I Care
I have an aim in life. I want to change the world. I know that sounds trite, and cliche, and you've heard it before. But I really do. I want to make this Earth a less lonely place to live.
I want people to care for each other. Really, truly care for each other. See their goodness, their humanity, their innocence, and feel each others pain. Because nobody should be alone, and nobody should suffer in isolation. We will always have sorrows, just as we have joys, we will always hurt, just as we feel pleasure. It is the human condition. But we were not made to be alone. We are beautiful, amazing, complex, social creatures with an immense capacity for love. Imagine how our wings would grow if we could nurture that in each other.
There are 6 billion souls gliding about this Earth. There's no excuse why anybody should be alone, ever. It is such a priveledge to extend the hand of friendship to someone who is in need.
Why should anybody go hungry? United, we have everything we need to feed the world- physically and spiritually. Why should anybody be denied healing? We are all equally as precious... regardless of where we live and how much money we have... why should millions of African children loose their parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters to AIDS, when pharmaceutical companies possess life prolonging medications? Why should any child grow up devoid of love, when there are so many who would provide it to them? Most importantly, I'm talking about the situations we see, every day, and turn our back on. Innocents in need of help, where it wouldnt cost us anything but concern, not money, not effort- just concern.
This is what I'm talking about. See this little girl? See how tiny she is, how defenceless? How trusting? How beautiful and soft she is?
How is it that for over a decade, she was violated and terrorised in the home of her own grandparents? Somebody changed this little girl's sheets, washed her underpants. Soaked them to remove the stains. Several people heard her plead and cry. They saw her wince in pain when she tried to play like a normal child. They saw the visitors to the home, the purchase of photography equipment. This girl wet her bed, several times a night, every night. She was taken to many doctors, with repeated infections. She went to school. To dance classes. She played at friends houses. She was liked by many teachers. This child tried to ask for help. When her attempts fell on closed ears, she prayed for deliverance from her living nightmare.
All it would have taken for her suffering to end, was an anonymous phone call to child protective services. One telephone call. 40 cents, and 2 minutes. One act of love, of concern, was all she needed from all of the adults and professionals around her. This phone call would have been enough to protect her from her current torment, and from the lifetime of pain and self hate she was destined for. A phone call would have said "I believe you. I care. You do not deserve this. You deserve to be safe, to be loved and nurtured. None of this was your fault. You are still innocent".
God does not have a telephone. He could not keep her safe. Maybe He even cried along with her. But each and every one of those human beings did.
A phone call would have done so much more than rescue that little girl from her ordeal. A phone call would have made a difference for the rest of her life; and perhaps, she could have experienced what remained of her childhood knowing that she was not dirty, bad, or worthless. It would have given her hope.
Why? Why didnt anybody make that call for her? WHY?
I want a world where everybody makes that call. Where we connect with others, regardless of how remote their lives may seem from ours. It doesnt matter if they are young, old, big, little, technicoloured, male, female, both, or neither. It doesnt matter who they are, what country they live in, whether their skin is a different colour from ours, or whether they worship a different God. Outwardly, we are different. But peel back just one layer of skin, and we all look the same. We have the same feelings, the same fears and doubts. The same human frailties. And we need each other. Boy do we need each other.
The world does not have to be the way it is. This is not as good as it gets. We can do better. We can love each other. We can care. We can build a world where the empowered help the powerless, the found guide the lost, and the loved love the unloved. Just imagine what the world could be like, all that we could achieve, if we all viewed each other as fellow human beings, rather than strangers?
Is this too much to hope for? Am I too idealistic? Just wait and see- I'm going to try. This much I promise you.
I want people to care for each other. Really, truly care for each other. See their goodness, their humanity, their innocence, and feel each others pain. Because nobody should be alone, and nobody should suffer in isolation. We will always have sorrows, just as we have joys, we will always hurt, just as we feel pleasure. It is the human condition. But we were not made to be alone. We are beautiful, amazing, complex, social creatures with an immense capacity for love. Imagine how our wings would grow if we could nurture that in each other.
There are 6 billion souls gliding about this Earth. There's no excuse why anybody should be alone, ever. It is such a priveledge to extend the hand of friendship to someone who is in need.
Why should anybody go hungry? United, we have everything we need to feed the world- physically and spiritually. Why should anybody be denied healing? We are all equally as precious... regardless of where we live and how much money we have... why should millions of African children loose their parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters to AIDS, when pharmaceutical companies possess life prolonging medications? Why should any child grow up devoid of love, when there are so many who would provide it to them? Most importantly, I'm talking about the situations we see, every day, and turn our back on. Innocents in need of help, where it wouldnt cost us anything but concern, not money, not effort- just concern.
This is what I'm talking about. See this little girl? See how tiny she is, how defenceless? How trusting? How beautiful and soft she is?
How is it that for over a decade, she was violated and terrorised in the home of her own grandparents? Somebody changed this little girl's sheets, washed her underpants. Soaked them to remove the stains. Several people heard her plead and cry. They saw her wince in pain when she tried to play like a normal child. They saw the visitors to the home, the purchase of photography equipment. This girl wet her bed, several times a night, every night. She was taken to many doctors, with repeated infections. She went to school. To dance classes. She played at friends houses. She was liked by many teachers. This child tried to ask for help. When her attempts fell on closed ears, she prayed for deliverance from her living nightmare.
All it would have taken for her suffering to end, was an anonymous phone call to child protective services. One telephone call. 40 cents, and 2 minutes. One act of love, of concern, was all she needed from all of the adults and professionals around her. This phone call would have been enough to protect her from her current torment, and from the lifetime of pain and self hate she was destined for. A phone call would have said "I believe you. I care. You do not deserve this. You deserve to be safe, to be loved and nurtured. None of this was your fault. You are still innocent".
God does not have a telephone. He could not keep her safe. Maybe He even cried along with her. But each and every one of those human beings did.
A phone call would have done so much more than rescue that little girl from her ordeal. A phone call would have made a difference for the rest of her life; and perhaps, she could have experienced what remained of her childhood knowing that she was not dirty, bad, or worthless. It would have given her hope.
Why? Why didnt anybody make that call for her? WHY?
I want a world where everybody makes that call. Where we connect with others, regardless of how remote their lives may seem from ours. It doesnt matter if they are young, old, big, little, technicoloured, male, female, both, or neither. It doesnt matter who they are, what country they live in, whether their skin is a different colour from ours, or whether they worship a different God. Outwardly, we are different. But peel back just one layer of skin, and we all look the same. We have the same feelings, the same fears and doubts. The same human frailties. And we need each other. Boy do we need each other.
The world does not have to be the way it is. This is not as good as it gets. We can do better. We can love each other. We can care. We can build a world where the empowered help the powerless, the found guide the lost, and the loved love the unloved. Just imagine what the world could be like, all that we could achieve, if we all viewed each other as fellow human beings, rather than strangers?
Is this too much to hope for? Am I too idealistic? Just wait and see- I'm going to try. This much I promise you.