If you go walking through the Chinatown
market in Kuala Lumpur between 1 and 4 in the afternoon, you’ll
probably run into Vincent. He’s pretty unmistakable. If you see an
emaciated man with his shirt off on his knees begging for money, then
you’ll know it’s him. If you’re still not quite sure, go and get a
good look at his knees. Because his knees are always wet from his
tears.
Vincent and I have had several
conversations over the past week. But most of the time it’s
difficult because he’s either just done heroin, or is coming down
from doing heroin. Every one of our conversations seems to come as
an annoyance to a shop owner that has his shop near where Vincent
begs. He doesn’t understand why I sit with him on the ground and
talk with him. Frankly he’s tired of watching Vincent make more
money then him everyday and then go and party on drugs. I may be a
naïve american, but I know thats not how it is at all. The tears on
Vincents knees tell me that, very clearly. So the shop manager
finally asks me why I spend so much time with a dirty drug addict.
My only reasonable response was, “…because Vincent is thirsty.â€�
Monday night, a bunch of us were taken
to a local club that is a front for a brothel so we could prayer
walk. We walk in and the thing that surprised me most was that this
place was actually pretty cool. The bar had a nice atmosphere and
lots of big TV’s with soccer games on. Remove all the working girls,
and you have a place that you could find me with some buddies. But
you walk through the bar and see women in mens arms. You see them
flirting and looking into each others eyes like they’re looking for
something precious thats been lost for years. And in one night they
try to fulfill their hearts desire, but one night is never enough.
“Come, let’s drink deep of love till
morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! My husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey.�
– Proverbs 7:18-19 (NIV)
John chapter 4 captures a conversation
Jesus has with a Samaritan woman. He calls Himself the “living
water�, to imply that once you drink deep of Him you will never go
thirsty again. He then reveals the truth that this woman has been
married 5 times and is now living with a man who is not her husband.
I don’t think Jesus was trying to show how much of a horrible sinner
she was, He was just showing that she was thirsty.
“In the deep recesses of man’s soul
lies an overwhelming yearning toward the Creator. This is a common
thread through all humanity, created in the image of God. Unless and
until that desire is fully met, the human soul remains restless,
constantly striving for that which is ultimately unattainable.�
– A.W. Tozer, ‘Experiencing the
Presence of God’
For me this month was one of great
sifting in me. God was showing me areas of my life where I indulged
in earthly pleasures, when I had what my heart was truly longing for
readily available anytime I want. Like an animal that drinks
anti-freeze because it tastes sweet but is toxic to the body, God was
showing me this in myself. And similar to when you are about to buy
a new car, and you see that car everywhere. Everywhere I seemed to
see people who were desperately thirsty. But just as the
conversation between the Samaritan woman and Jesus ended in worship.
So does every conversation with Jesus. Because that is the solution.
Because just as it is our desire that leads us to every poison, it
should be our desire to worship God and pursue Him. And I’ve begun
to notice the difference between worship out of desire and duty. And
I much prefer desire.
“Indeed, if we consider the
unblushing promises of reward and
the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it
would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too
weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex
and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child
who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot
imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are
far too easily pleased.�
–
C.S. Lewis ‘The Weight of Glory’
