Invisble Children

Wes and I just took a bunch of Sr. High students to an event called ICTC (Illinois Christian Teen Convention). There were some really amazing, touching, and convicting moments, and there were a few things that I disagreed with, but what I appreciated more than anything was the reason behind gathering for this convention.

Invisible children.

I spent some time in Jamaica about three years ago with orphans. Invisible children? Oh yes. Invisible command? No.

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." --James 1:27

What is undefiled religion? What is worship? I think American culture, and I would occassionally be linked in this, as well, would categorize it as just music. Music is, of course, a part of it, but it's only small glimpse of what true worship really is. But couldn't one say that worship also entails among other things "...visiting orphans and widows in their distress...?" Absolutely. So let's start here.

Orphans and widows. Nothern and Southern Uganda. There's a war currently taking place amongst these two areas where men and women are left childless, and children are often drafted into an army that forces them to steal, kill, and destroy (sounds a lot like Satan in John 10:10). These endearing and beautiful kids are brainwashed and drugged to accept a life they know they're not meant for, but have no other choice to accept. Live free or die is not a motto they know. Live bound by guns and war or die fighting against it. They are pulled from their families and displaced into camps where they learn to use weapons, both to defend themselves and to kill others.

We just watched "Blood Diamond," a film about the civil war that took place in Sierra Leone during the 90s. A truly riveting and heartrinching movie, and it will make you never want to buy diamonds again. I won't go into the full plot, but South Africa is known for producing beathiful diamonds. However, because "the love of money" truly is the root of all evil, people began to realize what some others would do just to have a piece of that fortune. Rebellion armys would kill villages of people, unless they noted men of stature and stamina. They would take the young boys and train then to become rebels with a cause. Everyone else was either tortured, or left in bloody states to watch the rest of their families be killed right in front of them. Truly heartbreaking because it actually happened.

So orhpans and widows. Uganda, Jamaica and everywhere else. Invisible children are everywhere, displaced for all sorts of different reasons. Widows are everywhere, made so because of all sorts of different situations. My heart aches for them and longs to take care of them.

I'll go into some other points about ICTC and what Wes plans to do with the High School ministry now that we've been made aware of this madness later on, but for now, I just wanted to remind people who frequent this blog of James 1:27.

Hold on, dear ones. We know your lives and we want to rescue you. Your stories have remained silenced for long enough.