Gospel Prism

Would you sell your body for sex or watch your children die of starvation? This is the real life choice that many women have in Nigeria. In speaking with George Snyman, CEO of Hands at Work, Africa, he was telling some of us that in talking to some women in Nigeria, this is an every day occurrence. Women there cannot go to the nearby Salvation Army shelter or the downtown Food Bank. He was telling us that people are stick thin already and mothers are selling their bodies so their children can barely survive.

How does the Church respond to such a predicament? I know some of us are thinking, “There must be a way for these woman not to resort to this sin.” I wonder if the Church would come in to try to convert these Muslim women to the Lord but leave them with nothing other than a word. George was telling us that he promised those women that he would try to bring food, medicine, and condoms. And condoms?!! What?!!! That’s terrible, does this mean that he is actually promoting the sin of prostitution? I sat there and listened to this man who has a burden to see these women not only cared for but also turn to the Lord. But what would that take? Would it take actually giving them condoms? Here’s his thinking and boy did it make me think about the power of the Gospel.

For these women and children to survive, to get the bare minimum of food, they need some money, no matter how little that money is. Now if the church comes in and convinces these women to quit prostitution and does not try to feed them and care for them and give them a job, then these women and children are as good as dead. They will die of starvation almost immediately because they have nothing. I absolutely know that it would be far better for these women to know Christ and die of starvation than to not know Christ and live bountifully. Since I believe in an eternity of heaven or hell, to suffer and die and go to be with the Lord is far better than to live for the moment and suffer eternally. But this is often not the choice for these women. They will not heed the Gospel if their children are dying. So as a stopgap measure, feeding them for the moment, giving them condoms to protect against AIDS and STDs and sharing the Gospel is what George proposes. What a difficult scenario, but these are life and death issues that are faced around the world every day.

It is easy to judge these women from a full stomach, children dressed in GAP clothes perspective. But would you rather see your children die of starvation or sell your body to the person who can supply you with food? For those without Christ the answer is simple. For those in Christ, given the same circumstances, I wonder what the answer would be. I know one thing, it is easier to judge that person, than to promise to feed that child until he grows to be a man. But this is exactly what the Church must consider before pointing the finger at her.