Dear TSJ Friends,
What a week this has been in the news. Millions of minds and hearts around the world have likely faced deep feelings of concern for the boys and their coach trapped in a cave in Thailand – facing not only the trauma of that alone, but the possibility of being there for several months or facing death due to the arrival of their monsoon season.
We empathized with their parents and with the boys, their brave rescuers and with urgency that commanded the finest of minds to develop strategies and share their expertise to make the rescue even possible in the face of relentless rains.
This week the proverbial “village” it takes to raise our children was the world. Philosophically, that should always be the case when leaders of all countries make decisions for their people. It is seems to be a universal, indeed a human truth, that we all love and want to provide protection and safety for our children. And we will accomplish amazing feats and pray for miracles to rescue them. Is that because our Creator feels the same way about us?
So… this week, I have found myself listening to news broadcasts and waiting through them with an impatient “Ok… I get that (or not) …. but what about the boys?” Is there any news about them? That is what I was waiting to hear.
Several things about that rescue have moved me. First, no matter if they “should have been” where they were or not… it was irrelevant. I don’t even know if that was a fact, I am just using it as an “if” example. The greater call was to save their lives. They are what mattered. We all want them to be in the arms of their parents and families. People literally moved “heaven and earth” to rescue them.
And one man gave up his life for them. HIs family has a different ending. Yet all point to the power of Love in action. As has been said by others, “Love does.” This of course is moving from a spiritual perspective because I believe we are Shepherded by our original Parent/Creator.
It has struck me how different the trapped boy story is from the trapped children in our country who have been carelessly separated from their parents.
For the boys and their coach the world could literally mobilize its resources to help.
Our immigrant children are also facing harrowing challenges that will affect them for life and the flood waters of life will be a bit different of course, but clearly threatening to their lives. And resources are often blocked from helping them.
Still, in our current story Love is in full action. It is heartening that so many people are speaking up for them and spending hours of poring through laws and red tape and wading through hostility and misunderstanding because it is such a political situation, to reunite those children. There are workers and volunteers from many places doing what they can. And let us hope and pray the monsoon of rancor and will lift in our country so that our creative powers can be used with compassion and integrity, with hope and hard work.
Once again, I have tried to listen through all kinds of news reports only to say, “OK…. but what about the children?” By that I do not mean to minimize one iota the tremendous conflicts our government faces or we face as the people our government is serving.
But I wonder… would we make wiser, more measured and careful decisions, or would our politicians and journalists talk and listen to one another with more respect or would we the people be more responsible in helping reduce the rancor in the world if we all stopped and asked ourselves, “What about our children?”
How heartwarming it has been to be reminded that in the midst of all that seems so wrong, so complex and confusing…. the love we have for children is still so right and so universal. May we renew our commitment to be like our Chief Shepherd and shepherd them well. Shepherding is hard work with sheep but it is a great metaphor for the hard work of caring for our children too.
So, happy shepherding today!
And let us remember “Love Does,”
Margie and Solomon
