Broken Belief

It has become evident to me that many people are wandering around this world rarely paying attention to the people around them. I recently read the book "13 Reasons Why" by Jay Asher [which I highly recommend] which is about a teenager who committed suicide after making 13 tapes to send to the people she viewed responsible for her death. Some of these people had actually committed abusive acts towards her, while other simply neglected to care. She's dead. The news has been flooded with the story of Amanda Todd, a teenager from Canada who made a YouTube video telling the world of her bullying, admitting that she was alone and asking for help. A month later, she died.

We live in a broken world, this we are all aware of. Everyone we cross is most likely dealing with some kind of brokenness. Why is it that nobody seems to care? Why is it that we have people killing themselves around us because nobody answered their call for help? I understand that it is hard to tell if some people want help, but there are many others who are loudly calling out with nobody answering, leaving their voices to fade in to echoes that go unheard.

I live on a Christian campus, full of broken people, full of people who are called to show love and help carry each others burdens, yet, I could count the number of people who actually seem to care to look past the facade that people put up. I could count on one hand the number of people who are willing to question someone's answer "good" when asked how they are doing. 

By no means am I saying that this is only a problem on this campus, it is a world problem. However, I do think Christians become too susceptible to over look other Christians in pain because they are consumed with trying to help unbelievers. We are too busy trying to make sure that everyone has the chance to hear of the gospel than we are with coming along side those who have heard and are hurting.

Yesterday, I went and heard my favorite speaker speak at a small community gathering, only to be shocked when he boldly said while talking about brokenness and pain that he was not talking to those who believed. Believers have pain. Some of the strongest Christians I know are the ones who are struggling the most, who have wrestled with faith the most: they are the ones who get overlooked during prayer, who people go to for help without ever offering to help.

Yes, believers have the assurance in the hand of God, but we are also crying out to just be heard by humans. True community is important. Listening, really listening, is imperative. Looking into someone's eyes and seeing past the glisten of the smile to the tear welling up is a necessity. So regardless of your faith, as you go about your day...seek out others, seek out the truth about them and be willing to listen, to walk along side them and carry their burdens.

People are calling out everywhere without someone ever hearing them because we are too consumed with ourselves. We are seeking out unbelievers while the believers are becoming lost. Don't be fooled by the people who have it all together, because they don't and they're probably just waiting for someone to realize that.

<3 D