One of my early posts in this (much neglected) blog was about Russ, a homeless man who lived in my neighbourhood. I told of how important it was for Russ to be known by his name, so that people could pray for Him. Not for an abstract notion of "homelessness" not for "that bum" but for a named and known human being. Russ. In October of last year I learned that Russ had been hit by a car and killed a few months before. I had noticed he hadn't been about, but assumed it was part of a summer migration pattern to a different area of town. I was saddened by the news, but was filled with peace in the knowledge that Russ's name had not been forgotten nor his passing left unmarked. Some students at the local seminary heard of his death the day it happened. They raised funds for a plot and marker and held a memorial service in which they told stories of their encounters with Russ. Though I wasn't at his memorial, I'd like to honour his memory by acting and living on the belief that names matter. Individuals matter. By merely playing the numbers game we can drown out the voices of the oppressed. Joseph Stalin once said, "The death of a man is a tragedy, the death of a million is a statistic." Rather than merely seeing the statistics of genocide, let us fully understand that this is a million tragedies, and more. Let us remember that very real names and individual stories are hiding behind those numbers and statistics. Let us not grow numb. Let us not close our eyes to genocide, oppression, sorrow, poverty. Yes, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Yes, it's hard to know what one can do as a single person in the face of an ocean of need. But, let us start by learning at least a few names. Let us light candles for at least a few individuals. Let us not live life in complacency, lives of quiet desperation while ignoring the violent desperation all around us. I do not want to say "There but for the grace of God, go I" I want to live "There with God's grace, go I"
No comments:
Post a Comment