…just a quick note on this post. I was misinformed on the child that was killed. Unfortunately, that was a heartless hoax, and the child was not running in the race, as children are not allowed. However, there was an eight year old boy killed in the sidelines waiting for his father to cross the finish line. I am so quick to judge. I am so quick to write off this world, and to write off the people that populate it. Yesterday’s tragedy made me sad, and angry, and frankly, furious. I was enraged at the fact that someone (or someones) would go out of their way to hurt innocent people. I was shocked as I watched the news and saw the bombs go off, but I was absolutely seething when I found out a faultless little eight year old child was killed…a baby who was running in the marathon in honour of the Sandy Hook kids. It disgusted me. I walked around yesterday, really mad at the world. Really, really mad. I asked Jesus, “Why do we live in such a broken world? How come there are stupid, cruel people in this world who would do something like that?” Jesus reminded me that He loves those people, too. He also reminded me that this world isn’t just full of broken people… and that some people are good. I am in the midst of raising money to go to Rwanda. Last night, I was emailing a few of my friends, and asking them for spiritual and financial support for this upcoming trip. To be honest, I didn’t really expect anything. Well Jesus showed me last night how there are really GOOD people in this world. One girl told me she didn’t have anything to give me. But, she could sing. (And boy, oh boy, can this girl sing!!) She decided that she was going to busk for me. She told me she wanted to help me, and she decided to use her beautiful voice as a vessel to help me get to Rwanda. Now, I ask you, is that the quality of a cruel, broken girl? No. Probably 10 minutes later, I received another email. It was a girl from my old high school, and this is what she sent me:
“I know this is going to sound crazy but I went to the bookstore at my school today to get a school hoodie…looked a the price tag, decided against it. I was thinking, that money could go to something much more valuable than that! So I want to give you the money I was going to spend on that sweater.”
I started to cry when I saw that message. It was as if Jesus was sitting beside me on my couch saying, “See Aliza? Yes, this world is broken. Yes, this world is hurting. But not every person you see is cold and cruel.”
I am a huge work in progress. I am working on not judging, or making assumptions or writing people off. I am working on being slow to anger, and rich, rich, rich in love..