To Geylang with love

On my first caroling practice followed by street outreach in Geylang on 16 Dec, I was very heavy-hearted. Most of the pimps were senior citizens, your average uncles and even aunties. The person-in-charge has forged a relationship with them over 5 years such that there is mutual respect and yes, they are friends. One offered us drinks, almost all were friendly to us. We didn't get to really interact with the ladies cos all were not allowed to come out and meet us. At most, we could only see them from outside the brothels. One pimp didn't even know a street lady's name. He knew her as number 12.

I remembered one brothel girl. I was full of pity for her. I was so afraid that she could see my emotion on my face. I'm one who shuns pity. I don't believe in pitying people. What people need is not pity but empathy. That we try to put ourselves in their shoes and think like they do. I see her as a woman, just like me. She's not a commodity, not a transaction. She's not what she wears. She's first and foremost, made in God's image.

Yesterday, Christmas Eve, my most memorable one spent in Geylang from 630pm-1030pm. I sang until I felt soreness in the throat. Outside the first two brothels, I was choked with emotions. What are these women doing here? Why are they not treasuring themselves? Don't they know how sacred and precious their bodies are? No matter how friendly the pimp was, I know, he knows, that this is wrong but why, oh why, for money, they are betraying their souls? 

All these questions may not have the same answers. I can be asking God all the whys in my life, thinking that unless all my whys are being answered to my satisfaction, I will not, I cannot move or start a new thing. But does God reveal all the answers? Or does He say, "Trust me, I will show you how to do it." Many times, I only know why after I have gone through each challenge and I would, "Oh..., thank God You didn't give me what I had wanted!"  

As the night progressed, I learnt to capture the reason of why I was there. There were 77 of us, split into 3 groups, with different songs. No matter the reasons for why the pimps, the prostitutes, the customers were there, we were there to bring Christ to them. By being there, no one is saying that all these are right in God's eyes. Just like how God loves us. He loves us first in spite of all of our wrongs and convicted us of our sins. In my heart, I pray that there would be no more demand and thus no more supply. Man would see prostitution as a heart condition and how its ugliness ruins lives.

We went to 32 brothels altogether, not including open spaces.  We were told not to take any picture or video of the brothels, ladies and customers. Well, in the end we were captured in almost every lady's handphone. My chair made me famous. Two brothel girls specifically took solo pictures with me, one even kissing me on my cheek. I was checking my heart. Did I feel disdain? No, she's just like any woman friend. Just that I don't like lipstick on my face :)

More than half of the brothel girls are from Thailand, followed by China and Vietnam. They were truly happy to receive us. Many were young and pretty, some even sweet and innocent. Really. I can tell. I don't know what I can do, even if I were to go there annually. But I trust that our being there, no strings attached, not looking at the ladies as commodities but treating them as fellow human beings, warm their hearts. Love compels us to first see a person's worth as divorced from his deeds. What we are, is not what we do. What we do is judged by the standards of God. 

We went into this lane where there was illegal gambling. There were 2 areas where many people gathered. We positioned ourselves, facing them. I don't know about others but I sang with all my might cos yes, I wanted to wake them up with the messages of God in the songs, "一件礼物" etc.

In my mind, there was this concern. Were we in danger zone cos we were so loud and they were doing business? Then I saw two foreign workers bringing water and soft drinks to us. They were kind gestures from the illegal gambling owners!

Man has a heart. But many times, it can be focused on the wrong things. Definitely we were having spiritual warfare there. The people saw us as just singing cos it was Christmas. They didn't know that battles were raging in the spiritual realm.

It is easier to love God than to love man. However, to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength also requires us to love man made in His image. If we cannot love man, we cannot love God. Both are linked for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.   

Eternal life is only meaningful when we love God. 

God's Word is just theory when we don't practise it. Before I joined the caroling, I'm just like you. In theory, I remember. But to be there, to hug the very people that the world despises; the prostitutes, is not dirty when I remember that they are as valuable as you and me. I do not and will not agree with what they do but I will always remember: love can exist in disagreement of opinions, lifestyles...

In fact, if love dissipates when opinions clash, then we must question if love ever existed in the first place.