Ever since childhood, I’ve asked questions. My parents instilled in me the importance of asking questions and not always taking things for face value. Especially since college, my father encouraged me to “faith think” as my faith grew into my own. Well, since being in Cape Town, I’ve been faith thinking and questioning like never before. Here is a snapshot of some…
1. What is going to happen to the children who left Kids Club without a meal today? Today at Kids Club, the food deliverers forgot to bring bread and fruit for the children. After waiting 30 minutes after club for the food to arrive, the went away with empty stomachs. My heart wrenched as they went away because I know many of them are going to bed on a completely empty stomach that has been empty since Friday. Why? Why are they starving and I have never once wondered where my next meal will come from? Why do they never know what it feels like to be full, yet I gorged myself with sweets this weekend? What would happen if we Americans stopped being the “obese nation” and learned how to share some food? Would the next generation of children not have to go hungry?
2. What is going to happen to Mokes, Cheyenne, and Heather tonight? A part of my ministry here is that every Monday morning the teenage prostitutes of Ocean View come to the Ocean View office and hang out with us. We play games, laugh, enjoy a snack, and build friendships. Today was the first day where girls showed up, and it was a WONDERFUL time. They taught me their version of pool, and I learned all the tricks of winning dominos. Mokes, Cheyenne and Heather laughed at my attempts to pronounce Afrikaans words, and I loved making them smile. For two hours, these girls were able to act their age: 16. Yet, when they left they were headed to the street to sell their bodies in order to make money to feed their siblings. When I was 16 I worried myself over making straight As, I had no worries over whether or not a man would pick me up so I wouldn’t starve that night. So tonight I wonder, where are Mokes, Cheyenne, and Heather? Are they with an unfamiliar man? Are they hungry? Are they scared? I wonder how can they begin to understand the love of God when they equate love with paid sex? Yet again, I wonder why? Why am I the lucky one? Why am I able to keep my innocence and not them? Why?
3. How can the same God who created such a beautiful creation allow such devastation to be present within God’s creation? The natural beauty here is unlike any other I’ve ever seen, yet the devastation overwhelms this place. Why is poverty, homelessness, trash, impoverished and broken people the norm? Perhaps WE are to blame? Perhaps it is the lack of Christians taking up our crosses and following Christ into the devastation to redeem and restore?
4. Am I here out of selfish desires? Is my motive for wanting to come back and serve truly selfless? Did I come fully wanting to help or was part of my motive wanting the “experience”?
Molly,
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of a snippet of rhyming truth:
"Dear God, I ask not
for answers nice and light,
but somehow, help me
to get my questions right."
Bill Rogers