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?
8 comments:
Top drawer jonno - very thought provoking.
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.
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!
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!
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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