The Journey 318

Read: Acts 18: 1-4

Normally ladies would have a number of bracelets and bangles that adorn their wardrobe. These bracelets and bangles come in different shape and colour and make and is worn on different occasion. It is normally adorned to enhance ones beauty or may be worn just casually. But a woman named Jessica Hendricks has used the business of making bracelets and bangles into a social entrepreneurship for fighting the cause of human sex trafficking and for creating awareness to others about this inhuman act and injustice in society. Jessica was a student of New York University who ventured to go to Thailand to teach English in the summer. When she reached Cambodia she was fascinated the Cambodian temples and the beauty associated with its culture and heritage. But soon she realized that along with these beautiful images of temples, she also witnessed huge volume of sex trafficking in the country. The images of young girls being lined up on streets for sex trafficking was horrifying for her. She decided to do something so as to create an awareness not only in the United States but also in Cambodia. In order to be creative and relevant, she embarked on the idea of creating bracelets that could be crafted in Cambodia with the local materials so as to raise awareness about the issue. Thus Jessica launched a collection of bracelets titled “The Brave Collection”. All the bracelets had the inscription “Klahan” which means brave in Khmer, the native language of Cambodia. The word describes the people who fight against human trafficking and people who are victims of it and are now fighting to live a life free of being a sex worker. This paved way for Jessica to make “The Brave Collection” not just as non profit organization but convert into a social entrepreneurship company, so that earning through the business of bracelets and bangles creates not only financial gains but also in the process creates awareness and empowers people affected through human trafficking. With Jessica venturing into social entrepreneurship, there are many others also who are slowly venturing into such business field where a person uses his business skills or his acumen and talents not only in terms of marketing but also in contribution to creating of a new social consciousness in people. I think Jessica stands as a good model to all of us who can use our professional talents and other career resources to fund and also sustain the cause for the extension of God’s kingdom on the earth. The bible also carries models where there were people who were social entrepreneurs with a consciousness for gospel. Let us look at a couple who was a entrepreneur but also had a passion for the Lord and for spreading the gospel.

The portion that we shall use for our mediation as we mediate on our theme “Transformed Living” is from Acts 18: 1-4, 18,19. This portion describes a couple named Aquila and Priscilla whom Paul describes and commends as his fellow workers who risked their life for gospel and also for him. Who is Aquila and Priscilla and why are they commended by Paul?. How does this couple become a model of a Christian social entrepreneurship?. Both Aquila and Priscilla had to leave Rome because in 52 AD, the emperor Claudius had issued an edict expelling all Jews from Rome. That is how they come to Corinth and it is here that we find Paul meeting this couple and partnering with them for the sake of gospel. I think the point of contact for all three of them could be that since Paul was also a tent maker, who wanted to be independent in his ministry, he sought to contact fellow tent makers so that the church’s that he founded could be independent rather than forcing them to support him and his ministry. Here we find that both Priscilla and Aquila were very hospitable and they often invited Paul to stay with them and this was the beginning of a long lasting friendship and also the venture of Aquila and Priscilla into ministry through their business. Later in 1 Corinthians 16: 19, we find Paul conveying not only the greeting from the church of Asia to the church in Corinth but also from Aquila and Priscilla. Here we find the couple moving along with Paul in the journey for the spreading of the gospel. The couple also supported Paul and his ministry and this could be through their trade of tent making. Moreover we also find Paul commending them because they risked their lives for him and also for the fact that the church of gentiles are grateful to them.[ Romans 16: 3-5]. Here is a wonderful example of a couple who uses their business for the furtherance of the gospel, to support the leaders of the church and are ready to sacrifice their interest for the spread of the gospel. It is sad today that we live in a time when the church and its leaders often convert ministry into a multi million dollar industry and business, relegating into oblivion the sacrifices and model of the early church leaders like Aquila and Priscilla. There are also people like Jessica of Brave Collection who uses business to create social awareness, ready to risk and forego certain privileges for the empowerment of others. As we try to live a transformed lives through Christ, our Lord calls us to a life where we need to convert every aspect of our life, career and our profession into a means of ministry rather than making God’s ministry into a means of business and profession.

Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum