Lenten Challenge Days 6 (belated)

I was traveling home after the conclusion of my college choir tour and didn't have the opportunity to respond. So, today I'll try and make up for it. However, I'm not entirely sure what to make of the past two days of postings on the Lenten Blog, so I'll do my darndest.

Post From 3/15:
My Prayer is that I Will Never Become Indifferent
By Ellen Teague

Indifferent to
The wailing of mothers whose babies suck at the dry breasts
The whimpers of old people dying of heatstroke with no water
The weakness of young people with full-blown AIDS
The screams of children abducted to be child soldiers
The despair of refugees who cannot find a home
The powerlessness of farmers whose fields are full of landmines
The smells of open sewers in shanty towns

Indifferent to
The commodification of life through patenting
The alteration of the genetic integrity of plants and animals for profit
The destruction of rainforests and unknown species
The pollution of the great oceans
The burden of debt and unequal trade borne by poor countries
The threat to the poor of climate change
The legacy of nuclear contamination for future generations
My prayer is that I will never become indifferent.
(From “Let Justice Roll Down: A Worship Resource for Lent, Holy Week & Easter)
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Response: With all the "bad" advertised in our world...specifically on the news, it's hard to feel concern and worry for every single event that takes place. But at the same time, we can't be totally numb to all that goes around us. So much of the time, I think negative events happen in the world to help keep our lives in perspective. We're so often reminded of how blessed we are to have our health, our families, our homes, and those who love us. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes examples of a different life to help remind us of those blessings.

Recently, the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has dominated the news...and rightly so. Having been on tour without much access to the news/tv/internet, I've been a little in the dark about the entire situation, but I DO know that it's a tragic one. It's hard to know that such devastation is taking place in our world, yet we can't really do much to immediately help. Not all of us have money to donate, or the time and ability to physically go over to help. The most I feel I can do right now is pray and continually think of all of those who have been affected by the events. However, a part of me feels guilty about my lack of ability to do anything, making me feel as though I'm becoming indifferent to the situation at hand. Because I can't do anything drastic to help the situation, I feel as though I'm simply stepping aside and letting others take care of it. But what else can I do? Any suggestions would be welcome.


The same feelings go towards the other things listed in this poem, although some I feel I can do more to make a lasting impact. Many events are so large and so saddening that it feels like a single person can't do anything to change it, so many fall indifferent. At least that's how I see many things. However, I know that I contribute to things like helping the planet, simply by not polluting myself, or helping to recycle. But beyond that, how do we make a change? How do we put an end to being indifferent and letting injustice continue? I don't have an answer, but I'll continue to pray about it.