War –
Mexico's drug war: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16337488
Pakistan-India Kashmir war: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10537286 and http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pk.html
LRA conflict in Uganda:
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/history-of-the-war
etc.
Child soldiers –
http://www.un.org/children/conflict/english/issues.html
Child abuse –
http://www.zebracentre.ca/facing-the-facts/
Extreme poverty and malnutrition –
http://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats
Often reinforced by racism – http://www.gfa.org/dalit/about-the-dalits/
Abortion –
http://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/index.php?p=Abortion
(a genocide of the unborn)
*****
This short list is just a start... How can we just sit back and go on with our everyday lives, knowing that every day people are going through terrible things like these and dying unecessarly, when we could help them? I know I can't just sit back... because God has broken my heart for the broken in this world. I used to have lots of dreams and goals for my life – to get married to a beautiful girl, get a good writing job, become famous (most likely through my writing), buy a nice, cozy little house in some place like Hawaii, install a hot-tub, get a beagle... in short, to get a whole bunch of stuff for ME. It was all about ME, MYSELF, and I.
Then just last year, God told me it isn't all about me. I am not the center of the universe. He told me to get rid of all my dreams and just surrender to Him. Of course, I didn't want to. But eventually God convinced me it was the best way to live my life to the fullest.
So here I am... I know that some day I'll change the world. I hope that some day I'll be called to help people who are caught in the middle of war, to free child soldiers, to prevent child abuse and comfort its victims, to assist those who are starving in extreme poverty, to help end racism, and to put a stop to the genocide of the unborn.
But for now, I'll just shine for Christ in my small 17-year-old life, help others when I can, and do my best to be a friend to those around me in the small town of Vegreville, Alberta.
