“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, …..” Psalm 10:17
Statics are important in understanding issues of global significance. We must hear the numbers because they can tell us important facts and help us in our strategies of response. However we must also hear at another level if we are to respond from the heart and from our innermost being. We must hear the stories of the oppressed and the broken from the heart of a parent who agonizes at the pain of THIER child. We must hear with the ears of Gods Spirit ...theie cries of desperation.
Liu, China: Restaurant worker:
“My name is Liu. I was born in the People’s Republic of China in 1976 on my parents’ small farm in Fujian Province. I did not want to be a farmer but I had not studied hard at school and had few skills. It seemed to me that a future in Fujian Province was bad and I was thinking about going to some big city to work. One friend went to Shanghai but he returned to our village after only a few months. Many young people had gone there from many parts of China, but for someone not well educated it was impossible to find good work.
Someone in my village told me he knew a man who could arrange good work in America or Canada. This was of great interest to me and I spoke with this man to arrange everything to find good work in a Western country. A few weeks later, a man called Wang Yi Xiong came to the village. Wang was a “snakehead.” He said it was very possible, but it was complicated to organize documents and travel and a job. Getting to the west would cost 33l,200 Yuan which is almost $40,000 American dollars. My dream was to go to America and work, but now it seemed impossible because it cost so much money. Wang said perhaps if my parents could pay part then I could pay the rest when I arrive in the Western country like America or Canada and had a job making a lot of money. I also could pay the money back to my parents and more so that they would have a good life when they were old. For Chinese people, respect for parents is very great, and I decided this seemed like a good idea. Wang said if my parents would agree, I would just need to pay one-third of the price before leave China and the rest little by little when I arrive in the West until the last of the price was paid. My parents thought it was good for my future and for them too. They said all the money they had saved over the years could be used, because I would find good work and repay them. I was very happy and give to the “snakehead” photos for the passport that he said was necessary.
Some weeks later, I went to Shanghai with the money and met again with Wang and the man who claimed he was the “snakehead’s” representative, a man called Su Baoshan. I also met five more people who were also going to West. The representative had our documents and new clothes because we must travel like tourists and our clothes looked too poor. At the airport we were all very excited because no one had traveled on an airplane before now, and we finally were going to the West. We flew to Bangkok where representatives gave us Korean passports, and then we flew next to Nairobi in Africa as tourists. Su travelled with us and controlled everything. We were not to talk to anyone except certain officials that he knew. When we did not need the passports, he kept them. While we waited in Nairobi before the next airplane took off for Amsterdam, he explained that when we arrived in Amsterdam, we had to say we were political refugees and wanted asylum. He gave us lessons on we must say. I asked why officials would believe these stories, but he laughed and said it was the law. But we were confused because we not want to go to Amsterdam but to America. Su said it would be only for a short time. We would continue to America or Canada later. On the airplane he took our Korean passports and said another representative of “snakehead” would meet us in Amsterdam. Then he tested us on what we were to say to the officials. When we arrived in Amsterdam, we were questioned very closely by the officials who had a Chinese person as an interpreter and then were released and an agent for the Chinese businessmen took us to Brussels. I and two others arrived at an apartment where other Chinese people were living in a very poor part of city. It was very dirty, and we had to sleep on the floor with no heat. There was not even hot water to wash, and the man who was already living in the place said they were often ill because of the cold and little food they received.
Some days later, a man named Guan took me to a Chinese restaurant to work. I started very early in the morning helping to cook and prepare food and then washing dishes and cleaning until late at night after the restaurant closed. The boss was very harsh and all my pay went to the man from the “snakehead” to pay the last of the price for coming to Europe. There was very little left for me to send home even though I was working 16-18 hours every day. After a few months, I was very sick with a skin condition and a cough but still, I had to work and there was no doctor to help. Guan said there was still a lot of money left on my debt for the trip and finding the job in a restaurant, so I had to work every day. If I did not work, I could never complete the trip to America and also my parents in Fujian Province would remain poor until they died. The discipline was very hard as well. One person who came with me from China, was beaten for not working hard enough. After the second time he was beaten, he tried to escape to find work with other Chinese people in Brussels, but was caught by a man from “snakehead.” He was beaten in front of us and locked in a box to show how serious this was. I was very frightened and said I wanted to return to Fujian Province. They said I also would be beaten and locked in a box until I agreed to work. I worked more than three years to pay “snakehead” but it was never enough money to pay everything. If they did not beat me, they threatened to throw me out and fire me and then I would have no money and no hope for completing my travels. In the meantime, my father died and I tried to send as much money as possible to my mother because she had no savings as everything was given to “snakehead” so I could come to the West. I did not know how I would help my mother and continue my travel if the Belgium officials sent me back to China. What or who would be waiting for me in America? Probably more work underground. I felt very tired from living.”
Reflection: People in slavery are very often drained of hope, self-worth and a sense of belonging. Jesus faced many people in his world who were enslaved by cultural taboos, demonic oppression, etc. He always responded with grace. Radical grace! He responded by restoring hope, self-worth and a sense of community. As we hear the cry of those in our world who are oppressed and broken may we also hear our God calling us to action. It’s not so important how BIG the action is as it is how faithful the response. Am I taking the steps of faithfulness that God is showing me? I will not wait for everyone else to get on board before I decide that I can do something. I will seek out those who God is raising up to address issues of Justice ( Gods process of bringing his rightness to the world) and Shalom (Gods fullness, healing, completion in the world) I will open mys.elf to the possibility that God may wish to utilize me in a way that bring Justice and Shalom
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