Saturday, January 15, 2005

World On Fire



The storms of Southern California left plenty of trash and other sorts of crap out on the beach in front of our apartment. James yesterday asked us if we wanted to help him with a trash pick-up this morning for an hour or so.

We began this morning at 10am and went until about 11 or so. Picking up small debris, styofoam, gatorades, coke bottle tops, flip-flops, shoe soles, etc. Just Holly and James and I.

Thing is, there was this tractor that was plowing the beach, "cleaning" stuff up (though it was pushing alot of the trash deeper into the sand.

We picked up 3 trash bags worth. Hardly anything. And you didn't even know what to pick up and what to leave. You wanted to help, but you didn't know if it was worthless to help since there are bigger and better machines in place to "clean" the beach, you know?

Do you follow me? Do you feel like you want to make the world a better place but find yourself shadowed by the systems that are in place to make the world better? Like you could do it (and perhaps do it better), but to bring change means realizing that change comes slowly, with sudden bursts here and there. Jesus of Nazareth said that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed: It's planted for a long time and nothing happens, and then it's huge.

This is the reality I hope for and live by. But do I have the patience to see it through? Can you help me?

World on Fire: It's more than I can handle.
Dive into the water, try to bring my share.
Try to bring more, more than I can handle.
Bring it to the table. Bring what I am able.


God, please let Holly and I go to Thailand and help. Please.

1 comment:

The Shib said...

Yeah I feel like that too. Completely overwhlelmed with what could be done, what needs to be done, how can I help. And in my helping would it even make a difference?