He did not just say what I think he just said... oh yes he did...

There's no chance of me getting complacent in my work, and not just because of the state of the world, but because people never cease to amaze.

I was doing a presentation with a young chap who'd come back from Asia recently and wanted to share his photos and experiences. I'd been asked to add to his thoughts and inspire some new supporters. He threw some odd asides during his slideshow - 'there's one of the locals just watching us work, that happened a lot...' and listing lots of depressing facts about the poverty he'd seen. I didn't worry - I was there to give the wider context and the hope element. He went over time and I had to choose whether to move on, or fill for five minutes before the break. He'd originally wanted to do a Q&A so I didn't think there'd be too much problem asking him a few questions on the spot.

So I asked what the hardest thing about his visit was, (totally seriously:)'doing my own washing.'
And what will change now he's back after such an eye opening experience? 'Nothing. I was really into raising money for charities before I went, but now I've seen the rich and the poor... I really don't think I will. Sorry.'

Sense the change in atmosphere in the room...

(Voice in My Head: 'Maybe I'm the only one who picked up what he actually ... no everyone got it... do I just go straight to the break... no that would be a cop out... I'm gonna have to say something... like what?! It's now been five seconds... speak Laura... they're looking at you in expectant shock ... SPEAK'

I said something about how it's great and important that we are reminded how complex poverty is, and how we shouldn't be afraid to struggle. I told them how when I came back from Uganda I seriously struggled to get motivated and find the hope in what I did. Many of us have been plugging away for years, and how has the world changed? For every small victory there seems to be another set of challenges... why do we bother?

(Voice in my Head: 'I really hope you're going somewhere with this...')

We bother because when you've seen the world as it really is, you have a choice: to do nothing, or do something. And the compassion and righteous anger planted in us simply means we cannot stand by and shrug our shoulders.

Yes, there are lazy people in the developing world - there are lazy people here too. Yes there is corruption in poor countries - ... who are we to speak on that one?! And we could give up. But there are millions of people who don't have that option - who get up every day despite the odds and bloody well get on with it.

Or words to that effect.

I am so grateful to my young friend for throwing the cat amongst the pigeons and frankly - saying what everyone was probably thinking. Let's not keep pretending with some kind of unrealistic niceness that we can pat ourselves on the back and keep smiling. We should be confused about the state of the world - it's confusing. And we should be downright angry too, and struggling.

And sometimes we just have to cling on to that scrap of hope. That's the most profound act of solidarity I can think of.

A Quote

"Our lives begin to end when we fail to speak out against the things that really matter."
Martin Luther King Jnr

A Quote

"I think that we have greatly deformed the gospel. We have tried to live a very comfortable gospel, without committing ourselves, merely being pious, having a gospel that we are content with."

Oscar Romero, June 19th 1977