Link Chapters

Being on a Christian campus can be really overwhelming because there are so many good organizations, but I feel like people are especially drawn to LiNK because of the severity of the issue, and the change we can actually make in the lives of refugees.

A thing I didn’t expect to come with working with LiNK is how liberating it is to me spiritually. It’s just so unconsequential that as our main focus is liberation and ending the human crisis, we end up applying that focus to ourselves spiritually. I didn’t think about this correlation until our team went to Tapestry Church in Granite City last weekend. (Listen to the audio here if you’re interested: http://crdbrdastrnt.posterous.com/tapestry-community-is-our-mission)
This is the most free I have felt in such a long time. All of my struggles just seem so small in comparison the the world’s struggles. It changes my perspective, it alters my way of thinking, and that changes my life.

So many people are struggling, physically and spiritually. LiNK isn’t a “Christian” organization, and it mostly focuses on liberating the physically bounded, which we do support completely. But as a chapter of LiNK on campus, we will not neglect the spiritual bondage of those in North Korea, and even those around us. I’ve been thinking, caring about North Korea is not necessarily easy. It’s easy to just pass it up because it has no relation to us, or so it may seem. In order for people to become as passionate about rescuing North Koreans, it needs to become personal for them, it needs to stir up some kind of rage or frustration, it needs to hit them at the core and compel them to want to do something. As we focus on liberty in North Korea in a physical sense, I can’t help but find a way to relate that focus to our campus. People are physically bounded in North Korea, and that breaks my heart, but, people I talk to or see every day are spiritually bounded by sin and need to be set free, and that breaks my heart even more.

While we do whatever we can to set the captives free, we need to do whatever we can to turn those who are spiritually suffering to a relationship with God, so that He will free them spiritually, because their eternity relies on that. As a LiNK chapter on campus, we are each growing individually through this experience. We are realizing the correlation of physical and spiritual bondage, and as we do physical things to rescue those in physical bondage, we are praying for them spiritually as well.

The North Korean religion is to worship Kim Jong Il. They are brainwashed into thinking they have it the best and refer Kim Jong Il as “dear leader” or “great leader.” They do not know of anything else, and we pray that as they are being liberated from the harsh conditions, that they will find God and hope and realize they can be freed spiritually too. Our LiNK chapter can’t just focus on North Korea and ignore the suffering around us. Here we can actually talk to people, encourage them, build impacting and meaningful relationships as well as pray for them. I think our team is realizing this, our LiNK meetings are becoming deeper, and I think this idea will draw people to want to work with us and support our efforts. I find this motivating and encouraging, and it’s only been our first semester as a chapter. I think LiNK has potential to become something huge, and that excites me.

-Carrie