What can I do?

In the light of all the human tragedies around the world it is easy to be overwhelmed and feel as though we can’t do anything because the problems are too great.

During WWII, while visiting a missionary school outside Tibet, Bob Pierce noticed a little girl on the steps. She was malnourished, ragged, and her eyes revealed a lifetime of suffering. When he asked about her, one of the teachers said, “Oh, she sits there every day. She wants to attend school but we’ve no room.” Troubled, Pierce replied, “Can’t you make room for just one more?” The teacher replied, “We’ve made room for ‘just one more’ so often that our food’s stretched to the limit. We’ve got to draw the line somewhere.” Refusing to accept this brutal reality, Pierce exclaimed, “A child needing help shouldn’t be turned away. Why isn’t something being done?” Quietly the teacher picked the little girl up, plunked her in Pierce’s arms, and asked, “What are you going to do about it?” That day Bob Pierce reached into his pocket to buy rice for one little girl and it led to the founding of – World Vision!

When you don’t look at suffering, walking past it becomes easier until eventually you don’t notice. The Bible says that when Jesus, “Saw the crowds, he had compassion on them.” Looking at the needs around you can sometimes be overwhelming but, remember, they come one person at a time. Because you can’t do everything doesn’t mean you can’t do something. Is there anything you can do?

Peter Morphew
Chaplain