I have discovered a popular phrase here is “same same but different”. It is the Cambodian way of saying, “ 6 to one and half dozen to another”. The more I look around the more I see that people here are not that different. I may physically stand out like a sore thumb when I walk down the street
, but at my core I am the same color as everyone around me. We are unified by the color of our hearts.
Sunday morning I went to Phnom Penh Mennonite church. It was a small, one room church with the doors opened up to the back street so that more chairs could be set up outside. The congregation was made up of many university students and young adults who all welcomed us warmly into their family.
During worship I watched as Khmer men and women worshipped God in their heart language. I couldnot understand the literal words they were singing but it did not matter, I knew what they were saying. They were praising the one, true God of the nations. The one God, who transcends both culture and language. It was a taste of Heaven– O the day when we will all praise together, every nation and every tongue united by one purpose and one spirit. What a glorious day that will be!
A young guy, named Kosal, offered to translate for us so we could understand the sermon.
Why do earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados… claim the lives of thousands of people?
Why are murderers allowed to carry out their life ending schemes?
Why are little children abused… women raped… men shamed?
Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to people he loves??
I think of how many times I have wrestled with these questions… how many times have you?
This was the subject of the sermon. Here are some of the pastor’s insights:
When we ask ‘why, God?’ we are asking the wrong question. We should be asking ‘God, how are you going to work through this situation and what can I do in response to what happened to honor you?'
We want God to stop all of the “major evil” in the world, but then we want to keep the “little evil” things we like to do.“Stop all murder!” we say “but this little lie is no big deal, this jealous thought, overindulgence… don’t worry yourself with those things God.” With God, there is no grey- no mixture of good and evil that is acceptable. There is white and black.
Great evil always begins with little evil.
“Ok, fine, take it all away then, God” we say.
But you see, we chose this evil! We are no different from Adam and Eve. God did not create evil. He created the world and said that it was GOOD. He also created man to be free. Free to enjoy a relationship with God- our father and creator, but also free to disobey. We are not robots, we are free creatures! Our relationship with God is a choice, and that is what makes it so beautiful.
Our actions have consequences. When we sin, we do not just affect ourselves, but we affect other people in ways we might never know. Sin has affected all of creation, not just human beings.
We want freedom from evil: that is exactly what we have because of Jesus!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God ” (2 Cor. 5:17-20).
The pastor ended with these verses and challenged us to go out and be ministers of reconciliation.
I have heard this message before and wrestled with the problem of suffering and evil many times in my life. Yet, there was something different about hearing this message spoken in Khmer and translated into English. I was so grateful to actually hear my own language, so I grasped on to every word. Whether Khmer or American– we have the same questions, same struggles, same temptations, same evils, same truth. We have the same responsibility as Christians and ambassadors of Christ. We are same same but different.
Jenny,
Glad to see you wrestling with this issue now. It’s one that will come up again and again as you see the reality of evil in personal ways.
Wow Jenny,
I just had someone ask me about that and I was struggling with how to give them real truth. I really enjoy your blogs.
Jenny, such wisdom. A good first thing to read upon waking. Like you and this pastor, have been thinking how alike we all are-not many degrees of decision-making seperate any of us. Thank you for being willing to go & wrestle & serve without knowing all of the answers. It is a brave good.thing to do.
A.
Such truth! Reading this first thing after I woke this morning, I felt such joy. You are your father’s daughter, Jenny! Seems God has made you both preacher and counselor! What a wonderful ministry that Mennonite church and pastor have!
It always amazes me how well things corrolate with God. Remember the verse that I gave you when I prayed for you right before you left? 2 Cor. 2:18 – You’re a minister of reconciliation for God. Cool how the pastor then read those verses to the congregation on Sunday. What confirmation. 🙂 I’m proud of you!! Keep up your faithful work for the Lord.
This always seems to be the major issue that both believers and non-believers wrestle with: why a good and loving God could allw suffering in this world. Those are good insights. I think another thing that allows me to understand that issue is that through suffering we are more likely to look to God for help and we draw closer to Him. If everything was perfect we as humans would naturally tend to ignore God.
That’s very true Tiff! And it’s in those moments of complete dependency that we experience the fullness of his love and joy!