While going through an old blog of mine I came across this entry. It was written right after I finished reading Elise Wiesel's Night. One of the comments I received was that "this rant was one of (my) best ever." If that's the case I figured it was worth reposting. Although, a few of my views have changed the overall feel of the entry is the same.
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Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Night
Current mood: thoughtful
It's 4:41am. I should be asleep having just got out of work at 1. But I finished a book I bought today and my head is dull of thoughts and my heart heavy, and I wanted to share all that is going through me.
The Book is entitled Night by Elie Wiesel.
I know I should explain who Elie Wiesel is but I can not at this moment. Because biographies are not what motivate me to write at his hour. Book reports are not pushing me to stay awake and think when I should be sleeping. So I want to apologize now, if this seems like a rant or makes little sense. Look up Mr. Wiesel and you'll understand.
How silly my worries seem. How trivial at this moment. Its not bills or the fear of failure that will haunt my dreams tonight. But the faces of those described who died on their way to crematoriums. Children being tossed in flames. Some might say: "Phoebe you should have warned us that this blog would be explicit." But why? Why should we cover our eyes and ears to the reality of suffering of the past? If an entire nation of people can be the victims of such carnage, is it really so hard to think that there are many suffering today?
This has been pulling at my heart for days. As I ask God why is it that the richest nation in the world should have homeless wandering the streets. Why are the elderly so soon forgotten after the years they spent building this nation, fighting in wars, and paying taxes? Don't their dreams matter anymore? When did this nation become like the young man in the book so starved that he beat his own father for a crust of bread? And the reality is that we are not starved! We are not in desperate conditions. We have simply made it not our problem.
It sickens me to think that we can look down at people who beg, to immediately associate the hungry with the drug addicts, and the con artists. Our cycnicism sickens. And my own....because I could easily say to everyone for my birthday donate to a shelter, lets do community work instead of going to Disneyland and yet even my own selfishness keeps me from this and I am ashamed.
Elie Wiesel survived Auschwitz and helped keep his father alive for as long as possible until his death. Mr. Wiesel's age: 16.
Since I first read Number The Stars in 5th Grade I have continued to study the Holocaust and the atrocities therein. From Schindler's List to Words To Outlive Us, I read and I cry and I want to close my eyes but I force myself to keep reading. I have even tried to put on events to remind people of this tragedy in history, but people want to just close these books. But NO!!!!! Because if we don't remember the faults of yesterday, we will not be able to forsee the signs of their reoccurence.
To my friends in the Muslim faith I have not forgotten you. I relate stongly to Judaism because it is the root of my Chrisitan faith, but I have not forgotten, how the peaceful words of the Qur'an have been torn and slandered and held as an excuse, a banner for violence. I feel your pain, for it was the butchered words of the Bible that was used as the reasoning for the extermination of so many lives.
There is no faith that teaches violence. The Torah, Qur'an, Bible all tell us to love our neighbors and take care of each other. So why is it that there is still hunger? Still Poverty? Still such disregard for human suffering? Its not just those in power. Politicians, and generals are not to blame. Its the everyday man and woman. Its the part of us that looks the other way when someone asks for change. The part of us that turns up our ipods to drown our their cries. We say our prayers for the sick,destitute, and weary but God has given us the means! We just have to be willing to find them. We just have to be willing to accept them. We just have to be willing.
I don't know what happens from here. I don't know where I will go from here. Some of you might have read all of this. Some of you might have seen the length and skipped it. I might not get a single comment. I don't care. There are those who post pictures of war torn countries on their site. Those who have links to websites. All I have is this. Maybe some will forget about this blog. Please don't. If anything take this with you from this long rant. We must not make ourselves immune to the plight of others, from children in far away thir world nations to our neighbor who cannot pay rent. Our ignorance does not eliminate the problem. Ponder that and hold it to your hearts, because you and I may be the means, God's answer to someone's prayers.
~Matthew 5:9~
"An Injustice Anywhere Is An Injustice Everywhere" - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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