Sharing Hope

I was asked to preach many times while staying with the Karen during my month long stay. This photo was taken on perhaps the most emotional occasion of my preaching—Easter Sunday. Thra Simon, the KKBBSC seminary president was my translator and I was terrified in many ways to speak to the Karen that morning. Many preachers wait all year for the big Easter sermon—but I was struggling with how to give hope to people who hourly live with murder, rape, and destruction. Who was I to tell them to keep faithful? Yet Easter is the day we are reminded of our true hope—Christ’s resurrection. I reminded them of our Lord who suffered more pain and shame than any of us will ever know. That day I stopped pitying the Karen as I began for the first time to understand them.