JoJo

I received word today that JoJo, a little boy at Hermano Pedro, has died. I remember holding him, his stiff little body, he was so uncomfortable. As of late he's been very ill (according to Dick and Pat's blogs that I follow), respiratory problems and such. I'm upset to learn his fate.
I'm upset with myself too. Within an hour of hearing the news I'm in my van headed to meet my son's new pre-k teacher. I start focusing on school supplies, where I can find that Star Wars backpack Flynn so desperately wants. It's amazing to me how fast JoJo left my mind. What is wrong with me? Why am I so heartless? I'm realizing how heartless our entire society is. We go about our spoiled, pampered lives day in and day out as helpless children lay dying around the world. Not just little JoJo in Guatemala, but precious children all over the world. As I sit here in my air conditioned home, my ass on a comfortable chair, my belly full there are children in every corner of the world dying. Dying too soon, too fast, too unfairly, and yet I do nothing to stop it. A parent's worst nightmare is unfolding and yet I still do nothing. What the hell is wrong with me and with our society? How can we allow this to happen? Why do we allow this to happen?
I know God cannot be happy about this. This cannot be how he envisioned his people to behave. When something bad happens there are usually either of 2 things said, "It's God's will", or "Why would a loving God do this". I think we need to realize that this is our will, society's will because our society is allowing this to happen. I believe God wants us to step up and fix this problem. Every day we do nothing is another day that these tragedies continue to occur. I feel certain God expects more from us and yet I continue to disappoint him, continue to not do what I should. It is not ok for us to go to church on Sunday morning, give our 20 percent tithe and feel we've done our part. It is not ok for you to read this and still do nothing. It is not ok for me to write this and still do nothing. We should work until our hands bleed and our hearts break. But we won't. Thirty minutes after reading this JoJo will have escaped your mind. You'll be thinking about lunch and the errands you need to run after work, or the long weekend coming up. I'm no better, I'll be wondering if there are any Everybody Loves Raymond reruns on this afternoon and what to cook my family for dinner. Plenty of food for my family who will probably end up not eating half of it and it will get thrown away. While I scoop leftovers into my trash can somewhere a child will be dying from starvation. Why God, will I do that? Jojo is gone. Have you forgotten what he looks like already?