Close Your Eyes to the Lullabies
When did I forget about people?
The world is full of them, and every one is a life—a soul. Why doesn't their death move me?
God doesn't love mankind; He loves men and women. I know enough to love people, but I'm failing to love persons.
The picture is a tribute to Masumi Hayashi. She was an internationally-acclaimed artist and teacher at Cleveland State University. She designed this collage as part of a tribute to those who were forced to experience the Japanese-American internment camps. On August 18th, she was treated to her own thoughtless mistreatment. When she complained that her neighbor's music was too loud, he came over and shot her.
I don't know anyone who struggles to feel loss at her death. She was, from all accounts, a wonderful person, a talented artist, and dedicated teacher. That productive, valuable life was cut short in a moment of vile passion.
But can I love Jacob Cifelli? He was the hopeless neighbor who so undervalued life that a simple request that he let a neighbor sleep led him to murder. What despair, what misunderstanding of life can explain his actions? He probably did it because of selfishness and arrogance, but it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the importance of life—others as well as his own. A fundamental misunderstanding that has destroyed his life as much as it destroyed Hayashi's.
Why do we break down our Iraq war reports into American soldier, Iraqi army, and civilian deaths? Why do we completely ignore insurgent deaths? Why do we leave the concern over third-word country deaths by AIDS to the all-hated liberals? Why do we spend more time and money fighting those who disagree with us over how to balance the budget than we spend meeting the needs of the poor?
Call me a bleeding heart. I suspect God has a bleeding, broken heart.
Links related to this post:
Masumi Hayashi's art
Title Allusion
At 11:41 AM,
Thank you.
At 11:56 AM,
So very true. What a good reminder.
At 3:15 PM,
Good Reminder and a real eye-opener. Glad to see that I'm not the only play person with a blog, it's refreshing. Can't wait to get to know you better this semester, I think we have a great Southern Cast
-Laettia
At 11:53 AM,
You're right, it is sad. But you said something about a misunderstanding of the importance of life-- I'm not sure it's so much a misunderstanding as it is a denial. Sometimes I feel like this world has simply led us to this point of depravity, but then I turn and see all the conscious decisions to walk there of our own accord. And I think that might be an even greater tragedy.
Thanks for the reminder.
At 7:12 PM,
The policies of "bleeding heart" liberals have done nothing to reduce poverty and suffering. I agree that believers and churches can and should do more for the poor, however socialist, government policies are not the answer.
It is sad when an Islamic terrorist dies. Anytime that someone dies and finds himself in hell, it is a sobering and saddening thought. However, the death of an American soldier who volunters to protect the lives of innocent people is not equivalent to the death of an individual who attacks civilians and others who do not believe in Allah.
At 10:08 AM,
First of all, it is quite ignorant for someone to claim that liberals have done nothing to reduce poverty and suffering. People like you are the type of conservatives that normal American people hate. You have no intellectual validity, you live in a dream world that is neither relevant to American politics or to Christianity. Your severe hate and lack of thought destroy your very own assertions. Think of the individual who attacks civilians and others who do not believe in Allah. This person does everything that he believes is right. (Just like you. You are militant about your fundamentalism. Your code of ethics does not include anything about loving people.) Your life is just as important to his in God's eyes. He is voluntarily giving up his life for the protection of his people. Our soldiers attack those who do not believe in democracy. What's the difference? Don't give me some textbook, cliche fundamentalist cop-out. Your god is much different than the God of the Bible. The blatant snobbery of your claim that the death of an American is not equal to the death of some islamic terrorist reveals a lack of real knowledge about God. The logic in your arguments is invalid and unsound. You display no ability to think for yourself. You display no ability to interpret scripture. Just think for once!
P.S. I couldn't help but comment. I have been following your comments and the other comments on the different blogs you post on.
At 8:52 PM,
Dear Anonymous,
I would enjoy a discussion of what liberals have done for the poor in this country. I can't think of one single liberal policy that when properly evaluated has resulted in a reduction of poverty - and I have been reading and following politics since the late 1970's.
I wonder why you accuse me of severe hate? My viewpoints on politics and the economy have been proven time and time again. Tax cuts grow the economy and provide opportunity for the poor to become rich. There is a place for compassion - it lies in churches and private charitable groups. Redistribution of wealth by the government never works. Read "Animal Farm" and check out the parallels between it and the former Soviet Union. Socialist policies are still prevalent throughout Europe. Thus most of Europe has an unemployment rate of over 15%, while the US unemployment rate is typically around 5%. I don't think conservatism is perfect, nothing that man devises is perfect, however it recognizes and allows for the true nature of man.
As for your comments about terrorists and their deaths being equivalent to the deaths of
Americans. . . Your views may be those of the intellectual crowd, but they are wrong. The value of each soul is equal - that is why the American soldier dies to protect life. The Islamic terrorist dies for Allah, to gain reward in the afterlife, and to promote a form of totalitarian theocracy. Why do you think that the terrorist's motives are as pure and just? Why have civilian Americans and Jews been attacked over and over for the last thirty years?
At 9:14 AM,
And another thing. .. Sorry I get longwinded on these things.
Justin said:
"Why do we leave the concern over third-word country deaths by AIDS to the all-hated liberals? Why do we spend more time and money fighting those who disagree with us over how to balance the budget than we spend meeting the needs of the poor?"
Both Bush presidents have greatly increased funding to fight AIDS in Africa. In fact W has spend an incredible amount of money there. The fundamental difference comes in that liberals want to spend the AIDS money on sex ed and condoms. Conservatives want to spend the money on sex ed an abstinence programs - the only true way to stop the spread of AIDS. Are you aware that a condom does not truly protect against the virus?
Conservatives would also like to end poverty, howeve the solution does not lie in increased spending on government programs. You and I do not disagree that a problem exists and that believers need to be involved in the solution of that problem. Conservatives and Liberals have a fundamental difference of opinion on how to solve the problem. I believe that we can balance the budget and help the poor. It is not an either/or choice. You seem to prefer feeding the poor in the short term and bankrupting the central government in the long term. Where is the logic in that?
At 11:54 AM,
Josh,
Please don't miss the point of the post. I'm not trying to argue whether conservative or liberal economic policies are the most effective at reducing AIDS, nor am I conducting a study on the historical responses to the AIDS epidemic. I am asking why most of us don't care. It's been a long time since I've heard of a church trying to do anything to combat the problem, but I've heard of plenty of concerts and unsaved politicians pushing bills to raise awareness and funding to help. I'm not saying they are right, and others are wrong--just that I think Christ would at least care.
In fact, your argument is exactly what I was referring to. May I ask what you have done to resolve the current AIDS crisis in Africa? You have attacked those who are trying to help, so I would assume you have been active yourself. And considering the passion of your comments, I won't be surprised to hear you've done something. But you'd be in a small minority of Christians who have.
I'm not being judgmental. The point of my post is that judgmentalism flies in the face of our responsibility as Christians. Specifically regarding this issue (just a concrete example of what I was talking about, not the point of the post), I'm sorry that I know of the problem and haven't done anything to remedy it.
At 7:18 PM,
The real result of tax cuts:
http://www.easybourse.com/Website/dynamic/News.php?NewsID=58170&lang=fra&NewsRubrique=2
We can have tax cuts and still have plenty of money to help the poor.The deficit has also fallen during the last year.
At 10:15 PM,
justinic9,
I understand you a little more. I guess there is really nothing that I personally can do about AIDS in Africa. I don't know if there is anything concrete that I can do about AIDS in the metropolitan areas around me. . . All I can do is support those who are actually making a difference, at the same time I must point out the problems with those who are maybe acting with good intentions, but have wrong policies. Does that make me without compassion?