It is amazing how one's context can really change the way one views the world. I have always thought that I was somewhat aware of the world around me and the privilege as well as the suffering that exists. However, in my new position, here at the church, I am so much more aware of the privilege I experience and the suffering that is ever present.
My morning was spent trying to organize stuff for the up-coming move into our new condo. We moved out of our house at the end of August. We have been living at our "weekend" place in Dead Man's Flats since then. It is a small condo with two bedrooms and has been our refuge for the last several years. It is 100 km from there to work and we have been doing the trip most days since the end of August. We occasionally stay in the city with a friend who is renting a place while her house is being built. For the past week, we have stayed at her house taking care of her dogs while she was away. It has been frigidly cold for the past week and the roads have been in rough shape outside the city. So, it has been a relief to be able to stay in the city and not make the 200km trip each day.
How many people don't have a place to stay? How many people have to worry about staying warm enough to make it through to the next morning? How many have no choice as to whether they will have a long commute or not? How many have no options? It amazes me that these numbers are large.
As I was driving around the city trying to get things organized, realize that I have a vehicle to drive. Not only that, I have a choice of vehicle. I don't have to try to ride the bus to the airport to pickup a delivery that was not made to the correct address. I don't have to rely on the generosity of others. I do not have to argue with shipping companies about deliveries because I have no option to drive to collect my package.
These are local issues. As I was driving, I listened to some commentary on Darfur. The murder and execution of individuals in Darfur has been going on for many years. Likely, the governments of developed countries could assist in resolving the issues if there was the political and social will. However, Darfur doesn't seem to have anything we want to plunder in order for us to have such a will.
I complain because I want the renovations to be done more quickly. I want to move in and get organized before Christmas. There are people in Darfur, in Canada, in Calgary, and in my neighbourhood who complain because they don't know whether they will live from now until the 25th of December.
What's that about?
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6th Ave & 4th St. S. W., Calgary:
Child & Youth Coordinator
This blog is an open forum for youth who might want to explore their spirituality and to be a member of an on-line community of youth. I intend to explore whatever issues of spirituality or self-identity that visitors wish to explore. I am hoping that this will result in generating interest in forming a youth group - either on-line or in real time for our faith community.
6th Ave & 4th St. S. W., Calgary:
Dan Moulton
Child & Youth Coordinator
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- Huda Hakawi
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
—Teilhard de Chardin
2 comments:
not to take away from the darfur crisis, or the people who don't have a place to stay.because i myself am very lucky to have a place to live ect...but i have had to argue with a delivery company to get them to re-deliver because the closest bus stop to their warehouse was still a 20 minute walk away. (it was your favourite delivery company too...)
luckily, they took pity on me, but it really made me realize that you really don't think about stuff like that when you have a car. it doesn't seem like a big deal until you need to get somewhere that isn't all that accessible.
In an interesting coincidence, last summer Switchfoot and Relient K were talking about doing a tour to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
A few hours later, on the way to their next music festival, Relient K's tour bus burned down. They learned a lot about attachment to material things, and even though they weren't homeless, they thought more about it.
While they were on that Habitate for Humanity Tour in October, San Diego (the home of Switchfoot members) burned. They were worried about losing their own homes.
Life sure has a way of handing out coincidences.
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