Juxtaposed Lives

I guess we all live juxtaposed lives to some extent. Today I found things more than a little out of kilter.

Working for a Financial Services company, and helping create communication material, I work as part of a team to share targets & ambtions for our part of the business. That can run into millions of pounds. To some people that means I work for "the man".

That's all well and good, but I've never been in the game to make money or feed the system. I'm really interested in people, connectivity, culture & technology.

And my faith is in Jesus, not in anything else.

So today brought an increased tension between all these numbers that get talked about and the horrific realities of poverty and suffering.

Following a meeting at work about how we might tell our story in a particular way, to try and win a lot of business, I was reading this article about what's going on in parts of Haiti. Go on. Read it.

Children the same age as the weeWeir.

For sale.

For a tenth of the price of the much vaunted iPad. A CHILD. While this article brought this smack in front of my face, it's sadly not that this is the first time things like this happen. A quick look at Stop the Traffik's content says that between two and four MILLION people at bought and sold every year. Some for as little as £16 (US$20). WHAT? That's a ticket to Avatar in 3D, a hotdog and a drink. FOR A PERSON?

I was ashamed. I wanted to cry, but couldn't.

I wondered if I should listen to the thought of getting up, lifting my bag, getting on a plane and going to help in Haiti. I knew nothing about disaster relief, but surely another pair of hands is going to help, right?

But I didn't.

Clearly, my first responsibility is to Jenny & Beth.

I see the juxtaposition. And I'm horrified. So what can I do? I'll continue to give finance. Which I'll only earn by having a job. But is that all we can do? As a follower of Jesus, I'll continue to pray. I can also continue to remember.

What else can we do from here? It might be time to run 10k and get you guys to sponsor me to do it. Or it might be time to do more.

What can we do?