Today was Amy, my wife’s birthday. It was a great day, filled with family, food, children running around everywhere, laughter and conversation. The day ended with my sister and brother in law looking at pictures of the last few trips that I have done to Haiti, Costa Rica and Cambodia. We were just browsing through pictures and as usual with me, the conversation turned to the ugly injustices that I get to see in the world.
We looked at pictures of Haiti and the tent cities. We talked about how it was an un real situation for these people. One day they have control over their lives, and the next day that control is taken away from them in the form of an earthquake. Now they have to live in a tent city where families are not raising kids, but the tent city is. Here most families I assume will lose control of their kids as they all try to fend for themselves and find a place to fit within the chaos.
We looked at pictures of Cambodia and talked about the genocide that happened between 1975-1979. We talked about how Cambodia is basically starting over, that their infrastructure was destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. We talked about the poverty, the ugliness and the beauty of these nations.
Then my sister in law asked me a beautiful question. Phil, you have seen all of this stuff, what are you going to do about it? This question has rung in my head now for years. With knowledge comes responsibility, I understand that. It is a gift and a curse that I get and have seen so much beauty and ugliness in the world. A gift and curse that I know carries responsibility. Then I started looking at my life and realized that what I can do, and what I am doing is taking steps.
We talked about the Steps Of Justice guide. I told her why we put it together. It was so that we could, in creative and practical ways tell people about the injustices in the world and point them to ways that they can help. We watched the Girl Effect video and talked about how they are doing things to bring education to girls. We talked about Eugene Cho with One Day’s Wages and how they are helping people give to organizations that are making a difference. It was a beautiful conversation, and ended with my sister in law purchasing a $6 Steps Of Justice book, she took a step.
I want my life to be intentional. I want it to count. Why do I carry a condom in my pocked everywhere I go? It is to remind me of girls trafficked into prostitution. Why do I set alarms on my i-Phone? It is to remind me to pray for injustice. Why am in financial debt to a prayer book that I helped put out? Because I care about these issues and what to do what I can to see change, both in us as westerners and in the injustices I see in the world.
In short, tonight has been refreshing. It has shown me that I am stepping in the right direction and if you are reading this post then it seems that you and I are walking the same path. Be encouraged, stay faithful, keep walking.
