Am I not my brother's keeper?
I’ve been following the Refugee Crisis in the Middle East, and though it seems like nothing is happening, I have to believe the sun still shines when it rains.
In 2014, approximately two hundred girls were kidnapped, ripped apart from their school and families by the Boko Haram. We watched in horror, clutching our own, yet feeling the fears and screams of their daughters. Their pain could be heard, the wailing mothers, fathers, and families, it would not cease soon. Time passed, and nothing seemed to dry the tears of all of the bleeding hearts around the globe.
A young girl, a physiotherapy intern was gang raped on the bus on her way home – do you remember Jyoti Singh Pandey? What makes our men, love their mothers less, to hurt the ones they are born to protect? Where was the sun? It shines in the rain now for others, and her death is a reminder that rape is a violent crime which should not be tolerated by any society.
Malala Yousafzai lives. They tried to kill her for writing a blog. Her pen of youth, powerful, effective -the truth too much for the Taliban. For Malala 15 years old, at the time, the sun kept shining, revealing even in rain there can be light.
There is no feel good way to write how humanity has gone mad. The innocent are suffering and in pain. How can I write that it will get better - that there is a silver lining at the end of the rainbow, when we can feel the pot of blood running over yet not seeing the rainbow’s end? Who slaughter’s its own swearing we are not the same by religion, gender, status and every mocking excuse? My blood is red what is the color of yours?
Yes, I’m angry, and there are no words to say how to be nice, and to be gracious and kind. It could be any one of us, without a place to rest or the peace of knowing our children are safe in and out of school. I refuse to whine, and shout at no one who can hear the pain of those in pain.
I see that darn sun still shines when it rains with the hurricane washing away homes, and streets and life in South Carolina - USA and Guatemala. That sun will peak out and profess it’s a new day, telling me it’s time to act while the rain falls.
The sun is still shining though the cold winter’s breeze on those refugees locked out - as a wall goes up – keeping them out, from the safety of the cold within the hearts. Who are they, and who are them - these people who suffer, but who have the courage to hope? Where on this earth will 4000 plus people rest their heads, and so many more that reach that border point? As I write I'm sure its much more!
How dare I profess to be my brother’s keeper, in my warm bed in the safety of my home? Can you feel the chill in the air? Is the Middle East that far away? Is Africa that far away? Is India that far away? Is everywhere that far away?Maybe I need to live on the moon, maybe I need to be far away from
a
world people that need to care.Or maybe I need to stop pointing fingers, and do my part now.
Let us never forget Haiti, when the world stopped, sang and helped. The healing and restoration is ongoing and moving forward. My son Andrew shared from his trip with ITNAC a few days after the earthquake in Haiti 2010, “there is no devastation, like the scent of living death, yet they come with hope in their eyes. We cooked corn soup all night, and they came and came -the flow of people not stopping, till all the soup was gone. I told someone if you came you would find a way to take all the children home with you."
On November 3rd I am declaring today, one for the refugees, and one for all survivors of disaster. It starts with one – I’m in, are you?
Find a credible, legitimate group that works with causes and be one – support!
I’ve found Habitat for Humanity a worthy cause, which works tirelessly to rebuild communities, and homes. The teams in Trinidad & Tobago and the rest of the world are dedicated and amazing. At home I also support ITNAC – Is There Not A Cause, a missionary group which goes out locally and to the poorest nations of the world, clothing, feeding, and building wells for water and much more.
This is the second part to my first post My Brother’s Keeper. If it touches you in any way kindly like, comment and share. This message is written to be shared, and maybe make a positive difference!
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