"Dancers who dance upon injustice"
Last Sunday, I was worshipping in Doi Saket, Thailand with all of the kids in our four orphan homes in that town. Today, I’ll be with the kids from all five of our Battambang, Cambodia homes.
I’ll be teaching today from 1 Kings 7 – the story of the four lepers during the siege of Samaria. Not the most famous of all Bible stories, but I think it’ll be fun. It’s got war, leprosy and cannibalism. What more could a kid want in a story?
I’m still a little tired from last night’s party. We bought pon moan aang (grilled chicken eggs) and Coca-Cola (carbonated high-fructose corn syrup) – both are special treats that the kids love.
We started at about 5pm with a big ol’ unruly game of ‘capture the flag’ – boys versus girls. It’s hard to tell who won. For the very little kids, we played ‘duck duck goose.’
At dusk, we stretched a big sheet on a couple of sticks, hooked up a projector and sound system and watched a DVD of funny commercials from around the world. And then we danced.
And danced. And danced.
For at least three hours (and maybe longer – I left at around 9:30), staff, kids and guests danced in the cool night air to Cambodian hip-hop and club music. Now, dancing in our context isn’t the bump-and-grind you’d picture in an American night club or high school prom. It’s more like hopping around in a circle making hand motions. For hours.
The lightning that crackled across the horizon provided some extra ambience, while the thunder added some bass. And even though I didn’t grow up dancing very much (or very well, for that matter), I had a fantastic time.
If there’s a better picture of the Kingdom of God than a dance party at an orphan home, I can’t think of one. These kids have had so much pain. It’s great to see them enjoying themselves with such complete abandon.
As I returned to my hotel, the words of a song we sometimes sing at my church echoed in my head:
“Open up the doors and let the music play. Let the streets resound with singing! Songs that bring your hope, songs that bring your joy. Dancers who dance upon injustice.”
Thanks again for your prayers and your support. I know I’ve said it before, but it truly is an honor to serve these kids on your behalf.