Saturday, July 18, 2009

Blood Diamond

I watched Blood Diamond the other day. It’s a film that’s been in my collection for a while and somehow the time never seemed quite right to sit down and watch it. I needed to be in the right head space to do so, for me it was one of those films.

Anyway, I cried, no big there, it was better than even money that I would have. I hadn’t counted on my total emotional breakdown after the movie finished. I’m loading the dishwasher doing the stuff you do before going to bed when it hit me.

Throughout the movie I was struck by the cruelty, how could you not be? But I stood there at my dishwasher and cried at the arrogance, cruelty and greed of the human race. No other creature is as cruel as we are. And I feel so helpless.

I am aware that these things happen, nothing in the movie was particularly surprising to me; genocide, child soldiers, getting children addicted. And I feel helpless to change it.

I wish it was possible to wave a wand or something and change it. But it’s not.

I give to certain causes I feel strongly about and logically I know there is only so much one person can do. Then in all this I remember that humanity also has a great measure of compassion. I’d like to take a moment to remember and thank those who step into the breach and help where I can’t.

1 comment:

HisFireFly said...

Sometimes Hollywood hits the mark.

We watched this on a flight home from Uganda, after seeing simlar children in Gulu affected by war, forced to kill their own families, etc.

It changes you. God changes you. I pray that I allow His heart to beat within mine.

i believe your feeling that heartbeat now as well.