The World Is Messy

     Stories we hear on the news are very predominantly negative. Therefore, especially when it comes to global injustices, I think we become jaded.  We might even go so far as to tune out certain stories.  One can only hear about a car bomb in Iraq, a shooting in Kabul, or rocket fire in Gaza so many times before such news becomes repetitive. We might feel a twinge of sadness for the victims of such occurrences, but in most cases I think it's safe to say that many people don't think about such stories for more than a minute or two, at most. This fact is sad, but true. Some of the worst injustices in the world (specifically, the middle east) occur so frequently, we don't think twice about them.  I only very recently became aware of this fact because I have friends in Israel and Palestine.  So now when I hear about rocket fire and violent hostility across borders, I can put faces to these tragedies. I suppose I am lucky in a way, that I have this very real connection to make me more aware of this particular injustice. Most Americans do not.

      I think it's very difficult to apply Gospel messages to specific social injustices in the world today. I mean yes, obviously the Gospel gives us the basic rules about justness, serving others, loving ones neighbor, etc. It does not however, tell us exactly how we can respond to the tragedies we see and hear about.  How are we supposed to affect change in a war-torn or poverty-stricken nation? That thought is daunting. The Gospels offer us values to live by, but frankly they offer us absolutely no concrete advice on which to act. Granted, they were written 2,000 years ago, but that doesn't change the fact that they're  now unhelpful in the issues we face today.

    

     Andy Otto, the author of the Busted Halo article, offers a solution for the apathy that plagues American culture. He suggests that we place ourselves and our families in the place of the victims of these killings and attacks. I can certainly see how this would be an answer to the desensitization. It could certainly impassion many people and help them feel more connected to certain injustices. However, while it's a start, feeling the pain of injustice does not solve the problem.  Concrete actions solve problems. This is where Christians may turn to the Gospel. However, I think they would be better suited educating themselves and looking towards peace and advocacy organizations. it should be noted of course, that many of these organizations are likely based on Gospel values.