Chocolate, fun dates, enchanting music, and romance- all key elements to the average Valentine’s Day. This past holiday of love, I saw something very different: girls dancing on bars, men gawking at half naked bodies, and blatant prostitution that was neither concealed nor apologetic. During my last night in Thailand, on Valentine’s Day, I joined a ministry opportunity on Bangla Road in Phuket (one of the crazier areas of the city that had an extremely high rate of prostitution) called “Real Men buy Flowers, not Women.” The ministry involved people from various organizations, and it had been happening every Valentine’s Day for several years for one purpose: to show both women and men on Bangla Road the love of Jesus (something you can neither buy nor earn).
It was the first time I had ever participated in a bar ministry, and to say that I was impacted would be a major understatement. The high amount of stimuli all around me was overwhelming- girls parading themselves around for the affirmation and payment of men, men dressed as women hoping to gain the same, and desperate people all over looking for satisfaction and acceptance in all the wrong places. These women, many of who were still only girls, have relied on their looks for so long to supply their basic necessities. The men, many of who were hurting and lonely inside, have depended upon their wallets to pay for something that they subconsciously feel that they don’t deserve for free. We all want to be loved, but what many on Bangla Road don’t realize is that the love they are seeking is one that is voluntary, unconditional, and without expectations; one that can only come from God.
On Valentine’s Day, instead of watching a sappy Rom-Com or eating chocolate, I talked to various women in bars as they took breaks from dancing. I gave them flowers, a goody bag with the message of the gospel in Thai, and hugs. I told them that they were beautiful and worthy, and that their worth was inherent in their nature as creations of God, not based upon the world’s labels. As I walked around with 2 other Christian women, we had various people tell us that they saw us from afar and knew that we were different. As we approached, they could tell that we weren’t looking to get sloshed or looking to buy a “fun time.” They said that they saw a unique quality in us that is nothing short of the light of Christ shining through our actions and us.
At one point during the evening, my eye caught one girl in particular, and as I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart, I waited at the bar until her dancing shift was done. As soon as she hopped down from the counter with her 5 inch heels, I ran over to her to give her a goody bag, tell her how worthy she is, and wish her a Happy Valentine’s Day. She was at first very confused, and I explained to her that the bag was free- I wanted her to know that she is loved by God and seen as valuable in His eyes. She lit up like a kid on Christmas; she could not believe I was giving her something for free. She immediately ran to her locker on the second floor to put her new gift in a safe place, and she ran back down and gave me a huge hug. I saw her talking to her friends about what happened, and she could not believe that someone would give her a gift without wanting something in return.
My life was changed that night. No matter how “cold” people seem to the world, no matter how “put together” they appear, every person the world labels as “bad” or “sinner” is lonely, hurting, and desperate for love. Jesus did not come to save the healthy; He came to save the sick. He did not come to save the righteous, but He came to serve sinners (Matthew 9:12-13). I learned, on a whole new level, to not see the sin, but rather to see the hurting sinner. To love them in their muck and mire and pray to God that He will pull them free of their hurt and pain (Psalm 40: 1-3). It was a Valentine’s Day I will never forget, and it gave me a glimpse into the heart of Jesus for His beloved- for He does not love us when we are clean; He loves us while we are still sinners (Romans 5:8), and we are called to do the same for the least of these. I pray that my heart continues to grow and my boldness from Christ does not falter as I continue to pursue Jesus’ lost sheep, and I pray that I never forget the life-changing experience I had on Bangla Road on my favorite Valentine’s Day yet.
