Oppression and Injustice

Well I finished the semester! Was it a success? Not according to academic terms but I find myself succeeding in so many other ways!

However, I find myself with my heart tenderly broken over things in this world. As if the stories of oppression and injustice people around the world have to face have been a razor slowly puncturing my heart, which now oozes out a passion to bring Jesus' love to these people. The faces I see when I sleep hearkening back to that night I contemplated suicide, wrenching my heart in two. The many videos of the evil I've seen in this world slowly breaking my heart to the point where I can no longer stand the sight of my own prosperity.

And it's all made me wonder what the Church is doing to help Christians respond to the oppression and injustice in the world. The only reason why I'm listening and responding is because of the injustice my family has faced. This life is not about worldly prosperity by any means even though a lot of Christians point to this in the Bible, this is not the prosperity I want in my life. I find it all meaningless in comparison to God's glory - which is the true prosperity in this life.

What do you see when you see the face of starving children? Do you see a child who needs clothes and food? Or do you see a child who needs the hope of the world? Do you see a woman battered and broken at the hands of evil men, or do you see a woman who needs compassion and an open door to a better life. Too often we Americans are quick to act but slow to listen. Oh, Church, how many have we wronged by becoming their crutch - by becoming the ones who think we can "save" when the only Savior in this life is Jesus. Our job is to bring them hope and open doors not be The Hope or The Open Door.

All these lives I see, slowly slipping away because they are unable to find that unconditional love. And all these lives that think they can save but who are really causing many to fall as well as themselves. Church where are we going? Have we become so consumed with our own business and prosperity that we give out of our excess? "Oh I have an $20 I can spare this month, so I'll put that in the offering." or "Oh that lady has no shoes, I'll just give her a pair I don't really use." What if we gave $200 instead of $20? What if we gave our favorite pair of shoes to someone who needed them?

My heart breaks for those who are suffering from oppression and injustice right now, but my heart breaks even more for those of us in the Church who think that we can be the answer to their prayers - we are NOT; only Jesus can be! Where would the Church be if we just became the actual body of Christ - the Church that has not been tainted or touched by man but is pure in its virginity???

Think about that.