would i be brave?
I have a home.
I've always felt safe.
I've always known that, really, I belong.
It's not like that for everyone. My family and I just watched "Insight" this TV show that hosts guests and focuses on a certain subject. Tonight, it was about these people who left their country ten years ago -- Afghanistan -- and took a boat to Australia.
These people are fleeing for their lives.
They're brave.
It's something scary. And I don't even know.
You know what? Aussies like to think of themselves as the "laid back, easy going, flip-flop wearing, barbecuing friendly-folk" of the world.
But we don't let people in.
I want you to imagine yourself. You. Now put yourself into a war-fighting country where people are threatening to kill you and your family and... you have no choice.
You have to get on a boat. Right now. And get on a boat and flee to some faraway place called Australia that maybe you've never even heard of before.
And so you get there. Freedom at last? Uh, no. Because... who says you're getting in?
Watching this tonight... watching a person who didn't understand, who wasn't filled with love and acceptance -- watching him hate these people... it hurt. And it made me realize.
I'm not here to stand by and watch people hate. I need to respond in love.Which is exactly what the people did -- they didn't scream or hit this guy like I, if we're being totally honest, kind of wanted to. Answering honestly and kindly -- that was their response. There is so much I can learn from that. Just because someone is saying something unfair... doesn't mean we should respond in the same harsh, un-caring, hateful way. That's exactly what Jesus did, isn't it? Yeah. He responded in love. The people spat on Him, made fun of Him. He didn't say anything. Jesus didn't lash out and exclaim, "Hey! I'm God's son here. You'd better stop making fun of me or..."
No way. That's not what He said to do. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love.
I'm writing it a lot. So that I can understand what I need to do.
These brave people who come to our country... they're here to survive. As one lady pointed out on the show -- Australia isn't the most important place in the world. These inspiring people aren't coming here because they think we're amazing. This is survival. This is freedom.
That is, it should be.
Australian's all let us rejoice
for we are young and free.
Those are the first words of our Australian anthem. Young and free. Free.
There's this verse I can remember reading.
If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things.
What about, If you accept those around you, you'll accept the world?
I don't know. I'm just a girl who wants to live in love. I'm not there yet. But I don't want to sit back and relax, just because right now my life is rolling along just fine.
dear God,
i pray for that man who just didn't understand.
people who came to this country and are doing great things for us...
he doesn't care. he doesn't want them here.
we're all the same, in this world, God.
there's people everywhere we don't accept.
it's harsh. it's hard.
the small stuff. i think my problems are the biggest in the world.
they're not.
i pray that You'll teach me, God, how to love.
how to live for You -- i want to stand up for what You want me to stand up for.
no being afraid.
no just sitting back, watching people hate and not love.
if i love... maybe others will love.
like You showed me, Daddy.
that's how we can change the world.
love.
I've always felt safe.
I've always known that, really, I belong.
It's not like that for everyone. My family and I just watched "Insight" this TV show that hosts guests and focuses on a certain subject. Tonight, it was about these people who left their country ten years ago -- Afghanistan -- and took a boat to Australia.
These people are fleeing for their lives.
They're brave.
It's something scary. And I don't even know.
You know what? Aussies like to think of themselves as the "laid back, easy going, flip-flop wearing, barbecuing friendly-folk" of the world.
But we don't let people in.
I want you to imagine yourself. You. Now put yourself into a war-fighting country where people are threatening to kill you and your family and... you have no choice.
You have to get on a boat. Right now. And get on a boat and flee to some faraway place called Australia that maybe you've never even heard of before.
And so you get there. Freedom at last? Uh, no. Because... who says you're getting in?
Watching this tonight... watching a person who didn't understand, who wasn't filled with love and acceptance -- watching him hate these people... it hurt. And it made me realize.
I'm not here to stand by and watch people hate. I need to respond in love.Which is exactly what the people did -- they didn't scream or hit this guy like I, if we're being totally honest, kind of wanted to. Answering honestly and kindly -- that was their response. There is so much I can learn from that. Just because someone is saying something unfair... doesn't mean we should respond in the same harsh, un-caring, hateful way. That's exactly what Jesus did, isn't it? Yeah. He responded in love. The people spat on Him, made fun of Him. He didn't say anything. Jesus didn't lash out and exclaim, "Hey! I'm God's son here. You'd better stop making fun of me or..."
No way. That's not what He said to do. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love.
I'm writing it a lot. So that I can understand what I need to do.
These brave people who come to our country... they're here to survive. As one lady pointed out on the show -- Australia isn't the most important place in the world. These inspiring people aren't coming here because they think we're amazing. This is survival. This is freedom.
That is, it should be.
Australian's all let us rejoice
for we are young and free.
Those are the first words of our Australian anthem. Young and free. Free.
There's this verse I can remember reading.
If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things.
What about, If you accept those around you, you'll accept the world?
I don't know. I'm just a girl who wants to live in love. I'm not there yet. But I don't want to sit back and relax, just because right now my life is rolling along just fine.
dear God,
i pray for that man who just didn't understand.
people who came to this country and are doing great things for us...
he doesn't care. he doesn't want them here.
we're all the same, in this world, God.
there's people everywhere we don't accept.
it's harsh. it's hard.
the small stuff. i think my problems are the biggest in the world.
they're not.
i pray that You'll teach me, God, how to love.
how to live for You -- i want to stand up for what You want me to stand up for.
no being afraid.
no just sitting back, watching people hate and not love.
if i love... maybe others will love.
like You showed me, Daddy.
that's how we can change the world.
love.
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ReplyDeleteThanks!
~Hope~
Wow. that was really powerful, Emii! yeah, it's true and pretty sad, too that in countries like the United States and Australia where we have so much, we don't stop and take the time to love other people and share with those less fortunate than us. we try to pretend that that girl that nobody talks to, doesn't exist and we ignore her and even join in with the gossip and stuff when we should be loving like Jesus did. i know first hand what it feels like to be rejected by other people and it hurts, but we shouldn't let it stop us from loving other people-from reaching out to them. love was what drove Jesus to die on the cross for us when He didn't have to so in the same way we should let love drive us to love others-to change the world. sure we may lose popularity, but love is so much more important than that. lol! sorry about the long sort of preachy comment...
ReplyDeleteThese words are so true Emii. And it's not just happening within international affairs, but locally too; kid moves across town and isn't accepted, a household holds prejudice against their neighbor of a different race, the list goes on. It's disheartening, but every little bit that we can do to strip our generation of such cruelty helps!
ReplyDelete