I just finished watching “Beyond the Gates” and the final words are vividly imprinted in my vision. “The opposite of faith is not heresy but indifference. — Elie Wiesel” That statement is more than powerful it is heart wrenching, especially after witnessing the thousands of deaths in Rwanda and the people who had the ability to do something only utter excuses as to why they could not save them. That is what we do though isn’t it. We are full of excuses. We have them for everything. Maybe, we have good intentions, but those feelings deep in your gut are just left screaming when we do nothing. And, as the quote leads to say that if we do nothing, if we sit here witnessing injustices and watch the torture and the pain and do nothing, we have no faith. What is faith? Does faith exist without action?
I have a holy anger deep inside of me that is scratching and clawing at me and I can’t sit still. I must act. Watching the genocide in that film broke my heart. I literally screamed at the men not doing anything, with tears running down my face and a lump in my throat. It was hard to swallow and speak, but I conversed loudly and full of rage at the people who could of provided a way out. I am sure that would of been an interesting sight, watching me cry and scream at the television. But, I wonder if someone else could be looking at us, meaning the west, for guidance and help to get them out of the despair they are currently undergoing and we are doing nothing. I am doing nothing. And, if I am not doing something about the injustices I see, does that show lack of faith? Here are some injustices that I can and should fight to do something about:
1. Child Sex trafficking:
Every 2 minutes a child is sold as a sex slave. Every 2 minutes a child loses their innocence, their childhood and their reason to live. They become victims and forced into a lifestyle that strips them of their childlike wonder, hope and joy. These victims are manipulated and intimidated into forced labor; sold into prostitution and beaten and enslaved by this evil trade. Sometimes, even sold for money by there own parents. These children are priceless, but the cost they are enduring is unbearable. Phrases like, ‘child rape’, ‘8 year old prostitute’, and ‘cigarette burns on her back’, should never be uttered in a sentence. But, somehow this is the brutal truth of the world we live in.
Everyday, we fight against the reality that child sex slavery exists in our world. We don’t want to believe it. But, the truth is that sex slavery does not only exist in 3rd world countries, but it has crept into our own backyard, IN Atlanta, the city that ranks among the top in America for sex trafficking. Yes, it is true. Read the statistics. These children are our daughters, our sisters, and our friends.
This is real. And, something has to be done. It is up to us to tell their story. We must be heard. We must not stop. We must pursue justice. And, lives must be restored! Go to www.innocenceatlanta.org or www.meetjustice.org
2: Poverty:
Poverty is prevalent everywhere you look. Or, maybe we turn our heads to it. It is true. 2.8 billion people live on less than $2 a day. 25,000 people die each day due to hunger, or food related disease. Hmm. Lets think for a minute. How much food did I waste today? How much food is just sitting in my refridgerator and pantry. I am hoarding while others are dying. Am I loving my neighbor as myself? Lets stop turning our heads and only sending food on Christmas. Lets do something in our own communities now. Lets act in faith.
3: H2O:
I am sure you have heard this cause talked about alot recently. But, it is a BIG deal. Unsafe drinking water and lack of basic sanitation has been the cause of 80% of all sickness and disease and has been the culprit to more deaths than all forms of violence, including war. (information from www.charityis.org) 1.1 Billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. This is something we as American’s take for granted. And, if you live in GA right now you are probably complaining that you can’t water your lawn. Well needless to say if people were enraged as much about the water crisis that is killing millions as they are about not being able to water their lawns, maybe a change would come. Or, maybe we should drink the safe water that we have available from our sinks and not spend $20,000 dollars every minute of every day on bottled water. Did you know that it has been proven that to make one bottle of water they have to waste 6.74 times the amount you actually get to drink? Lets use the resources we have been blessed with here in America to provide life. To bring clean water to places where they have no access. Lets dig wells. Lets get piped water. Water = Life.
There is so much injustice. Genocide in Darfur. The crisis going on in Northern Uganda. The abuse happening in your neighbors home. I could go on and on. But, instead I am tired of talking and not doing. Lets work together to end these injustices. I am fueled with anger and want to see justice prevail. We were given the gift of LOVE. We can share that Love by “loving our neighbor as ourselves.” Lets give. Lets Sacrifice. Lets fight. Together. Lets be FAITHFUL – NOT INDIFFERENT!!!! I will end with the final words that were spoken in the movie, “we were given all this time, and so, we must spend it well.”
