Lives That Matter

The events of this week reminded me that we in the West seem to cheapen the lives of those that are deemed expendable. This week hundreds of people lost their lives trying to escape brutality and towards a better life and 2,300 people lost their lives in a horrendous earthquake in Nepal. But most of the media attention was on the two hour special on Bruce Jenner. It seems almost daily we ignore large events like these in favor of tabloidism and titillating pieces of news.

I was reminded of this when I visited Rwanda in 2005 and 2009 that 1 million people lost their lives and at that time we in our country were fixated on O.J. Simpson. I am saddened by this. Our country still does so much to help those in need, but I sometimes question how much we really know and appreciate that these are real people. God cares about the poor and disenfranchised. That is very clear from His word. Every life matters to God.

This was brought clear to me as last weekend I was in San Antonio and on my way from the hotel to the convention center, I ran into Michelle, a homeless woman who asked me for money.  Many times I just keep walking but when the Holy Spirit really pricks my consciousness, I simply ask them "What is your story".  Michelle says she was beat up by her boyfriend. I asked her if she has spent time at a shelter and she told me she had but someone tried to rape her. I asked her if she had been to a church and she said that the church wouldn't welcome her. She said she trusted herself in the streets. My heart breaks.  Where is the church for this woman?

On the plane back from San Antonio, I sat next to Kariston (I believe that is how she spelled it) who was on her way to her fiancee's funeral who lost his life rolling his truck the previous week.  She also told me she was pregnant with his child. I hope I was just a brief bit of grace for this young woman.

I find myself convicted of my extreme callousness towards the lives of others.  Oh God, remove my heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. Give me "baby skin" that I might see others in their time of need and be ready to give just a small bit of your grace.