For the people of Cambodia, talk of the 70's brings up bad memories of when the Khmer Rouge took control–arresting and torturing and killing all the educated people in the country, forcing all those living in the city to go into the country and work in the rice paddies.
This week, my team and I visited the Toul Sleng Museum which seeks to honor those killed in this high-school-turned-torture-and-murder-grounds. Here are some questions I have been asking and reflecting on…I have no answers for them…so I invite you to reflect on them yourself:
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–As I looked into the eyes of the people in the photographs–those soon facing death–I wonder what they were thinking about. How were they not all crying? Why does there seem to be peace in some eyes, horror in many, defiance and anger in others?
–What did it sound like in those halls lined with hundreds of tiny cells? Was there screaming, crying, rattling of shackles? Or was it still and eerily quiet? What did it smell like? The stench of urine, smelly feet, old soup? What did it look like? Blood on the walls, empty eyed people just staring at the walls, torture devises waiting for the next victim?
–What about the soldiers, guards, and leaders? What happened in their hearts to get them to the point were they could commit such atrocities? Was their heart truly in it? If it wasn't, did God have mercy on them? If their hearts were hardened, how did it happen?
–Did the Lord show the prisoners mercy in their suffering? At the end of their life did they cry out to Buddha or Jesus or anyone at all? How did the Lord reveal Himself amidst such chaos? I have to believe He did somehow…
In seeking some answers, the Lord led me to Matthew 5:1-10, the Beatitudes (the first version is from The Message, the second is from the ESV translation). Really it just raises more questions. Ponder them along with me and share your thoughts…
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule."
The people sitting in those cells were at the end of their rope. They had nothing left to save or help them. Did the Lord just let them fall off into the abyss or was He there to catch them?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
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"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you."
The soldiers and the prisoners had lost everything–their families, friends, homes, jobs. Who, besides the Lord, was left to hug and comfort them day after day?
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
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"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."
Could anyone in this situation be content with themselves? Those in the cells were stripped of their humanity and every material thing they had…what was left for them to cling to? Could the guards and torturers be content with their actions? How did they defend their actions in their minds? Did they choose evil or did it seek them out and capture them? In the end, what could they call their own?
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
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"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. His food and drink are the best meal you'll ever eat."
The soldiers were fed enough to get by on. The prisoners were starving to death. Both had hungry souls. They were running on empty, leaving more room for Jesus to work His way in. Did He fill them? Even just one or two of them? Could Buddha comfort them as they lie dying in their cells? Did Jesus walk the rows of cells, loving, healing, ministering, and holding the broken?
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
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"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for."
Did a soldier ever sneak a prisoner to safety, spare him a torture session, or give him an extra portion of food? Did a prisoner ever speak a kind word to a dying inmate, care for another's wound, or sing to a crying, sick baby? Was their small act, full of care, enough to receive the Lord's care in return?
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
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"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world."
In the last moments of life, did a soldier realize all the wrong he had committed? In the last breaths, did a prisoner look deep into himself and realize "I am more than just another dying soul in this wretched place. I am a person who has a story and a family and a legacy. I am more than anything these people can do to me." In those moments, did God reveal Himself?
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
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"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family."
Was there ever a soldier who stood up on behalf of a prisoner? Were there prisoners who stepped in to save others? Where did that ounce of compassion come from? Did the One who created us in His image brightly shine through those actions?
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
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"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom"
Were there any Christians who were in the cells that tried to share Christ with others? Was good ever attempted and evil cast aside for even just a brief moment? Did anyone stand up to the wrong and injustice because it didn't feel right and get punished for it?
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Again–I have few answers. The Lord knows and He doesn't have to reveal anything to me.
But I know He is a God of justice, truth, compassion, power, and love and I have to trust He did and continues to do the right and just thing.
