Recently I saw this interaction on facebook:
“Too bad most “Change The World” talk is done by people that barely leave North America more than once a year…”
Immediately someone responded:
“Yeah, and too bad that’s an incredibly horrible thing to say. Do you have any idea how much the world can change with simply doing things right here in our own back yards? The world DOES include North America, you know. I think it’s actually pretty harsh of you to say that. Very few people have the ability to “leave North America” more than once a year, or even at all, so they do what they can here, and that is NOT nothing. So there is absolutely no reason to say too bad… and I think it’s just lame that you would say that, and pretty unnecessarily harsh.”
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and my focus is not on the details of this facebook conversation but more about what it brings up. The conflict between being involved globally and helping those locally.
Since the Invisible Children “trend” and now the Haiti “trend” I find myself feeling very perturbed by all this media surrounding Hollywood. I’m not saying that their money isn’t helping the situation and I’m not saying that the media isn’t spreading important news to the general public… but somehow I can’t help feel that as more hype is being built, the cause and reality of the situation is being diluted. Diluted to the point that actors, actresses, models, talk show hosts, etc. are involved for the heck of it… because everyone else is doing it… because their publicists want them to strategize their fame… because it gives them an opportunity for their face to be on TV. Who’s to say that someone who gives 100 dollars and has 1000 dollars to their name should not be credited the same. Imagine Rosie O’Donnell donating 10% of her assets… probably not.
I agree that there are tons of needs in our backyard… in our own cities, states… country. But there are specific people who are gifted and called to reach out globally… imagine Africa without the help of the UN…
“Change the world” talk has simply become a trend…but who’s to say that trends can’t change the world.
It is so important to be mindful and intentional. Focus on the local inspires, motivates, educates, and prepares people to be productive citizens of America and ultimately citizens of this world. Focus on the global unites people in a cause that is outside of themselves. It’s a focus that promotes equality. My point is that neither one, local or global efforts are mutually exclusive. I believe we need one for the other—Here’s the question I ask myself: “What is my role?” Perhaps that’s the question in your (people in general) heart too…or maybe you already know your answer. I absolutely agree…it’s what are you called to with your specific passion and your talents. Delight in living out what you were designed to do!
I’m a big subscriber of this view. The body is made up of many parts, and they are all necessary. We all need to discern what our role is, then live it out. The world needs balance. If everyone focuses on local then global suffers. The opposite is also true. Finding out what MY role is and acting on it will help keep the balance.
Well put! I agree with you completely. The thing I try to explain to people, including my family, when they ask me why don’t I stay and help here instead of traveling abroad. My response is, I do help here now, while I am here, but in North America there are tons of opportunities and much better access to aid. In areas such as Africa or Haiti, it is much harder too come by and they need people to be willing to go there and help. It’s not for everyone, but that can’t be everyone’s excuse for not doing anything. I am still haunted by a statistic that said the US consumes most of the world’s natural resources and is one of the most populated countries, and one of the wealthier countries yet we have the fewest volunteers to go aid other suffering countries. Maybe we are too spoiled here and have forgotten that we are all made of the same flesh, that we all have the same creator, and we are not separate, but are a community of people. It’s easy to say that we are here across the sea and forget that we do have a responsibility to our fellow man no matter where they are located geographically. We are called to be a community with are fellow man whether they are 5 ft away or 5,000 miles away. The point is that we care and move to action no matter where that takes us. I hope that “changing the world” becomes a bigger trend, cause really I don’t see anything negative in that….bring it on!
Thanks for posting this Mina. It’s important stuff to keep in mind.
And more importantly, thank you for reaching out to me and being a friend. Hopefully I can enjoy dinner with Matt and yourself in the near future. You both have been a huge blessing in my life over the past month, whether you know it or not.
Your kindness has not been lost on me.
xoxo
The original Facebook disagreement seems to be more on the level of semantics rather than actual ideology. The truth is that we MUST affect our backyards before we can even comprehend what it means to change someone else’s backyard. However, if we ONLY ever affect our own backyards, then the world doesn’t change.
It should also be noted (since it seems to have been assumed by one but not by the other) that “change in the world” doesn’t actually require travel to other areas of the world. However, those people with the loudest voices challenging people to change the world should be the ones that can and do travel to those areas to understand what change is actually needed. The people whose role it is to bring change through someone else’s cause don’t have to travel, but certainly can help with finances, supplies, organizing, communicating, etc. But for someone who doesn’t travel to stand up on a stage or on TV and tell everyone what needs to change in the world is like the blind leading the blind. If you wanted to climb Mt. Everest, you wouldn’t hire someone who had only read about how to do it online.
Hey this is a great article. I’m going to email this to my buddies. I stumbled on this while googling for some music videos, I’ll be sure to visit regularly. thanks for sharing.
@Micah it’s been a blessing getting to know you and being able to just hang out and chill. Thank you for being so transparent, it’s very refreshing! Dinner sounds great!
@Casey well put. The disagreement on facebook was all semantics. Just
made me think about “change the world” in general. I 100% believe that changing the world can happen at all different levels whether it be with finances or traveling to the country. I know there are people who don’t have the means to travel and i know that prayer alone is powerful enough to make change happen… just tired of what you mentioned…”the blind leading the blind”
Image if you would reaching out to the twenties at San Clemente, seeing hypocrisy inthe South County Religous, hungry for something REAL, having parents of denominational churches who are saved by tithes? They are hungry grasping at what is real. God is real, not the God created by man, but the God that is GOD! Imagine how little it takes to make relationships while out on your board, or getting you hair cut in the community. They see thru hypocricy, they write off bible bashing, they want reality…Then image those twenties,,,,then touching another,,,and another. Why not make it a practice to support whereever it is you frequent build trust…then let them see the difference , the truth, the reality of God in you?