specifically, we would miss the boat if we allow ourselves to condemn the “pimps” in Bangkok. The fact remains that their actions are a direct result of the environment that they were brought up in (There is a direct correlation between the GDP of a society and its value of women. Developed countries appreciate and take better care of its female citizens). Furthermore, equally culpable is the Western enterprise (Starbucks) who has decided to place a store in such a neighborhood without making any contribution to ameliorate the problems that plague its patrons. Having said this, the greater international community, ourselves included, is also responsible for the sin of the brothels. The fact that the majority of these brothels are located in developing countries should raise some internal questions. Lastly the most pressing question remains, how can we stand in solidarity with those in this situation, in such a manner as to liberate them from these vises (Isaiah 53). The WR team is doing good work and it is my prayer that they ask themselves these questions in order to improve the effectiveness of their ministry.