Some couples I know refuse to have children who would grow up in this dark world fraught with danger and heartache. Some parents wish they hadn't had children for that reason. Although of course there are others who don't care much about their children, and many who couldn't imagine not having the children they have (or wish for, depending on the circumstances).
"What can man do against such reckless hate?" (J.R.R. Tolkien, the Two Towers). The world sometimes leaves us hopeless. How can there be a good god when so much Evil is in the world? What can anyone do that could possibly hope to make a difference?
I pose a question I do not pretend to have an answer for. I've been reading too many articles (and watching too much YouTube) with a definite call to action: "Don't buy your children smart phones", "Send your charitable gift now", "Pray", "Eat these 10 things and lose weight fast!" But the reality is that the world is too big for me. I take a stand against human trafficking one day, and the next day everything else I care about is demanding my attention too. The horror of all the wrong in the world bombards me whenever I choose to look at it, sometimes leaving me shivering with nightmares. Sometimes you just have to turn off the news. But then what about her--that girl you could have helped? What about him--the man who just needs a lunch? What about them--the ones who just need a hand to hold? Can we do nothing? Can we let them fall?
Yes, I did watch the Lord of the Rings in a one-day marathon last weekend, but I hope no one gets on my case for plagiarism. (sorry for not giving you the credit you deserve, Peter Jackson).
Truth is, I care. Caring is hard sometimes. Okay, a lot of the times. It requires effort--to notice the wrong and choose to keep looking at it. To really feel it. To feel the wrongness of it and want it to stop. And then doing something. Doing something is hardest. But only if you choose to care.
But I can't care for everything. God may have a heart big enough for the whole universe, but mine seems only big enough for one thing at a time. So I care for my family. I care for my neighbors. I care for my friends. I care for my coworkers and clients. And that just about fills up my quota, but I find that I can still care more. For the strangers I meet on the street.
If you want to make a difference, get off the internet.
