Thus far on the World Race we have had the opportunity to see a number of countries, and through this have been blessed to see and experience many different things. However, probably the most eye-opening thing that I have witnessed so far was a couple weeks back in Peru when we went to hang out at a garbage dump for the afternoon. We had heard that there were people living and working at the dump, so we thought it would be a good experience to go check it out and try to bring love to these people.
About a twenty minute drive from where we were staying, the dump was on the edge of town. The bus we were in was dead quiet as we approached the gate, the smell of burning garbage and dead animals filled our nostrils. Not knowing what to expect conditions to be like when we arrived, I had prepared myself for the possibility of the worst. However conditions weren’t as bad as I thought they might be, nonetheless, it was still a garbage dump.
On our way we were able to purchase some bananas and apples and bring them with us to hand out to the people living there, which of course was greatly appreciated.
In all we found out that there is about two hundred people living at that particular dump, many of whom were women and children. From what i saw I would guess garbage was piled over a half-section, constantly burning to reduce the space. The livelihood of the people there consists of rooting through the garbage with sticks in hopes of finding one, any sort of food, and two, different recyclable materials such as glass, plastics, and cardboard. They would collect such materials in bags, place them on a horse-drawn cart, which would then take them to the recycle depot in exchange for a small amount of money. I have no idea how the money is dispersed, or if it is even divided equally.
Not long after walking around, I really had the desire to try to talk to some of these people. But with my Spanish being what it is, I grabbed one of my teammates, Sarah, who speaks Spanish pretty well. We were able to start a conversation with a woman, only after what felt like bribing her with a banana! Ha. After a few minutes of awkward conversation she really began to open up to us and share with us about her life. A sad story, her name was Biani, a twenty-nine year old single mother with four children. The youngest being just four months was sick and was being cared for by her other kids at home. (we didn’t actually get to see where they lived)
Biani had married at sixteen, and somewhere along the way her husband had left her for another woman. With no skills to bring in money and provide for her children, out of desperation she had come to the dump nine years ago. Everyday she would work, going through garbage just trying to survive and provide as best she could for her children. She said that she knew God and that she had put her faith in him, but it was clear that she was frustrated and angry with him. She began to cry telling us how the only thing she wanted to do was to be able to provide her kids and how she felt like a failure as a mother because of her inability to give them good things. It was really difficult to hear her desire for such basic provisions, one that so many of us take for granted. Understandably she had said that if it wasn’t for her kids she would have no desire to continue living. At this point there was nothing we could say to make her feel better or justify her situation, so we did the best thing we knew to do in such circumstances, pray. We were able to pray and speak life into her, it was really encouraging to see how God was able work in her through us, and by the time we left a little bit of joy had returned to her spirit. And just us listening to her and being sympathetic towards her helped to boost her spirits.
Stories like this force us to think about life and begs the question ‘If God is all powerful and all loving, why then is there so much evil and suffering in the world?’ There is no easy answer to this question. Sometimes people fall victim to circumstance or lifestyle choices, resulting in negative consequences as such. God does not desire evil to exist in our world, it does not give him pleasure or bring glory to his name to see people, his sons and daughters created in his own image suffering. The truth is that we do not live in heaven now, but rather we live in a fallen world ruled by the prince of darkness. All evil is a result of his work and his desire to see us as fallen beings separated from God. God is not evil, nor does he tempt anyone, (James 1:13) nor does he cause evil. But when we choose to sin, the consequences of that sin is death, resulting in separation from God. Yes we believe in an all powerful God, so we believe that God is able to supernaturally invade and change circumstances, but one reason he doesn’t always change circumstances is because he loves us so much that he gave us free will.
Because of our free will, we freely choose to reject God and follow the desires of our flesh, and when we do this evil is allowed to take form. God did not create robots forced to love him, but instead it is our free choice of following evil that brings suffering on earth. It isn’t always fair as to what consequences befall certain people, but the fact is that we are all sinners and are declared guilty. (Rom. 3:23) At the same time however, it is not fair that God paid the price for our sin, as we all deserve death. But rather he invaded earth so that we may have life and be free from doing evil. It doesn’t always seem right, and while it is contrary to the will of God, evil is ultimately empowered to reign because of decisions and actions of mankind. We are free to choose what is right, as we are free to choose what is evil, but we often don’t.
So we know that God does not desire evil or cause it. But God desires only what is good for mankind, and we know that every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord. (James 1:17) God is more than capable of bringing an end to all evil, but he also desires us as believers to play a part in the world’s redemption. The Lord, when he teaches his disciples to pray says to ask that ‘the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven’. (Matt 6) It is obvious then that God desires only good, those things that are of heaven to dwell on earth. The kingdom of God is at hand, as seen in Mark 1:15, and we are to pray that the kingdom will come more and more completely until its final consummation when Christ returns.
Not only are we to pray for God’s kingdom, but we are also to be the hands and feet of him in bringing his kingdom to the lost. We do this through preaching, showing the love of God through our actions, and allowing heaven to invade earth with the authority and power given us through the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8) We are to be a fragrance of God to the world. WIth the power of the Lord we are to bring the lost life, thus, directing them to Christ, overcoming evil with good. Ultimately we know that God desires only what is good, and we also know that he is able to work all things for the good of those who love him. (Rom 8:28)
So Biani it isn’t right that you and so many people like you are suffering. But there is hope! God desires his will to be done on earth, and he has equipped his people with the power of the Holy Spirit to share in ushering in his kingdom. With this in mind, let us not be content with only seeing God’s kingdom when Christ returns, but let us do now that which Christ has appointed us. Lord may your kingdom come, and may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!
