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“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa February, 2025 A video of him drinking the bottle of whisky rapidly before a cheering crowd went viral on social media. In addition, some party-goers made other video recordings of the incident. Afterward, according to reports, Thanakarn appeared sick, vomited, and was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Prior to his death, Thanakarn sang rap songs and accepted various paid challenges to draw customers to his business selling garlands at a flea market. He had posted on social media: “I am willing to be bullied and insulted to just get scraps of money from the rich people in order to provide for my family.” After his parents separated when he was just two months old, Thanakarn was raised by his grandmother, and his family was his priority. More than 12% of Thailand’s population lives in poverty, and Thanakarn appears to have been in that number, allowing himself to be humiliated in exchange for money to support his family. When I read Thanakarn’s story, I naturally thought of the familiar passage from Isaiah: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, / he was crushed for our iniquities; / the punishment that brought us peace was on him, / and by his wounds we are healed.” (53:5 New International Version). Thanakarn allowed himself to be abused and humiliated for his family’s sake, and Christ allowed himself to be abused and humiliated for our sake (1 Pet. 2:21-24). Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth that “. . . for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9b NIV). The creator of the universe gave up everything to become human, so he could die in agony for you and me (Phil. 2:6-8). Jesus told his followers, “‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” (Luke 9:23b NIV). It wasn’t enough to “take up their cross” once, they had to do it every day—and so do we. Paul called himself an imitator of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1) and we should imitate Christ too. That includes his sacrificial nature and his attitude toward those less fortunate than we are (Matt. 5:42, 25:31-46). When we see others being abused or humiliated because of their status, as Thanakarn was, we’re called to stand up for them (Prov. 31:8-9). The late missionary, author and speaker Elisabeth Elliott wrote, “. . . Each occasion offers me a choice. Will I go with Him (which means accepting the Cross) or will I accept the invitation of the enemies of Jesus: Come down from the Cross?” Each moment of each day, we have a choice, to accept the way of the cross or the way of the world (Rom. 12:2, 1 John 2:15-17), to accept Christ or reject him, to follow him or not. Methodists like me don’t usually talk much about accepting Christ. But the decisions we make, what we choose to do or not do, are the result of either accepting or rejecting Christ. Each time we choose to do or not do God’s will, each time we choose to “take up [our] cross” or not, we’re choosing once again to accept or reject Christ. If we accept whatever the way of the cross might bring, it means rejecting what might be the easier alternative. As we approach St. Valentine’s Day, a day dedicated to love, let’s remember that as Thanakarn the entrepreneur loved his family, Christ the Savior loved us (John 15:9, 1 John 4:19). Our response must be to love our neighbors as ourselves (John 15:12). “He was despised and rejected by mankind, / a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. / Like one from whom people hide their faces / he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. / Surely he took up our pain / and bore our suffering,” (Isa. 53:3-4a NIV.) Copyright © 2025 by David Phelps
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