Privileged and Privileged

John 1 vs 5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it

I have recently returned home after 2 weeks in Bangladesh!

Those are not words that I ever thought I would write!

Nor were they even on the horizon for most of this year!

Until a couple of months ago, when God decided I had been in my comfortable and safe corner for long enough! That is another story for another blog – suffice to say, it was His inviting me out of that safe corner that led to my going to Bangladesh!!

Bangladesh, which is neither safe nor comfortable! But a beautiful, heartbreaking country of contrasts.

A country that I was privileged to visit, and where I recognised that I am, indeed, immensely privileged! And where I had the real blessing and privilege to minister to some beautiful people who have chosen to listen to God’s heart and call to live and work in this crazy country!

Bangladesh, where 171 million people live in an area smaller than England and Wales – just over half the land area of NZ.

Where 40 million people squash into Dhaka alone.

A country of beautiful trees, flowers, lakes and rivers.

A country of polluted waterways and vast roadside rubbish dumps, where women and children scrabble to find something to sell so they can eat – and cows and goats eat whatever they can find in the rubbish.

A country of beautiful bright textiles and clothes. But where women often work 7 days a week in sweat shops to produce those textiles – their only thought being, how do they feed their family if they don’t work there?

Bangladesh – a country of beautiful, large eyed children laughing and running free. But also a country where girls are married off by their families as young teenagers – their families being too poor to educate them or keep them longer.

Where these children go on to bear children themselves, and where you can be a grandmother at 30.

A country where beggars live on streets outside mansions – where rich and poor dwell together but never meet.

Where poverty is so prevalent and so visible – where too many are simply trying to survive, day by day.

A country and people that I was hugely privileged to visit – and I am truly blessed and truly grateful for this opportunity.

A country where I was respected everywhere I went – actually they really do like New Zealand! And cricket! Which definitely helped at the airport and visa counter!

But a country where I was also challenged – Challenged, and often uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable with my privilege – because I am very privileged.

I don’t have to ask permission from my government to leave my country.

I have a home, income, a loving and supportive husband, a healthy family.

I have food, warmth and clothes – all in abundance.

I have the freedom to come and go as I want.

I had freedom and opportunity for education.

I had freedom to choose who I married and when, and what I wanted to do with my life.

My daughters are highly educated, and have freedom of choice for their lives – they weren’t ever destined to be married off to the highest bidder as a teenager.

I have security and freedom and hope for the future – I am truly privileged.

A privilege I was starkly reminded of in Bangladesh.

Meeting women who had been rescued from trafficking. Knowing that these are the fortunate ones. They have been rescued; they are being taught life skills, business skills that they need to maybe, one day, rise out of poverty. Their children are being educated in the hope of breaking the poverty cycle in the next generation too.

Seeing babies born to children in the maternity ward of the mission hospital. Knowing that these are the fortunate ones. They are cared for and respected. They are taught mother-craft skills, and how to look after themselves as well as their babies – so that the children of these children have a much greater chance of survival and life.

I was truly privileged – and am truly privileged.

And my heart senses a tiny piece of the heart of God for this country. For the teeming masses, all hoping for a better future. Hope without hope – how much does God’s heart grieve over the injustices, pollution and poverty? Over the greed of our developed nations that feeds this broken system.

I am very privileged – I have a choice as to how and where to live.

How will I use this privilege going forwards? How will I choose to live? How can I somehow reflect the grace of God and the light of Hope into the dark places?

I have just returned home after 2 weeks in Bangladesh.

And for this short snapshot of life there, I am immensely grateful;

And for the beautiful people who have chosen to live and work and minister God’s heart there – thank you for inviting me to share this time with you;

And for the beautiful people I met in these communities, whose smiles shine so brightly in the dark – may you come to know the Light of Life that no darkness can ever overcome.

I am immensely privileged – and my prayer as I settle back into life in NZ, is that I don’t just re-enter my comfortable safe corner again, but see how God can use this privilege He has blessed me with – use my life to shine His light a little brighter, to encourage those working on the front-line a little more, and to be a reflection of His heart wherever and whatever that looks like.

You and I are both privileged and privileged.

I wonder – how do you relate to those words? Why not take time with a cuppa and listen to God’s heart for you and for the communities where you live – how are you both privilege and privileged? And how does God want to use that privilege for good – to shine His light a little brighter on the streets around you? And where does He simply invite you to be thankful – for the immense privilege of being His beloved child, and for His light and life that no darkness will ever overcome.