The Holy & The Commonplace
Part of my family's tradition of celebrating Advent centers around opening a small gift and singing a Christmas song in the mornings leading to December 25th. This year, as we celebrated the 12th day of Advent, I watched as my two older sons opened a small gift. My six-year-old scrunched his nose as he sounded out the name of the Christmas song written on a piece of paper inside the package. "Oh Holy Night," it read. We started singing it together, but as we came to the second verse, I couldn't remember the words. Naturally, I said, "Alexa, play 'Oh Holy Night.'"
As Josh Groban's voice filled our kitchen and living room, I listened and felt the joy of Christmas rush over me. When the third verse came up, I heard it fresh, like I was hearing it for the first time.
"Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love, and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother; And in His name, all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy name."
The line, "Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother, and in His name, all oppression shall cease," got my attention. This song, penned before the Civil War, referenced the hope of abolishing slavery in the United States.
Its words were from a different time, but they resonated with me in my living room that morning.
It's easy for me to get caught up in the tension between the horror of what happens to children trafficked in South Asia and the promise that God will make all things right someday.
Throughout 2020, I've been reminded repeatedly about what Jesus calls "The Kingdom of Heaven" in John 13. In His parables about The Kingdom, Jesus elevates and honors the overlooked and commonplace. While studying this theme, I heard multiple teachers say, "The Kingdom of God is where God is King." So by definition, God's Kingdom appears wherever we see glimpses of His rule, making our broken world whole again.
When I see children rescued from human trafficking and forced labor, I see my brothers and sisters gaining new life through the good news about Jesus, education, and vocational training. I see The Kingdom of God coming to them but also extending from them as they learn to give back for others sacrificially. God's law of love and gospel of peace breaks the chains of our brothers and sisters who have been trafficked, enslaved, and rejected by society.
God is on a mission to rescue kids from slavery in India, and He has invited us to be a part.
A couple of weeks ago, a rock quarry supervisor brought about 50 kids to The Sylom Children's Home and dropped them off late one night. This Hindu man risked his job and his life to rescue children. Through him, we see yet another glimpse into God's Kingdom, even though he doesn't yet know Jesus. Those 50 kids have been harmed by others, but now they have a chance to be healed and made whole again.
A decade ago, potential rescuers had nowhere to take children they wanted to rescue. Now because of you, when we sing "Oh Holy Night," we can rejoice at the connection we now have with the rescued children. They are our brothers and sisters because of Jesus' coming at Christmas. God's Kingdom is here among us in small ways as a sign that the best is yet to come.
As a part of our Coalition, you're spreading the good news of Jesus to children rescued from physical and spiritual darkness. Thank you for partnering with us as we prepare to remember the night when Jesus made the commonplace holy.