Bangkok Political Drama
15/06/2010 7:27 am
Each morning I check the news on-line and read the newspaper regarding Thailand's political drama. Some mornings seem to offer some hope for a peaceful resolution.
Other mornings suggest a darker outlook - this morning it is reported that a red shirt leader, who boasted that he could not be killed or arrested, was shot by sniper. But, which faction did the sniper represent? Though the OMF Thailand Office is about 20 kilometers from the center of the violent protests, and OMF ministries continue as normal throughout the country, it is an emotional roller coaster!
The Thai are absorbed by this drama as well. This is reflected in recent conversations with Bangkok taxi drivers as I attend meetings or visit people: politics is always the theme. I'm always asked if I'm "red" or "yellow" ("neither"). One driver boldly displayed her red affiliations and declared, "the government is evil!" Another driver complained of lost income due to the protests, and told that most taxis avoid downtown Bangkok. I often have a chance to speak of the heart of man and look for opportunities to speak of the solution in Christ.
The political drama has resulted in fewer people logging into kwamjing.net, our Thai evangelistic web site. One of our office staff feels it is unsafe to attend her church, which is very close to the protest site. She may not be able to attend, anyway, as the government is trying to cut off supplies to the red shirt zone and has closed the area. However, the political drama has increased the attendance at prayer meetings in some churches. And the situation has prompted many inter-church prayer meetings for the country. (Mark Leighton, Field Director, OMF Thailand)
- Pray for Thailand, especially the situation in Bangkok
- Pray that the church will not be divided by political affiliations
- Pray for protection of human life
- Pray that Christians will boldly share their hope in Christ, as the following story illustrates