I started crying in the middle of the mall the other day. Well, mall isn't actually the best word since for many of us it conjures up pictures of giddy teens hanging out at the food court, while SIAM PARAGON - the most prestigious shopping experience in Bangkok - feels more like a pristine marble palace. Surrounded as I was by high fashion (Gucci,Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton) and fast cars, (BMW, Porche, Ferrari) I felt slightly conspicuous with tears pouring down my cheeks, but I couldn't stop myself. In the very middle of this premier shopping center, I found a gallery displaying photos of the recent flooding in southern Thailand. Pictures showing houses and lives in destruction contrasted oddly and uncomfortably with the wealth so near to me. I cried not just for what they had lost - homes, family, life, businesses - but I cried also for what we had not given. I cried for what I had not given.
As we do campus ministry in Thailand, I find myself, the staff, and students of this ministry dealing with the issue of materialism far too often. The problem isn't just about stuff, but about the self-centeredness that leads to a materialistic attitude. Many American people assume that we don't deal with these issues in "missions," but the need to succeed and make money is a global problem. Students here at Thammasat University know that they've been accepted into one of the top ranking universities in the country, and they know their parents expect them to become doctors, lawyers and engineers so that they can live the high life. A campus community can ignite a passion for selfless surrender, in much the same way that a photo gallery in the middle of a fashion parade can stir a selfish person to tears.
This desire to impact Bangkok through students has always driven our ministry, The Grapevine, since it's founding 8 years ago. We see lives changing as our student leadership grows and our alumni move out into the city. These students, many of whom are not yet Christians, nurture community growth because they have experienced a difference in their own lives, and want others to experience the difference of living for someone other than oneself. The staff often tells them that “the grapevine is about God's love reaching out through us to draw other people in,” and they've taken that responsibility seriously.
It's a modest sort of ministry, because that's what we're seeking to reproduce - modesty and genuine interactions. Parties and Bible studies take place in a simple yet creative storefront, free food and English provide the appeal, and the Bible lays the moral foundation. But it is the "photo gallery" experience and seeing life from God's point of view that makes our student community so important. We hope to give our students a picture of "others," that will compel them to tearful action in the midst of a selfish world.
