Disciples Of Tolerance
May 20, 2009
Yesterday I was on one of the bridges in the red light district doing evangelism and worship with my team, when I saw a group of about 30 wide-eyed school children slowly walking through the narrow alleyways. They were 10 or 12 years old, wearing backpacks, and were being led around by their teacher.
I faltered in my song as sudden waves of rage swept over me. Trying to suppress the anger and maintain a graceful attitude, I handed my guitar to a colleague and went after the teacher. I grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around.
"What do you think you are doing, bringing these impressionable children through here?! Don't you realize you are exposing them to pornography, glamorized prostitution and sex-slavery, and that it will probably affect them the rest of their lives? Who on earth put you in charge of these kids' education? You need to leave now!"
All he could do was grunt fearfully and the mumble in Dutch that they were leaving.
I was harsh with the man, I know, but the reason I am so angry is that this is becoming a trend. I recently have seen school teachers bringing their class through the red light district regularly.
Through multiple confrontations, I've discovered that their motivation is not to show the kids what a terrible place this is, but to ingrain in them the Dutch principles of tolerance; to show them how wonderful this 'free' society is; to normalize prostitution in the eyes of the emerging generation.
I also observe that the teachers (at least the male ones) are having a great time strolling through and winking and the ladies. The children are always either in a state of shock, or some of them laughing loudly amongst themselves, pointing at the women and enjoying the excursion as if it were a zoo.
I love the Netherlands, but this neighborhood and the mentality it creates makes me more and more sick. I am becoming steadily more convinced that evangelism is not so much the immediate, primary, and most urgent need in this neighborhood; but social reform is.
My growing conviction is that our God-ordained mission is not only to preach the gospel of salvation, but also to 'interfere' with society, seeking to bring positive change. We are not only to wait for Christ's return and get as many saved as possible, but we are to work towards making this earth a better place; or in other words to advance God's Kingdom.
Thoughts on this would be appreciated.
SPF
3 Comments:
Sean,
that's right brother! Great article
We need to preach the full gospel, not just the salvation but the Kingdom of God influencing every sphere of society really making the world a better place.
You are a blessing in Amsterdam brother!!
in Him,
Murilo Maciel
yeah Sean!! Good on you for saying something. These things are NOT OK! and kids should not grow up being exposed to these things.. I find myself gettin frustrated with the city of Perth and the things that they consider acceptable here too. Things like the Adult shops are popping up all over the place and yeh it just stirs me to want to stand in that place shouting "this is NOT OK!!" =) I think just maybe people would get a reality check and start thinking "oh yeh, it's really not!" But you're right, people need to be reminded what it right and wrong because unfortunately these lines have become more and more blurred.... Jesus is the only HOPE of the world!
Ali Agleham
Great job, it takes holy spirit courage to step out like that.
About your point about social reform, I take it you are saying that the laws need to be changed and hopefully make prostitution illegal? In principle I totally agree, but then again you make another point in your post on Cigarettes&Prostitutes about how people cannot actually be forced to be good, and that it's the government's job to establish justice and not enforce a set of morals. And I agree with you there, because often when you have a so-called 'christian' government in power the values they espouse are really legalistic and they make 'christian' laws that suit their particular worldview, not necessarily the Bible. This is one of the ways apartheid was jsutified in my home country, South Africa.
I think the type of evangelism that you and others do is social reform - the church on the streets loving people, standing up for truth and against injustice as opposed to sitting locked up in an old church building criticising from above.
I pray God's favour on your work, and that you and your team would be blessed with genuine relationships with people who see how much you love them and see Jesus in your life and want to leave the life of sin that they're in because of His great love.
Lauren
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