The World We Don't See
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Last night I heard that children in the slums of the Philippines are being murdered often. Not much is done about these crimes because they are labeled "slum kids" and as such, the loss of their lives is not worth investigating. Recently, in one of the big slums, a young girl refused to have sex with a man and he came back and shot her dead. This is not a rare story but an often occurring one. The cultural insensitivity and long standing prejudice against the slums and the people who survive there makes it very easy to overlook heinous crimes such as this. The current drug enforcement policies has made the "justified killings" increase and applicable towards children.
The thing that infuriates me is the inability to help or do anything but pray. Yes, our God is greater than any government or evil entity and I/we should pray and ask for His intervention. Yes He does have a plan and yes, I am not privy to said plan except when He asks me to do something. All that being said, I still feel impotent to do anything when these horrible atrocities occur and there seems to be no solution. So I pray, probably not often enough nor fervently enough. Am I growing numb as well? I hope not.
I have had the opportunity to observe first hand the level of poverty in the Philippines. Even that however, was limited due to my own physical disabilities. My wife and children were able to actually visit the slums and their experiences were both heart rending and in a way, amazing.
What can we do from so far away? Well, because of the corruption, sending things like medicine or clothes or material goods is almost futile in that they will not reach the intended destinations. There are ways to provide funding. There are ministries that are working directly in the slums with these people. Our church has a plant there and donations are accepted at the website www.thephilippineadventure.com. There are others as well.
I don't why people are more upset about a gorilla or a lion or fat kids, etc. etc. than children who are starving and being murdered and are basically forgotten about by their own people. Really? American taxes going to these countries, is a waste of time and money. None of it goes to helping those who really need it. Relying on the government, to do what each of us as part of the human race should be doing is futile as well. All of this just proves that people are not basically good but basically evil. The little productive good that we do, is a result of God's presence in our lives.
So I guess I have vented because my heart breaks over these events and I have no recourse but prayer. Prayer is powerful, I know this, but more than that we need to be praying and giving as well.
Last night I heard that children in the slums of the Philippines are being murdered often. Not much is done about these crimes because they are labeled "slum kids" and as such, the loss of their lives is not worth investigating. Recently, in one of the big slums, a young girl refused to have sex with a man and he came back and shot her dead. This is not a rare story but an often occurring one. The cultural insensitivity and long standing prejudice against the slums and the people who survive there makes it very easy to overlook heinous crimes such as this. The current drug enforcement policies has made the "justified killings" increase and applicable towards children.
The thing that infuriates me is the inability to help or do anything but pray. Yes, our God is greater than any government or evil entity and I/we should pray and ask for His intervention. Yes He does have a plan and yes, I am not privy to said plan except when He asks me to do something. All that being said, I still feel impotent to do anything when these horrible atrocities occur and there seems to be no solution. So I pray, probably not often enough nor fervently enough. Am I growing numb as well? I hope not.
I have had the opportunity to observe first hand the level of poverty in the Philippines. Even that however, was limited due to my own physical disabilities. My wife and children were able to actually visit the slums and their experiences were both heart rending and in a way, amazing.
What can we do from so far away? Well, because of the corruption, sending things like medicine or clothes or material goods is almost futile in that they will not reach the intended destinations. There are ways to provide funding. There are ministries that are working directly in the slums with these people. Our church has a plant there and donations are accepted at the website www.thephilippineadventure.com. There are others as well.
I don't why people are more upset about a gorilla or a lion or fat kids, etc. etc. than children who are starving and being murdered and are basically forgotten about by their own people. Really? American taxes going to these countries, is a waste of time and money. None of it goes to helping those who really need it. Relying on the government, to do what each of us as part of the human race should be doing is futile as well. All of this just proves that people are not basically good but basically evil. The little productive good that we do, is a result of God's presence in our lives.
So I guess I have vented because my heart breaks over these events and I have no recourse but prayer. Prayer is powerful, I know this, but more than that we need to be praying and giving as well.
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