A year ago I posted a couple of writings about Barnabas Mam, a Cambodian survivor of Pol Pot’s reign of terror. Through a friend who works with ‘Ambassadors for Christ,’ Barnabas came to the house a couple of weeks ago and shared with our community.
In the Body of Christ, heroes of the faith are also dear brothers or sisters in Christ. Though he has suffered in prison, in refugee camps, and in a ravaged nation, Barnabas humbly encouraged American Christians to simply keep our eyes on the Good Shepherd, who knows each sheep by name and expertly leads us.
At the close of our time together, eleven-year-old John gave sixty-five year old Barnabas a big hug and said, “Won’t you eat with us?” Of course Barnabas accepted the invitation. It is beautiful to see the older children of God invest in the younger.
From 1975 – 1979, an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians were murdered in Pol Pot’s ‘Killing Fields.’ Barnabas is one of only about two hundred Christians who survived. Today he is part of an amazing work God is doing to welcome the lost into His Kingdom, as there are now approximately 500,000 Christians in Cambodia.
People are coming to Christ in droves. It isn’t rare to attend a baptism of 300, 500, 700, or even 1000 people. Local pastors perform these baptisms, and I, filled with joy, watch my younger brothers wade into the river or lake with so many new believers. It is a feast for my eyes.
The streams of God’s goodness are flowing in Cambodia today. And the result is exactly what the Psalmist said. One little phrase, slipped into the beginning of Psalm 23, reminds me of the Shepherd’s intended outcome through every twist and turn, every hill and valley, at every table.
He leads, we follow, and it is all “for His name’s sake.” Together, we are bringing honor to His name. In an amazing act of solidarity, the Shepherd and His sheep share the same goal: the glory of God.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3
(Quote from Church Behind the Wire, by Barnabas Mam with Kitti Murray, ©2012 Moody Publishers, p 349)