Being a Global Christian

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19)

What does it mean to be a “Global Christian”? At times, living in a country characterized by accessibility, availability, and affordability makes it challenging to develop and cultivate a spirit of dependency on God. How much more difficult is it for those who live in countries ravaged by deep despair, distress, and doubt? Countries where young women and children are continuously raped of hope, trust, and love; where fear replaces faith…to whom do they depend upon? Too easily do we become comfortable living in a land of affluence and abundance, forgetting that most of the world lives in cold, dark imprisonment. Light existing in and of itself becomes “extinguished” if it remains solely in the security of its own glow, yet shines the most intensely when in the midst of darkness. There are, however, powerful ministries like AIM4ASIA that have taken upon themselves the great vision and responsibility of bringing the Love and Light of Jesus Christ into some of the darkest corners of poverty stricken Cambodia.

Agape International Missions (AIM) was founded and is led by Don Brewster. In 2005, AIM set their sights on putting an end to the grievous crime of trafficking young women and children as sex slaves in the various brothels of Cambodia. At the root of this severe human injustice is the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot who, during his reign of terror (1975 – 1979) devastated the country with extreme poverty and disease after the mass genocide of the socially “educated, religious, and influential” (AIM). Corruption, however, continues to remain the leading and deadliest disease, infecting the political/legal systems and police agencies with unashamed compliance. Cambodia is now largely recognized as a source, transit, and destination country for child sex-trafficking (US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Reports); 35% of the 55,000 young women and children enslaved are below the age of 16 (UNICEF). Exploited, expendable, abused, starved, and raped…these young women and children are consistently being broken and beaten down, especially by those who have sworn to “protect the innocent”. Justice and good works alone are not enough to end the thick level of corruption increasing in Cambodia. However, God’s divine justice is far more than deciphering right from wrong, or determining what is fair or unfair; it is about giving. It is about restoring. It is about hope.

But the needy will not always be forgotten,

nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. (Prov. 9:18)

Rahab’s House and the Agape Restoration Center (ARC) are valuable centers, created by AIM, dedicated to the rehabilitation and restoration of the young women and children who have been rescued from sex-trafficking. Rahab’s House, formerly a brothel and emptied of sex slaves by International Justice Mission (IJM), provides the local villagers with food, medical/dental care, and education. ARC encourages and empowers the young women by offering physical and psychosocial healing; educational and vocational opportunities intended to reintegrate the women back into society with dignity and determination; and the redeeming and transformative power of the love of Christ. Having established a network of over 700 village churches, AIM has restored the promise stated in Proverbs 23:18: “There is surely a hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”

So, what does it mean to be a “Global Christian”? It means extending the uplifting hand of service from local to global communities. It means partnering with ministries like AIM in helping to end the severe injustices against humanity. It means restoring, reviving, and redefining hope in seemingly hopeless circumstances. It means believing in the strength and potential that resides within us as the body of Christ, to stand united and defiant against the perversion of justice and the prevalence of corruption. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). We are vessels and ambassadors of God’s righteousness and justice. To love, as we are called to do, is to stir the heart and soul from mere awareness into activism. We can end the largest form of human slavery known today; we can end the growing enslavement of young women and children with the liberating love and hope of Jesus Christ.

- Beth Parawan

For additional information regarding AIM and their various ministries, please visit their website: AIM4ASIA.ORG