A picture with caption “true friendship” and heart dog emojis came on my twitter feed. Many replies read “awwww,” but my heart broke when I saw it…
Did people chose to overlook the life status of this pair? Maybe it wasn’t popular to burst the love bubble with, “But they’re homeless!” Whatever it was, only one of the many replies said: ‘I wish I knew where he was so I could help.’
This week I learned my chemical-free/human-friendly eye shadow is made with Mica, a mineral often mined by children.
I only know because kids are dying, being buried even without notifying parents to keep people quiet and business running. Just like we only realized our clothes are made in sweatshops when the roof of one collapsed. 1,129 people died but the clothing/fashion industry is still the same, or worse. (And don’t think higher priced/bigger name brands mean better wages for the laborers. I popped into Esprit once and they couldn’t even tell me they had a policy against child labor.)
The world is a mess because of those engaging in flat-out evil, but what about those who see wrong and don’t act? Looking away can be comfortable and easy, but it stifles our hearts and we miss opportunities to bring Heaven to earth.
But Jas, this world is not so bad!
Sure, wonderful, beautiful things happen on earth, from color swirls at sunset, to the giggle of your child, or when people link arms to save a woman in a flashflood. But just like the sun always sets, so too “darkness” will always reign somewhere on the earth. Social media enables us to see farther faster and horrors we couldn’t fathom are now in our face.
Jesus spoke about a Kingdom of justice, kindness, equality, and #1Cor13 Love. He said, “I go to prepare [that] place for you…” and many are waiting. But he also said, ‘the Kingdom is in your hearts.’ (Luke 17:20) That’s not waiting, that’s Now.
Do we realize no one is suffering, hungry or oppressed in Heaven? Our only time to help fellow man/woman/child/creature/creation is now.
“As much as you did for one of the least of these […fed, care for, visit, fight for, set free, ….] , you did for Me… “-God (Matthew 25:40)
There is much darkness in the world and facing it can overwhelm or collapse us. But grief can become fuel to Fight, and the thing hurting us the most may be the thing we were born to Destroy.
This is the Epic Battle of All Time and the King of the “Kingdom” is looking for warriors to fight alongside Him. Compassion, like a compass, is one of our greatest weapons and patience/perseverance is key as some fights seem to last forever.
Remember, an Infinite God took a name like “The End” and we know it’s our God-given Destiny to Win (Romans 8:37). Gird up your strength and release your heart to do what it was born to: Beat… and sound the War Cry.
Check the #WildKidsWildGod 31 Days Looking into God’s Heart for more on your divinity and God’s outrageous Love for you. See also God’s Glass Elevator if you think a relationship with God is confined to a “church” building or rehearsed prayer. Yech.
Check: Sometimes we need Mud in our Eyes to See Straight-#LoveHateCountdown, or Who would you rather rule, Jesus or a Pharisee for more insights into the importance of Social Justice. See also, Cinderella- a note on Humility, Entitlement and Kindness.
Want to fight but don’t know where to start? Check your heart–if something breaks it, it breaks God’s too, and that may be your thing. Still need inspiration? Check the Get Activated page or any posts tagged [abuse], or look at the news or in your neighborhood/community– see who needs help or support.
Image credits:
Earth sunset shadow- Kennedy Space Center
Children sorting for Mica – Terres des Hommes Netherlands
Luke Jerram – Invisible Homeless (photo: Mark Simmons)