Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Courage or Cowardice?

"One of the most cowardly things ordinary people do is shut their eyes to facts." -C.S. Lewis

Ladies and Gentleman here are the facts.
Every minute approx. 15 people die of starvation.
Every year 3.5 million children die from lack of food.
There are more than 27 million slaves in the world today, more than any other point in history.
The average age of a trafficked victim is 12. (that means there are some that are younger than 12!)
Babies being raped.
And it happens in our backyards. 
The U.S is ranked as the third largest destination country for traffickers 
And North Carolina ranks in the top eight states for Human Trafficking...and Charlotte is where it happens the most in NC.

Ladies and gentleman can we have courage.?
Can we a generation that fights back against the encroaching darkness and clip the talons of evil?
Or will be the people who stop our ears, cover our eyes, and pretend that these atrocities are not happening on our watch.
I know these numbers are astronomical, I know they are almost mind numbing...
But do we really want to be like the people in Germany during World War II that just sang songs in the church louder to drown out the noise of the trains rumbling by....to take the Jews to their deaths in concentration camps. The people who apathetically let people be mistreated and die around them.
Or do we want to be like the courageous, brave individuals who hid them in their basements. They didn't save all of the people--but they saved some.Can we stop for a moment and listen to the cries that are rising all around us calling us to action?Can we let our worship actually move our hands and feet to action?

No, we can't fix everything...but does this mean we don't fix anything?No, we can't help everyone...but does that mean we don't help ANYONE?

One child. One life. Do you not think it's worth it?
Can we value human life more than comfort and security?
Find an issue that lights your fire on the inside and then do something.
You might not be able to afford to give finances--but you have a platform no matter who are you.
Educate people; ignorance is only going to cause this problem to get worse.
Educate yourself.
I don't know about you but I choose courage.
I'm still scared of what you people might think of me.
But I cannot be quiet anymore and I cannot just sit by and not do anything.
I will do something even if I go all alone.
Life is too short to waste being a coward and I've already wasted a lot of time being one.

Here are some places to start: 
My friend Melissa runs a Children's Home in Nicaragua. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Casa-de-Gozo/193122194102381
My friend Lanie works with an organization that is rescuing girls who have been trafficked right here in Charlotte. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rise-Up-Ministries/156720777794836
My friend Katelyn interns at a 
Cure provides surgeries for people who can't afford them--all over the world.https://www.facebook.com/cureinternational
Compassion International feeds and provides an education for children all over the world.https://www.facebook.com/compassionintl
Children's Hunger Fund is an absolutely amazing organization that feeds thousands of children around the globe. https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensHungerFund
James Barnett is homeless because he chooses to be. https://www.facebook.com/JamesTheVerbClothe Your Neighbor as Yourself provides things for people in need relative for what you buy from them.https://www.facebook.com/CYNYORG
Katie Davis (my hero) is in her early twenties and has 16 children and feeds over a thousand people every week. http://www.amazima.org/
"it’s not that we don’t know or we’re not shown the proof of poverty
it’s not that we don’t have the tools to go to break this yoke of slavery
we quit because it’s not an easy fix and then forget that they are even there
we forget to care"

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