Let me explain.
Maybe some of you can also identify with the same roller coaster of emotions I have felt the past few weeks. At first I was scared. Scared about what was coming. Scared about getting the virus and giving it to someone I love. Scared that despite our efforts many would be lost. And then the fear slowly subsided and was followed by sadness. I was sad about all the activities we were missing and trips getting cancelled. Sad about the family get togethers we were missing and time spent with friends. But thankfully the sadness didn't last long either and was soon replaced with excitement. Because when has my calendar ever looked like this? How many times have I said, if only I had more time. And now WAHLA, an entire month with nothing to do. I was excited for all our extra time, family game nights, and movie nights snuggled on the couch. I was excited to play outside and actually plant a garden this year. For a couple weeks this was bliss and a true gift from the Father. But then my emotions began to change again. The joy and excitement turned to irritation. I was irritated with the social distancing and annoyed with all the constant media coverage about COVID-19. And then one day, it turned from irritation to anger when I realized how many people die in our world every day and no one ever talks about them. In fact very few people know they are even there and even less go to any great lengths to help them.
I was not angry that I can't see my friends or I can't go to church. I was not angry that my children's baseball and softball seasons got cancelled. I wasn't angry that we can't go to parks or have play dates with friends. I wasn't angry that I can't go to the funeral of a family friend. I wasn't angry for all the seniors who are missing prom and spring sports and possibly their graduations. I wasn't angry that I can't visit friends, neighbors and family that have welcomed their new babies into the world and I can't bring them a home cooked meal.
Do all these things make me sad?
Yes, of course.
Are all of these disappointments?
Yes.
But they are not the source of my anger.
Why?
Because I know in the end there will be more Sundays to go to church, there will be more baseball and softball seasons. There will be a time when I can celebrate birthdays, weddings, and bring food to my friends. I know one day I will be able to mourn with family in person over our loved ones we have lost. And right now I simply search for creative ways to tell people congratulations or to give my condolences. But as the days go by and this growing anger inside of me billows, I am beginning to see it is not an unhealthy anger needing repentance.
No.
Instead, it is a righteous anger that needs to be a voice for those who have been forgotten and overlooked by the world.
Who am I talking about?
Just keep reading.
Everything filling our headlines, talk shows, social media feeds, and radio spots are filled with the devastating numbers of the dreadful COVID-19. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), as of today, April 10, 2020, there has been a total of 427,460 confirmed cases in the United States resulting in 14,696 deaths. Globally, according to the World Health Organization, as of today, there have been 1,733,758 total confirmed cases and 62,784 resulting deaths. I'm not sure when these statistics began being recorded but let's just assume for arguments sake it was November of 2019, assuming this is six months worth of data. If that were the case that would mean, globally 10,464 people have died each month from COVID-19. If this pandemic continues at the same rate for an entire year that would be 125,568 people in one year dying from this awful disease. I agree, that's a lot of people. And if one of those 125,568 people happened to be your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, husband, co-worker, neighbor or friend, I'm so sorry for your loss.
But can I share some other statistics with you? The ones fueling this billowing anger within me. The ones that keep me up at night. The ones that make me weep.
The numbers you are about to see have been going on far longer than November. They happen year after year. And the most heartbreaking thing about these numbers is that they are preventable.
Every year around the globe 9 million people die from starvation and hunger related diseases.
9 million. Just let that settle for a minute.
Just in case you don't have a calculator close by that means if COVID-19 continued at the same intensity as it is right now for the whole year resulting in the 125,568 deaths we calculated above we would have to endure those deaths for 71 consecutive years to equal the 9 million people that die from starvation EVERY year!
Does that make you shudder?
What about this one?
Did you know at the end of 2018 there were 70.8 million refugees, according to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Refugees. Meaning people, men, women and children, who were and probably still are displaced from their homes. And now many of those refugees are jobless, homeless, hungry, tired, sick and probably hopeless.
70.8 million.
What about modern day slavery?
A news article from the USA Today published in 2017 reported, "A United Nations agency warns 40.3 million people across the globe were subject to some form of modern slavery in 2016. Among them, about 28.7 million - or 71% - were women or girls forced into sex, marriage or labor."
40.3 million.
And I am sure there are so many more issues I am not even thinking of.
But when is the last time you did anything to help one of these millions of people who die or suffer every day in our world? Because they will continue to die unless we act.
The anger I have been feeling lately is not because I think the measures we have taken for COVID-19 are ridiculous or overreacting. No not at all. I think they are necessary and important to help prevent as many deaths as possible. Who knows how many would have died if we had done nothing. But my anger comes from seeing what our country is capable of. Yes you heard me right. I'm angry at how amazing our world and especially my own country has responded to this pandemic.
It's amazing to see what happens when we all work together for a common cause. From the highest official to the youngest child I have seen people give to one another through every possible avenue. I have been amazed at the creativity and ingenuity of people all over the world. I have seen selfless gifts of love to those who are isolated and alone. I have seen the educational community take learning online and still manage to shower their students with love and care from afar. I have seen so many people using their talents, big and small, to provide essential equipment for those brave souls on the front lines of this pandemic. I have seen groups of people working together that normally disagree. It truly is amazing.
So are you confused? Are you wondering why I'm angry? Why am I angry and amazed at the same time?
It's because I see what we are capable of. And it reveals how selfish we truly are, me included.
Selfish? But I thought you just said you have seen people being kind, helpful and selfLESS?
I did and I still do.
I say that we are selfish because all of these wonderful things, creative ideas and selfless gifts have come only at a time when we personally are facing our own mortality in the face. It's coming because now death is knocking on our door. So what have we done? We have pulled out all the stops. We have halted every day life. We have cancelled events and closed doors. We have hid ourselves away and poured every available resource we own into this pandemic because we know it could be us next.
Do I blame anyone for doing these things? No. I have tried my best to "do my part" and stay home and away from others. And as any mother or caregiver knows staying cooped up in a house with six children for days on end with no where to go, no friends to play with, or parks to burn off energy, (and then it rains), is no easy feat.
But what I fear and what makes me angry is that when this is all over, we will return to life as normal and forget that we have anything to give to the others in desperate need. They may not be in need of medical attention or ventilators but they are in need of food and water. Food and water. Or shelter or safety. All things we have an abundance of.
When death is no longer knocking at our doorstep we will go back to our busy schedules and all our excess and forget about the 9 million people that still die every year, on our watch?
We don't have to.
What if we continued to use our gifts, talents and resources; however big or small, and give it to others instead of keeping it for ourselves?
What if we used the money we saved in gas this month because we had no where to go and sponsored a child somewhere in the world so that he or she could eat this month?
What if we used the money we saved from going out to eat and we gave to an organization giving food, shelter and medical aid to refugees around the world?
What if we used the money we saved from cancelled sporting events, concerts, and vacations and gave it to those on the front lines of sex slavery helping free young women from bondage?
What if we used our creativity and talents to find real solutions to hunger, slavery, and the refugee crisis?
What if?
What could we do if we all worked together?
And don't take the easy road out and tell me ways our government can change this or that. Or that we can't help because of this policy or that. Or that foreign affairs are too complicated. And don't you dare tell me that other people can make a larger dent in world hunger because they have more money. Yes, can some people give a million dollars to help world hunger while others can only give five? Of course. But that's not the point. The point is what can YOU give? What do YOU have?
What have you done over the last month to stop COVID-19 or flatten the curve?
And then ask the question why? Why have you helped?
Is it because you know someone personally involved in the fight? Is it because you're afraid of dying yourself? Is it because you're afraid of someone you love dying and you can't be with them as they breathe their last?
Those are real fears and those are real people. Some that I have had myself.
But why do we only act when it affects us personally?
Right now there is a mother somewhere in the world, mixing dirt and water together to make mud pies just so she can feed something to her children and try her best to curb the intense hunger pains that keep them up at night. Can you imagine? Just for a minute stop and imagine it. Put yourself in her shoes and imagine feeding mud pies to your children because you have nothing else.
Or can you imagine facing the decision whether to give your child away to a stranger or watch them die of hunger? I know it's hard to imagine because these realities are not ones we face on an every day basis. But what if they were? What would we do? What intense efforts would we employ to lower the death rate and flatten the curve? Or would we stay silent because we don't know their names?
I pray COVID-19 ends and no one else dies. But if I'm being honest, I'm praying this awakens us to our world and the people suffering in it. And I'm praying that we all realize why they need us. Because whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, Bhuddist, Hindu, athethist or anything else, we all have resources, gifts and talents we can give so that no one in our world has to die from lack of food or water. So that no one else is displaced from their home with nowhere to go. So that no one is still trapped in slavery of any kind.
And maybe you want to help but you didn't know how. There are many organizations with boots on the ground in many of these arenas. I wanted to give you a small list to start. These are the ones our family personally supports monthly. I know there are hundreds and probably thousands more and I would love to hear about them. I hope you start searching. Find the organizations and causes that stir your heart and share them with others. And then do your part, give what you have. Let's continue working together and changing the world around us one person at a time. I would love to hear about the organizations you give to and the ones you are going to start giving to after reading this.
Justice Rising -- Transform war zones through education
Preemptive Love -- Working together to unmake violence and Serving Refugees
A21 -- Abolish Slavery Everywhere, Forever
Lifesong for Orphans -- Bringing Joy and Purpose to Orphans
Ordinary Hero -- Empower Ordinary People to change the life of a child in need
Frontier Missions -- Fulfilling the Great Commission
Compassion International -- Sponsor a Child in Need
Imani Milele -- Meeting the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda
And if you are a Christian, like me, these words Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:41-46 are a little more sobering if we do nothing for the least of these in our world today.
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.
They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or
needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?
He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these,
you did not do for me.'
Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
