Since I'm stuck inside all day, I finally got around to watching Blood Diamond. It was overall very good, minus some unbelievable scenes in the end when the father surrenders everything to stupidly try to get his son back. But there were a few things I took away from this movie. First of all, I'm shamefully aware of the life of privilege I live. I'm actually aware of this a lot, but I try to forget. I have a family and friends. I have a pretty decent life. And somewhere in the world is someone whose life is completely opposite of mine. I have luxury and I have privilege...makes it really hard to complain ever again to say the least. I was continually convicted over my lack of gratitude. We always want more. We're always seeking and asking for more...but why? Why do I want more when so much of the world has nothing?
I find myself continually drawn to really, actually seeing how I can help. Where do my talents and my skills fall into helping people who actually need help?
We live in this twisted celebrity-following, twilight-crazy, cell phone using, twitter following community where relationships and human one-on-one interaction are very very very taken for granted. And it broke my heart, somewhere, out there, right now as you read this is a hurting soul. A hurting child. A hurting parent. How can we look at ourselves and say our lives suck when there is so much poverty and so much pain out in other countries?
I'm incredibly moved after watching this movie. I feel like I have this constant battle in my heart. Between doing what I was suppose to do for my entire life: get a nice paying job, make nice paying money, get a nice paying house, start a nice pretty family. That's what I was suppose to do...continue a family line of hardworking professionals that worked their way through poverty and prejudice to get where they are today. How does one do that when all they want to do is make a difference in the world?
I want to travel. I want to see things. I want to be moved. I want my heart to break over what breaks God's heart. I want to cry when I see poverty, not look away with shame. I want to be able to give money to the poor, the shoes on my feet, the shirt off my back. How can one have a heart for the world but live in the world's richest state? Where do we draw the line? Where does reality start and ideals stop?
Can you be born into a life of privilege but still make a big difference? Can I sleep in my full bed and want to help someone who sleeps on the floor? Can I wear a different clean set of clothes every day and still help someone who doesn't have enough money for new clothes? Is it fair for me to even help them when I've been given everything and they've been given nothing?
There are too many dangers, too many hardships, too many hurts, too many conflicts to be passive and indifferent, to not care about what's going on in the world.
