I have 5 main takeaways from this experience.
1. Many people ask, “How could a good and loving God let bad things happen to good people?” I’ve heard this cry from people before as to why they refuse to follow the Christian God. Well, God has called us to act, to be His hands and feet. It makes no sense for us to cross our arms in disgust at a “good” God, as we sit upon what we falsely assume to be a moral “high ground” doing NOTHING! (Don’t get me wrong, we can’t earn our way into relationship with God, but the fruit of His children certainly isn’t idly letting evil occur).
2. Some people might not be cold, but might have the misconception that they can’t help, or just may not know how. The majority of us can’t claim ignorance of the problem, but some of us are lazy enough that we don’t find out how to help, so we chose to remain ignorant of how to be a part of the solution. I've certainly been guilty of this. If we don’t chose to learn. We chose ignorance. There is no excuse, particularly in this country, to not be able to find information. Too often we don’t seem to care enough to overcome our laziness to learn how we can help. Ultimately, there are many pretty simple ways to help, but it takes a little effort.
3. We can no longer assume that evil lives in the shady alleys of inner cities and in the dark corners of the far reaches of the world. We can no longer think that evil makes its home in meth labs and strip clubs. Certainly it dwells there, but evil has set up camp along “the fence” of inaction that has found its way deep into our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and even our churches. The war has been longstanding, and the battle is at our doorstep. It’s not confined to slavery, but it certainly includes it. While we can’t do it on our own, we are called not to omission, but rather with a sense of intentionality and ownership.
4. This is for those that do help and do care. We cannot hold bitterness in our heart against the people who don’t care. We must believe that even our will to do good and love others isn’t inherently something in us. We didn’t create it. We didn’t will ourselves to have a heart. All good things in our lives, including the times when we get it right in our intentions, have been given to us by Him. So rather than having anger at those people we must pray for them to have their hearts prodded and softened by Him, and furthermore for our hearts to be softened as we look for what more we can do to help. And it should turn us to praise Him for moving us from the prison of seeking ourselves, and seek to not lock ourselves back up in that prison cell. We have no room to stand on a “Holier than thou high ground,” lest we become the ones filled with callousness and pride.
5. In the face of evil, “I’m Good” is garbage.
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