I have seen the film Schindler’s List only once when I was 16 years old. Yet this scene has remained with me ever since.
Schindler (to himself) I could've got more... if I'd just... I don't know, if I'd just... I could've got more...
Stern Oskar, there are twelve hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them.
He can't.
Schindler If I'd made more money... I threw away so much money, you have no idea. If I'd just...
Stern There will be generations because of what you did.
Schindler I didn't do enough.
Stern You did so much.
Schindler starts to lose it, the tears coming. Stern, too.
The look on Schindler's face as his eyes sweep across the faces of the workers is one of apology, begging them to forgive him for not doing more.
Schindler This car. Goeth would've bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people, right there, ten more I could've got. (looking around) This pin --
He rips the elaborate Hakenkreus, the swastika, from his lapel and holds it out to Stern pathetically.
Schindler Two people. This is gold. Two more people. He would've given me two for it. At least one. He would've given me one. One more. One more person. A person, Stern. For this. One more. I could've gotten one more person I didn't.
We live in the 15th richest country in the world (GDP per capita) while 27,400 children die of preventable causes every day. What should our response be to the vast inequalities that make our lives possible?
19 comments:
Jon, I have struggled with this issue for such a long time and spent a lot of time feeling guilty for what I had. I was challenged a lot by a good friend though to think about it differently. God has really blessed me and provided me with an education, a family, shelter etc etc. I think that I need to live fully in this blessing and be appreciative.
For a while I considered going out to live in an impoverished country and 'doing my bit' however, I don't think that is where I would best be used. I need to take advantage of all that I have been given and make the most of all the opportunities I have. The very fact that I have an education is a massive privilige. I want to use that. If I lived abroad it is possible I would simply be another starin on an already stretched community.
I see my place as over here trying to make a difference at another level. Educating others on the world that we live in and ways in which they can make a difference. Do you know what I mean? God has given me so much, I need to enjoy it but use it to help others.
I also feel strongly about the 'poor in spirit' too and want to try and help them out.
Top drawer jonno - very thought provoking.
Why does living fully in His blessing mean keeping what we have? We are certainly in a position where we can learn more to be able to help or give more but so much of our comfort has come from unfair and unbalanced economics. Why should be continue to be comfortable when other people have to pay for it?
Something I think about a lot as well but true to form do very little about! I find it very hard to justify why I should be rich and some one else poor, the price of my computer could save several lives, why should I keep it?!
But then am I willing to do what I think right? Sell up, live poor; I doubt it!
I guess what I am saying Ben is instead of feeling guilty about having a computer use it to it's full potential. Make the most of the gift that YOU'VE been given, it's an insult to those who don't have it for us to waste it.
Make a difference, join web chats, communicate ideas, raise money, make yourself globally aware. Know what I mean?
i'm losing faith in the arguments which say it is ok to have this much too much. i'm coming round to the idea that things like 'do not store up for yourself treasures on earth' might mean something. martyn joseph sings 'history will slaughter us', and i think he's probably right. it is ridiculous that we - with our incredible power to bring about change and demonstrate ways of living so counter to the very sick society of which we are a part, should so comfortably endorse and nurture it daily. well i dunno, i'm more and more thinking it's ridiculous that I do it, at least.
i can't judge anyone else on their actions though (against my religion...), i'm just trying to think through my own possessions and what the consequences might be of taking some of these things seriously. i'm sure they would be both dire and liberating.
maybe by not taking seriously the stuff about the poor (in the bible and in my moral fibre!), and loving my neighbour as myself, i am stealing their blessing...
i remember the first time i went to africa coming back and feeling really challenged by the poverty stuff and really thinking well, maybe i should sell everything i have etc. i had a lot less then... and since i have felt that i found ways to justify denying that feeling... how seductive is our society to my innate greed... how easy it is to let the 'there's nothing wrong with having the stuff, it's your attitude to the stuff' argument salve my perfectly reasonable convictions and concerns...
Josie, I hear what your saying, and I agree with a lot of it. Living in our blessing and being thankful for our circumstances is very important. I don't think the necessary implications are to move abroad, we can so much of a difference from where we are. The question, what do we need and therefore what can we give away, is an important one to ask.
Ben, I share your frustation with inactivity. This stuff is so heart wrenching yet seems to make little difference to my daily life.
Chalky, me too. As I get fired up and start to make some changes, there is inevitably a drift towards apathy and consumption as time goes on. The lust of of a consumer society is extremely powerful!
I think an important thing to see is that we can BE the blessing. I'm not sure where, but somewhere in the good book it says be blessed that you might bless others. I don't see living in a wealthy part of the world with lots of stuff as the problem. Not using the resources we have to bless others is our downfall.
Quite often we're very good at 'blessing' those who don't really need it. The real challenge is to redirect our giving and our generosity to the areas of most need. Thats not easy and it's always more attractive to 'bless' people when we know there is a chance we'll get something back in return. The key has got to be dying to ourselves and living selflessly for others.
tim - i agree. i do. but i worry about 'it's ok to have the stuff because we can use it for good' becoming 'it's ok to have the stuff in practice because we can use it for good in principle' - resulting in just having the stuff.
back to the schindler's list thing... well, there's always going to be more we can do. this often leads us to defeat, 'what's the point' - but i think it's way better to think through things which do 'move' you or make you feel a conviction about action and then gradually educate and mobilise yourself to take action. if it's climate change, a country, a continent, a specific justice issue... picking your 'thing' doesn't close you off to the rest (in fact i think it opens you up to other things more really), it's just that you can chart your own progress in making a difference in that area.
don't beat yourself up or let yourself off the hook - at the end of the day, both result in defeat and inaction...
there's a brilliant quote in velvet goldmine (oddly. not a great film or anything!), when two characters are reflecting on their experiences. says something like:
A: We thought we were going to change the world, but we ended up just changing ourselves...
B: What's wrong with that?
A: Nothing. Until you look at the world.
I'm going to crack out a verse I have tried to get going a couple of times before, to no avail. Its Luke 12v33 and it Jesus telling his disciples, not the rich young ruler, to sell your possessions and give to the poor. I find it very hard to get away from this verse because Jesus is NOT directing this at anyone, except everyone! There is no individual he is talking to it is in a general teaching about not storing up treasures on Earth, as Chalky said. No Rich young ruler, no get out clause, Jesus said it.
Certainly there is some indication at least some of the early Church lived like this, although it would seem not all of them.
Yes: 'doing our bit' seems so important but so paltry. But I agree with Josie, in that we should live in thankfulness for what we have.
I liked how the guy talking to Oskar pointed out how his actions will have a ripple effect - he has not only saved those people, but a whole new generation. I think small things that we do will make a difference in this manner, too.
I see your point Ben and agree to an extent but there were loads of times that Jesus stayed in peoples houses and ate their food. How could he do that if we were all poor?!
If we were a communtiy with nothing it would be jolly hard to give too much but our time, but even the we'd die pretty quickly without food!
I'm being silly really but in order for it to work you need people to have so you can go to their table to eat - like the Browns!
Jon i've been thinking bout this a lot recently, and i'm not sure if lobbying is enough. the letters i write never make it to blair, etc. some poor sod hired to read my letters replies.
our political system is letting us down. if we can't do anything bout the power figures in this country what hope do we have accross our seas?
some 2 million was it that protested? did they listen? i think they were a week late into iraqi then they had originally planned. what an impact. its all really depressing.
maybe some form of organised civil disobediance is all that is left? we need to gain the higher ground. but this means risking our jobs, our comfort as we know it. and as inspiring as this post is, is it enough to get us acting in the ways we need? I'm as guilty as sin in this respects.
what will satisify my conscience? who will stand up and lead the way to a revolution? where the hell is jesus?
I'm here scriv
Scriv's right - lets start the revolution - come on matthews we've talked about this. You can lead us and ben can drive us in a big lorry!
There is no way I am getting in a lorry driven by that crazy loon!
You wish you could be driven by me in a lorry! I am King!
I think I'm right in saying that Luxemburg ($55,100) and then the States ($37,800) have the highest GDP per Capita. Sierra Leone, Somalia and East Timor have the lowest ($500).
If you liked this fact, and would like to see more facts, then visit my blog, the official site of The 2006 Find a Fascinating Fact Contest.
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