It’s been difficult to put into words what’s been happening these past three weeks. Most people don’t think about Europe when they think about missions. Typically, mission work is equated with third world countries and starving children. Here’s the thing though---Europeans may not be starving, but they are just as spiritually malnourished as any other place. I’m currently in Berlin, and the effects of Nazism and Communism especially have left the culture (at least where I live, in the former East Berlin) with a brokenness I’ve never encountered before. On Saturday night I went with a few others to the Red Light District in Berlin to minister to prostitutes. It was a surreal experience. Most of the women come from Bulgaria, Russia or other nearby countries to ‘work’ in Germany. They openly stand on the streets of this district selling their bodies, sometimes since the age of 14. Often they have drug addictions. Some have children. All are hurting and hardened from years of abusive relationships and neglect. It was an extremely cold night, and here they were barely wearing clothes, hoping to make some money to get by. We tried to talk to them; some were absolutely shut down. Some were crumbling from the core. A particular one, called ‘Vicki,’ stood out to me. She wore fishnets, a bright blue mini-skirt, had tan skin, and big, telling eyes. She only knew German and Bulgarian, so we spoke with her in German. We asked her if she wanted a new life, that Jesus could give her a new life---her chin quivered as she fought back tears, saying that she didn’t think it was possible. My heart was on fire within me, desperately wanting to communicate the full extent of love Jesus has for her, but limited in my German.
A quick note; Berlin is home to a fairly untrusting and distant culture, so extraordinarily different from the Southerners I’m accustomed to in Nashville. No one ever smiles or talks to strangers, let alone gives something to strangers for free. Few people believe in God. Berlin is known as the “Atheist Capital of Europe.” Most are conditioned by broken families and relationships. And as I stood there in the frigid night air, praying more intently than I have in such a while, watching the barren faces of empty prostitutes as drunken college guys and middle-aged business men pulled their cars over, scanning their bodies with cravings no woman could ever satisfy, I felt a variety of things. Standing in, quite blatantly, Satan’s territory, I think I might have felt what Jesus felt. A righteous anger against an enemy who comes to kill, steal and destroy. A relentless desire to establish the Kingdom of God---the presence of Jesus---to make all things new, to heal, to set free, to love, to give joy and peace. And though I don’t have any extraordinary testimonies from my first night of ministry in the Red Light District, I think that, in the words of Brooke Fraser, “I am changing, less and less asleep, made of different stuff than when I began…”
The Christians here are absolutely refreshing though---they are so focused on leading others to encounter Jesus! It has been an awesome reminder to see that we’re called to be witnesses, to testify to the work of His love in our lives, not to defend or argue others into believing. When people encounter the presence of a living, mighty God who loves them unfailingly, they are forever changed. Even the kids here at the ministry understand this. Just the other day, a 12-year-old girl, Regina, was with her friend who had a terrible stomachache. Regina is a Christian; her friend is not. Regina told her friend that Jesus wanted to heal her stomach. Her friend laughed. So Regina replied, “Okay, let me pray for your stomach, and when Jesus heals it completely in 10 minutes, you have to come to Zukunft für Dich with me three times.” And guess what? Her friend’s stomach was completely healed by Jesus, in less than ten minutes. She won’t ever forget that encounter with the Healer!
I quickly realized that in order to do ministry fulltime, it has to be out of an intimate relationship with God. Honestly, being alone in a foreign country and not speaking the language completely fluently is not something I would do if I weren’t in love with God who drew me here---I miss my home in Nashville tremendously! But I was thinking the other day, when we fall in love with someone, we’re willing to sacrifice in order to be with them; and when Jesus is the most beloved, dear treasure to us, we will go wherever for Him, no matter what the cost. When you love someone, you sacrifice because you know that they are more important than yourself, because real, authentic love is putting the other’s good above your own. Jesus gave all for us. We should willingly, joyfully give all for Him. He is our joy, and our hope, and our promise for the future. There are moments when I get overwhelmed doing ministry here alone, but knowing that I am completely in God’s will and held in His strong, unfailing hands, any hint of fear is dispelled.
When we’re in love with someone, we’re passionate about the cares of their hearts---and Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. I want to have His heart for every person I encounter! The Bible says we can judge a tree by its fruit. We should be bearing ‘fruit’ in our lives that looks radically different from the world. But that fruit is only produced out of a love relationship with God in which we take on His heart. Evangelism in the natural overflow of a heart captivated with Jesus. When we’re in love with someone, we want to gush about how their love changes us and excites us! It’s even moreso with Jesus, the Author of love. He’s not an idea, belief, or theology. When He shows up, so do His love and power to change hearts and lives. We owe people an encounter with Him, not petty advertisements. As Christians we get to partner with Jesus and all of heaven to further the Kingdom of God---think about it---beauty, hope, joy, healing, restoration, all things new, goodness, freedom! That’s the fruit I want my life to produce.
Here in Berlin I’m living in an intentional community (WohnGemeinschaft) with three other girls who are in their twenties. They call our “WG” the “Kompromisslos für Jesus.” “Without Compromise for Jesus Living Community.” I’m really in awe of them. They walk around our apartment singing worship throughout the day, and as soon as something comes up that is troublesome, they automatically say, “Let’s pray.” (Only in German, of course.) Our WG is also special because it serves as a therapy place for prostitutes who wish to start their lives anew with Jesus, if they choose to do so. None are here currently, but any day some may come in. We pray they do, but it’s a war. The first few days I was here I was personally under intense spiritual attack. I was extremely sick and overwhelmed with heavy feelings of loneliness. At staff meeting everyone surrounded me in prayer though, and praise Jesus, my stomach was healed, my allergies improved, and so did my perspective! It’s such a blessing to be in a community with people focused on knowing and loving and sharing the presence and power of Jesus. I honestly found it difficult to worship the first few days though; but the longer I’m here, the more I understand why my precious roommates, in their unembellished devotion to God, are able to worship constantly with such joy---because when Jesus is all you have, you realize He’s all you need. It hasn't been easy for me to leave my home and my friends and my work and my stuff and my academic endeavors and everything that seemingly gave me purpose and comfort. But here in Berlin, in a place so absolutely far and different from all I’ve known to be ‘mine,’ I’m realizing that when the only familiar thing to me is Jesus, I have more than enough. Because my joy is not grounded in circumstances or relationships, but in an unchanging, steadfast Father who loves me unfailingly. Hallelujah! And while that doesn’t make being here alone or doing ministry in a foreign culture any easier, it makes it all the more worth it. Jesus’ love makes it worth it all.
As Bob Goff says, “Being the Body of Christ doesn’t mean we wear matching t-shirts; we try to have matching hearts.” Go after His heart today. Let's drop our plans and make Jesus the agenda.
