The Most Unusual Christmas Caroling

Tonight I had one of the most unusual and meaningful evenings of singing Christmas Carols that I have ever had. At 8:00 I met a group at a place called “The Message Parlor” in the Golden Sorya Mall. Love 146 organized the group to sing Christmas Carols in one of the most notorious areas in Phnom Penh for illicit sexual activity. We first met at the Message Parlor to do introductions and pray. It was the largest Friday evening group I have ever seen at the Parlor – probably close to 25 people. In the introductions I was so encouraged to see such diversity of people and places represented in the group. There was a pastor from England there, a group of 4 young Americans who are part of the same team from The World Race (a missions organization that sends young adults to 11 countries in 11 months to serve short-term missions), a young man who works at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, several Cambodians, British, and American staff who work for Love 146, The Message Parlor, and Hard Places Community. After praying together we walked out to the entry to the mall and began singing Christmas Carols – we stood in the same place and sang for about 30 minutes. It was the most unusual setting.

I have sung Christmas Carols at hospitals, going from door to door in a neighborhood, at Christmas parties in homes, and in church, but I have never sung in a setting where only a few feet away people are smoking, drinking beer, and bartering for sex. A young woman came up to the group and stood right in front of us. She began to dance and to applaud. She seemed so lonely and although she smiled it seemed like she was in deep pain. As we sang I looked around the open mall and saw young women wearing tight, short skirts and high heels sitting with middle-aged men who were at tables drinking beer and smoking. Several times I coughed – choking on the cigarette smoke that billowed all about us (even in this open mall). It was such a palpable contrast, so different from any other setting that I have ever sung Christmas Carols in before.

As we sang and I saw all this and I thought that Jesus Christ came to earth and died for every one of us who was there tonight – for these men, for these women, for the woman dancing in front of us, and for each of us who were singing. God’s love is no less, no more, and no different for any one of us. I prayed that God’s Holy Spirit would be unleashed in that place and would break open the hard shells of hearts that kept people from knowing God’s love for them. As I prayed I knew beyond any shadow of doubt that God was in our presence. The Jesus Christ of the New Testament that I know would have been more likely to be singing and mingling with people at Golden Sorya than in the churches and decorated homes I have traditionally sung Carols in.  What a different, beautiful Christmas this has been and will be!