Moreover, does being a person of faith require me to?
Nearly everyone I talk to cares to some degree about these issues. Often, I have found that those people of faith have a larger sense of obligation to help make the world better somehow. Some out of religious obligation others out of compassion and empathy for the disenfranchised.
People often like to talk about these issues through the lens of politics. Being informed and voting for the right leaders who will fix everything seems to be the shortest, most direct path, for making a difference. Some though, are jaded by politics. Even if they believed that a given politician could make progress on issues. Red states are red. Blue states are blue. Even in swing states you are most likely to live in a red or blue district and an individual vote is not likely to change the outcome. So does even voting your beliefs really contribute to change? And, if your guy wins, does the world really make good progress?
Perhaps there is another way to change the world. If you have good ideas, you could share them on social media. Promote causes you care about. Share videos. Write heartfelt posts But then again , the internet is a giant dumpster fire filled with trolls, clickbait and algorithms that work against you.
But what if we solved it all? Say we could all get it together and engage in civil political discourse. If we created a system that had more parties with a broader range of views and encouraged open and honest debate. What if we united around common human needs to feed the hungry, help the poor or fight diseases. What if we organized and collaborated and raised money and built things....
Would we get it right?
Would we make the world better?
Would we make the right decisions?
What if we did? What if we didn't?
Do we bury or heads in the sand and remain ignorant to the suffering of others?
Is that unethical?
What does faith compel us to do in the world?
How should we orient ourselves in response to war or a pandemic or a genocide?
What if we disagree with others who are also trying to live out their faith?
I have struggled with these questions my whole life and I do not seem to be making any progress. I feel compelled to know about suffering in the world. I try to learn to understand the causes of problems we face as humans. Most of them are beyond my sphere of influence even if I dedicated my whole life in service to the smallest part of one of them, it would only be but a drop in the bucket.
But even as I have matured from the optimistic youth who thought that that anyone could change the world to a middle aged woman who had a more nuanced understanding of what that means I was so determined to make a difference. I have spent my life so far watch people try - through religious organizations, government agencies, NGOs, startups -- and truth be told everyone helps and everyone hurts a little.
Sometimes we all move forward, but as history goes on, we find ourselves falling backwards or causing new problems. Like a giant dyke, we all have our thumbs in somewhere and a new hole pops up.
Faith compels me to find my place to stick a thumb in. Why? I can't quite articulate. Maybe simplest to say because Jesus did. But I cannot seem to find my place. Where is the best place to use my one and only precious thumb?
The honest answer is probably the hole closest to me. But i have yet to find the right right fit. I haven't given up on it. Until I do, I feel the weight of the whole dam and all the pressure building up waiting to break through. My heart is heavy and I feel convicted that I am not doing as much as I feel like I should.
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