I have a million things I want to write about this week, but I will write about the most recent thing that I have been thinking about... :)
A couple nights ago we had a speaker from Voice of the Martyrs at our church. I have been familiar with the organization for quite some time so I was super excited to have him here. Despite leaving work later than intended, crazy traffic, and a 'fine-I-guess-I-won't-be-going-cause-I-hate-being-late' attitude, God in all His goodness got me to the church just seconds before the event started. I am so glad for it too!
This event, which maybe I will write more about later, inspired me to *finally* read the book "Tortured for Christ"... written by the founder of VOM, Richard Wurmbrand. I have had the book for forever but always end up distracted by another book instead.
This book is pretty much rocking my socks with every page, but here's something that keeps going through my head (It's long... but so good!) To introduce it, this chapter was devoted not only to the torture that Christians went through (and still do) in Communist countries, but also to what the families of the captives go through. Here's one store that broke my heart, but it brings me back to my girls, to my love for the inner city, and to my own dirty heart:
I will tell you just one case of suffering from a family that I know personally. A brother entered prison on account of his work in the Underground Church. He left behind a wife with six children. His older daughters of seventeen and nineteen could not get a job. The only one that gives jobs in a Communist country is the state, and it does not give jobs to children of "criminal" Christians. Please don't judge this story according to moral standards; just receive the facts. The two daughters of a Christian martyr - Christians themselves - became prostitutes to support their younger brothers and sick mother. Their younger brother of fourteen became insane when he saw it and had to be put in an asylum. When years later the imprisoned father returned, his only prayer was, "God, take me to prison again. I cannot bear to see this." His prayer was answered and he was jailed again for the crime of having witnessed for Christ to children. His daughters were no longer prostitutes, as they received jobs complying with the demands of the secret police - they became informers. As daughters of a Christian martyr, they are received with honor in every house. They listen and then they report everything they hear to the secret police. Don't just say that this is ugly and immoral - of course it is - but ask yourself if it is not also your sin that such tragedies occur, that such families are left alone, and are not helped by you who are free.
This is not at all a post to excuse behavior that is contrary to God's word, but to try to take a look at that log in our eyes before judging the specks in others...
*A family is left on their own without a provider and without a way of making money, what options do they have? What IF the Christians in the free countries HAD stepped up, done their part, and provided for this family, would these young girls have made the decision to sell their bodies and then to sell their Christian brothers and sisters to prison?
*A young boy is left alone without a close family. He has no one... until someone from a gang shows interest in him. This gang makes him feel accepted and loved. He has to commit some illegal acts, but over all, for the first time, he feels like he has a family. What IF Christians were in this boys life, showing him Christ's love and acceptance? Would this boy's life have turned out differently? Would he still have died at the age of twelve by getting shot?
*A poor family has very little money with even less chance of their children getting a proper education. Just one hop over the border to a more thriving country with a job of manual labor means dinner on the table and education for their children. They now have a chance not only of survival, but also of living a better life. What IF Christians provided a way for these children to learn and helped these family with their needs? What IF Christians, instead of so quickly holding their money with a tight fist, found ways to help these families be able to legally live in their country so they could have better lives and learn the Gospel? Would these families have to continually live as captives, always running from the law and never knowing the security in Jesus?
*A young girl, who has been abused by men all her life, has never known true love. A pimp offers her that true love... only it's not true. She finds herself also running from the law as she makes money for the only 'love' she has ever known by selling herself. What IF Christians showed her love, TRUE love, and offered her a way off the streets? What IF Christians, instead of sitting around discussing what a horrible thing that is, got out of their comfort zones, reached out to her, prayed for her, and offered her a life that she no longer thought was possible for her? How would things be different for her?
Instead of looking at some one's life and thinking about how awful that life is, we should instead be thinking about how this could be our fault, our SIN, that allowed this life for them to happen. This is not to take responsibility away from people as they make decisions, but to encourage us to TAKE responsibility for the solution, for offering the gift, that could change those decisions they are making. We are JUST as responsible!
"When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical." -Unknown
Ahem... so to answer the question I get asked often, THAT is why I want to move to the inner city.
