I did not know a single thing about the Cambodian genocide. In fact I didn’t even know it happened until I stood on Cambodian soil hearing from people who live here about how it’s affected the culture of this country. For those of you who are like me and don’t know much about the reign of the Khmer Rouge here’s what happened:
The Khmer Rouge was a communist party under the leadership of Pol Pot. They managed to overthrow the government and decided to reconstruct Cambodia, much like Hitler “reconstructed” Germany. Anyone that appeared to be knowledgeable, common traits were knowing a second language, having a profitable career, or even being a farmer, was considered a threat to Pol Pot’s leadership.
The Khmer rouge drove everyone out of their homes and placed them in labor camps, if you disobeyed or disagreed with any orders you were killed. Just being related to a doctor, teacher, lawyer, or educated person meant you would be killed on sight. They banned religion and killed all Muslims and around 8,000 Christians. Anyone that escaped death worked in labor camps where they suffered from illness and starvation.
Eventually after years of being aided by America due to ignorance and mutual hostility toward Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge was overthrown. Cambodia finally began to heal after being oppressed throughout the 1980s.
My eyelids were heavy as I stepped out of the bus and onto “the killing fields” which is exactly what it sounds like. I walked the land where the Khmer Rouge would take innocent Cambodians to be killed. Asia has worn me out. I thought Southern California was overpopulated but now it seems empty compared to some Asian cities. I entered the tour weighed down by exhaustion. Immediately, I felt even heavier as I walked next to “grave sites” which were holes in the ground where families were killed. I listened to first hand accounts of Cambodians killing Cambodians under false leadership. I thought,”how could a nation tear each other apart like this?”
The answer became increasingly clear with each step, fear. That’s how. The enemy used fear to compel this genocide. Pol pot feared his power would be taken away and murdered in order to keep it.
Then I thought about how often the enemy uses fear to hurt others through us. We may not all murder, but we definitely do some harm. We reject others because we’re afraid of rejection. We hurt others because we’re afraid of being hurt. We tear down others because we feel torn down, attacked, defeated, and we’re afraid that’s all we’ll ever feel. But it’s a lie. And it’s definitely not of God.
My own despair wasn’t Godly either. As I questioned how God let this happen He led me to this verse. “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.” (In case you don’t know much about geography, Cambodia’s in Asia so it felt a lot like Paul was writing directly to me) “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.” -2 Corinthians 1:8-10.
When I think about that memorial, all those graves, I mourn the lives of innocent people. However now I also see a reason to celebrate. I celebrate the death of fear in Cambodia. I celebrate the death of fear in myself, and I celebrate the hope that Jesus provides. The hope that can restore a people. I see a generation of Cambodians who are joyful and accepting. I see the excitement in my students eyes as I enter the class because they see learning English as a privilege.
Everywhere I look I see people who are no longer defined by their history. My new friend Ponleu finds his purpose in teaching art and you can tell how proud he is to do so. I feel honored to have met Johnny who was a young man when the Khmer Rouge took over, and today provided 6 strangers shelter from the rain and made us laugh uncontrollably. Cambodia is healing in such beautiful ways and God is working between the lines.
Please partner in praying for my team and the work God is doing in this beautiful country.
