This past month I kept logging on, started to writing a post only to delete it, and stare at a blank page. I could never seem to write something I felt was worthwhile or purge some deep emotion within me.
That was until a week ago, when I along with a few of my friends went into a bar to do ministry. I saw first hand an issue I see everyday but hadn't fully processed.
One issue that has continually been reappearing since I have been here in Chiang Mai, is this ever present issue of sex trafficking, prostitution and sex tourism. Men come in the thousands from all over the world to find "love". However, it is not the truest of loves that they seek; it is a lustful, self satisfying (for a moment) kind of "love".
My world here revolves around the result of this brokenness. I hold unwanted babies everyday that are a result of lustful desires that clouded out all judgment and protection. One such baby was the product of a one night stand. The father European, the mother an underage Thai prostitute. A young woman who had to sell her body to help support her family.
The idea that the Thai culture has about taking care of your family is a beautiful and precious thing. However, the system breaks down when there are no jobs and prostitution is the only way or ones family is so poor they willingly sell their daughters into the sex industry to put food on the table. And sadly, western middle aged men take advantage of this brokenness.
I have recently discovered within myself the burning sin of anger towards the men who travel thousands of miles to countries like Thailand and have sex with as many young women as possible. This anger also arose within me towards the men who come here and marry a girl half their age and call it love. While the only reason the girls stay with the guys is for the prestige, security and money. (IN NO WAY am I discounting real relationships that develop between Thai women and western men. I know that there are many happily married couples who are Thai and western.)
As I had dinner with a friend of mine who has been doing ministry in bars, I had the realization that it was sinful the amount of anger I was storing within myself towards these men.
The fact is... THEY ARE BROKEN PEOPLE TOO.
I have been forgetting to stop and ask myself what has caused them to end up here. What caused them to become so desperate for this lust masked as love? What brokenness in their past compelled them to buy a plane ticket all for the feeling of being wanted.
The more I thought about their brokenness, the more my heart broke for them. They need someone to pour into their lives. They too need the power of healing and redemption. They need to be shown true divine love.
I have been asking myself over and over: how do we minster to these men? And while I don't have the answer, I believe that it has to start at home.
We need to be instilling within the men and young boys in our lives the truth of their identity in Christ. That beyond romantic fairy tale love and sexual desires, the ultimate love comes not from a woman. It comes from our majestic creator who claims them both now and forever as his sons.
So, if you are like me and you find yourself so deeply entrenched in anger, don't stew in it. It will get you no where. Instead, let us chose a different path.
Lets chose to be a generation that is fed up with this brokenness and takes a stand.
Let us be a generation who choses not to be angry, but choses to boldly love these men.
Let us focus on their salvation and redemption and run towards them with our arms open wide ready to fight for them.
May we fight with a burning passion against the lies they have been fed, and shine the light of truth into the darkest parts of their soul.
Amen.
