Heartbreaking. Unbelievable. Yet Real.
Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 at 3:07 am (GMT+2) by PetarDear friends,
A movie about disabled children in Bulgaria has been brought to my attention by a visitor of the Prayer for Bulgaria web-site. It is a 1:30h long documentary by a British team. The movie is in English, so you can all watch it.
It is a shocking (even for me!) movie about the reality in which Bulgaria’s disabled children and adults live and die daily. What is even more shocking and disappointing to me is the response of the Bulgarian government part of which you see at the end of the movie – a disgraceful attempt to hide the entirely obvious misery and carelessness of people in charge. More about the letter from the movie team and the Bulgarian government’s response you can find here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/ features/bulgarias-children.shtml
The movie itself brought a great deal of burden on my heart and at the same time helped me realize once again that faith in God alone means life, trust in God alone means hope, and also that God’s love is endless. For me as a Bulgarian it is painful to also see that the Bulgarian Church (both – orthodox and evangelicals) does unnoticeably little concerning the whole situation.
I can go on and write more reflections upon the movie, but I’ll leave this part to you. My only note to you as a viewer is the following: Most people would immediately say that the problem is about money. It is NOT! As you watch – pay careful attention to the air-conditioner on the building, the somewhat nice and preserved bedding (sheets, etc), the fairly new and nice wheel-chairs, the nice toys… Love is what is missing from the picture.
Please, listen to God’s voice as you watch the movie and do pray for the whole situation. This is the least we can do.
Feel free to comment. Here is the movie:
January 4th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Petar I have only watched part of this movie. I had to stop it because I was crying so hard. I am praying that God would reveal to me what I could do about this. As you say, money is not the issue. Love is! God’s compassionate, grace filled love! It seems to slip through our hands too easily, never touching the lives that really need it.
God has been at work in my life this fall doing some reordering and readjusting. I will keep you informed as to how this is going. Right now it is painful as he is doing considerable excavation of the securities and safety that have been established in me over the years. It is a new adventure on this continued journey with him.
Keep me informed. You’re incredible!
Joy in Jesus, Mickey
January 6th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Hi, Mickey!
I came across a publication claiming that some actions were taken by the Bulgarian authorities to improve the handling and medical care at the children home. So, there is some rays of light in the deep darkness. I truly hope that Christians from that area will get involved with the home too.
I will be praying for God’s work in your life, and that He will give you strength and endurance to bear with Him and foresee the destination He has set for you. I am confident that you will be celebrating your arrival there.
Greetings!
Petar
January 7th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Petar,
another video amongst manies – another social problem present in so many countries, europeans, amerians, africans… name it!
kids with disabilities in Africa are just left on the street and most of the time would just end up dying.
I don’t think we should jump and say that what is missing is Love, although I agree, there is no concrete and real care to the children (just look at how the kids were changed or carried around). I imagine those nurses (whatever they are called) are just there to do a job, they probably have their own problems or for some are trying to not get too involved and thus get hurt.
All I am saying, is there are LOTS of reasons why people would demonstrate such coldness towards other human beings. Remember mankind is good by nature… in all individual, there is always a tiny aspect of love.
Having said that, if you watched carefully, you would have seen that it took 2-3 sec for the BBC’s journalist to take the arm of the child, look at it, put it back and put her hand in the hair of the child.
I remember when I was a kid, I could only fall asleep only if my mom would lay down next to me and put her hand in my hair, for some reasons it always gave a sense of peace and security. Two things that I am sure those kids are missing.
It does not take money, ressources, special abilities to show love, to show mercy but it does take some kind of training to deal in overall with those kids. Yes! me, you, anyone else would not be able to handle that job, we would probably be drained to our limits? why? because it needs special care. So I think this is one big problem, there are no concrete specialized people there that do understand those kids, no one there to really know how to handle them… even though I am sure it won’t need a Bsc in Child Care to just hug a kid and kiss them
So two big contrasts… the lack of trained people and the lack of basic care
Now I want to move to another vivid aspect.
Christianity, or I shall say Vintage Christianity, a christianity that has learned to send its missionaries, spent million of dollars every year for what? to build churches, for what? to somehow increase the kingdom of God? and for what? to report numbers.
“Go and make disciples… teach them all I have taught you… baptize them in the name…”
Pretty literal you would say but let me rephrase it
“Go and love, thus you will make disciples… show them love, what I have taugh you through… make them your friend, make them your family”
Now one would think… wow this is a heavy transliteration… but if you dig into the words meaning, it isn’it..
Does Jesus care about how many people meet in your church? I doubt it, only the pastor or whoever hired him care… same as Pepsi Colla which cares on how much profit they made this year.
Does Jesus care on how beautiful and great the worship was? Tim Huges wrote a song you all probably know..”When the music fades, All is stripped away, and I simply come etc.. etc..”
What I like in this song, is that this song reveals to me something I am pretty sure the money maker author did not intend to communicate “When the music IS GONE, now we all realize what ought to be done”.
All of this to point the unrational concept of Vintage Christianity which weary its members to organize, set up, invest in meaningless thing which we hope and inconsciously pray will help us keep our faith and bring new members.. and yet, not often we come to realize that it is in giving love that we recieve love, in serving others that we increase our faith..
I will stop here, there is a lot to be said, but don’t think Christian Love is what is needed in this place… no, just Love, a human Love Christ showed, for the Christian Love will hope one thing “I hope they all convert…” – that isn’t love then, it is planned action! no?