By Scott Moore
Nashville, TN
On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we won’t understand
“Don’t accept that what’s happening
Is just a case of others’ suffering
Or you’ll find that you’re joining in
The turning away”
Pink Floyd wrote this song when I was in High School – a LONG time ago. But I am brought to tears as I listen some 20 years later. These words still capture my attention. They challenge me live with a purpose greater than myself – to respond.
I cannot listen to these lyrics without remembering the youth we met on the streets of Guatemala City. Their stories are full of abuse, suffering and addiction. Most fled violence at home and began living on the street around the age of 8. They survive using ay means necessary and have no home or place in society. An estimated 6,000 of these youth live on the streets of Guatemala City.
I’ve been wrestling with the thought of producing another documentary, especially so close to finishing ‘Reparando’. To be honest, it took a lot out of me to produce a film on top of a day job. I enjoyed it, but I’m tired. I don’t really have the mental or financial capital to invest in a new project. I was hoping for a break.
And then yesterday it struck me:
What if God is calling me to do more? What if the thing He is calling me to do isn’t about me? And what if this calling requires even more sacrifice? Would I do it?
It seems impossible but …
“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”Philippians 4
Although I’ve met people with wounds I cannot heal and needs I cannot meet, I’ve also met the ONE who can heal and sustain all. I have nothing to offer. But He who is calling me has everything. Through Him, we can offer our lives – the very lives He has healed and continues to sustain.
I cannot go through life like a bobblehead, merely nodding at life as it goes by. I cannot join in the turning away. Not after what I’ve seen, not after what I’ve heard, and not after WHO I’ve met. I must respond authentically. I eagerly wait for directions as I begin the next leg of my journey so that others might not join in the turning away.