Never Forget
Every night over 40,000 children, some as young as 5 years old, leave their villages to take refuge in the towns of Northern Uganda ... these are Uganda's "forgotten children."
Thousands of boys and girls, carrying only a small mat to sleep on, walk as far as 8 miles each way in order to escape abduction, rape, and violent attacks by Ugandan rebels. Most of these children end up sleeping on the streets. The fortunate ones may find places to sleep in courtyards and in the churches. But, nearly 14,000 of these children find refuge each night in Gulu. The local people call them the "night commuters."
The world has turned its head at this ugly tragedy, the church has turned it's back.
I am reminded of just how blind we as American christians are to the plight of peoples outside of our personal realm of comfort. We have hardened our hearts for the poor and the needy. We have desensitized ourselves to the point that we can no longer sense the pain and affliction of others.
God has beckoned believers to live in community, not in royal mansions. He has charged us with the responsibility to care for those around us, whether they are of like faith or not.
Christians have long ago forgotten that being a follower of Christ calls us to lay down every possession and hold nothing back. We are taught in our society to save for a rainy day and to stockpile our wealth, while the God that I serve teaches me to live by faith. In fact we are commanded to sell our possessions and give the proceeds to the poor and needy and to then take up our cross and follow Christ.
Again I ask, what would it look like if we embraced "Life together" instead of this is my life and I'll tithe my 10%. I don't believe God is pleased when he looks at our lives and sees that we are not living the life that we are called to live.
I say all that to say this, if believers, myself included, would live a life of total sacrifice instead of a life of selfish ambition and a greed for wealth, there would be no crisis in Uganda. If we remember the Call of Christ, the Children will not be forgotten.
www.theforgottenchildren.com
May we never forget!!!!
8 comments:
What a horrible tragedy!!! What can I do to help
Having worked hand in hand with this heart-breaking tragedy, I am glad to see someone putting legs on their words. I hope that this will gain momentum and larger scope so that those who are off our collective radar screen will be forced onto our evening meal t.v. screens so hat we, as the collective, will see that we have been blessed to bless.
Mike, What a great truth that the "Church" has forgotten and most no longer pratice. If the "Church" would do the mission of caring which Christ taught us there would be no need for welfare in America or the world. We the "Church" should get outside of the walls and into the world. Christ has not forgotten these children only the Church has.
In 1John 3:17 it says "But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" How can I call myself a Christian and not love self-sacrificially, as I have been. May I be so convicted and compelled to never forget that I was lost and broken and now am charged to help all thar are lost and broken, in spite of what it may cost me.
This plight of these children has weighed so heavily on my heart since the moment that I first heard. They questions and points that you raise in conjunction with these children are some of the very things that I was thinking. I am so disappointed in the church today. Thank you for your article and your desire to challenge the body of believers.
What an amazing article and how truthful it is! We are always taught to save and stockpile our wealth when I already have more than these children. Really puts our lives into perspective!
This article forces the reader to face some hard truths. The idea of leaving ones’ comfort zone is an idea that has become so foreign to so many. When remembering to follow Christ one often forgets one important part, believes are urged to daily take up their cross and follow Him. If, and when, this were to occur this world be a different place. In having this happen, people would be able to see beyond the here, now and me, and see others and the needs of those around them. The call to action that the author brings to light is one that should not be looked over or down played. Now is the time to make a difference and it is up to you and me to do, so do not sit and be silent anymore. Seize the day and begin making a difference that will affect the world and generations to come.
It has long been forgotten what it looks like to live a life for Christ 24/7, but not for everyone. For those of us who are, it is our duty, to go into the world, letting our light shine bright. It is our duty to be living our life in a way that people recognize our faith is more than just our "good deed" or "Sunday ritual", it is a part of who we are. What I think needs to be defined before we can even begin to move away from corporate america is the definition of church. What is church? What is it's pupose? Why have church? Should you have one specific purpose for your church and me another? Or should there be a unity between churches? Is there already a format in place which describes the early church, or is it up to us to go and discover what the early church was meant to be. So many questions still to answer, but we have to begin moving in a direction where the answers can be found. After all, how can we expect to let our light shine bright, when we don't even understand what it means to be a part of the church?
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