1. You need to know what's going on in Afghanistan.
2. You need to care about orphans.
3. Understand that God is good, all the time.
It's been a few days since we watched "The Kite Runner", and still my heart is racing as I try to breathe out the anger that I feel so deeply through tears of pain. The movies that bring about an emotional reaction such as this are few and far between. In fact, other than Phil's "Glue Boys", I'm not sure I know another one. With out giving away too much, the setting is 1970's Afghanistan, and it's beautiful. Children play freely and their parents pursue happiness among lush landscape and community celebrations.
1.You need to know what's going on in Afghanistan.
Most of us know what happens next, whether you see the film or not... the country is overtaken with hate and greed, and consumed with evil. No one chooses to stay there; its not safe. The film depicts what it looks like today, and I sure wouldn't want to go there, not if you paid me to. Fear consumes everyone. Religion is exploited and cults are formed that eventually rule the country. And that's not just in the movie, that is real life. CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE WHAT THAT WOULD BE LIKE? Needless to say, there are no children playing, and their parents now live in fear of their daily nightmare.
This is my cousin, Cpl Reagan Smith of the United States Marine Corps. This photo was taken in Afghanistan, where he has been fighting to liberate the oppressed since May. He volunteered for this mission, and graciously accepted the task knowing the horror that he would witness and endure.
2. You need to care about orphans.
And here is where it gets hard for us. There is always a group of people who get left behind, forgotten, and eventually exploited. With their parents gone, dead or hunted, over night there are suddenly hundreds of orphans. The film depicts this perfectly; the images are grotesque, burned in my mind and on my heart I see young boys being paraded as puppets by military leaders. Truly disgusting. But its a mirror of what is truly happening there. They need someone to liberate them. A constant presence to protect them.
3. God is good, all the time.
This is the reality that is even harder to swallow. How can we allow children to be abused in such an inhumane way? The film left me angry, storming around our home wanting to destroy the walls in rage, and at the same time so badly wanting to curl up in the corner of the closet. From a movie. With emotions overwhelming me, Phil whispered "there are evil, evil people in the world." I started to think, and my thoughts turned to prayers. All we could do was pray. God doesn't want the orphaned to suffer, He has commissioned the Church to care for them. Through prayer, financial support, adoption, foster care, and advocating on behalf of the unwanted, the Church is just starting to realize the overwhelming need for orphan care. God is there with them, but He wants you and I to take ownership. James 1:27 charges us to care for the orphaned and widowed in their distress. How could you not? Everyone deserves to be loved.
Fighting through tears, I know the Lord hears my prayer for them, and I know that my only hope can be in Him. If I didn't believe in God before we watched "The Kite Runner", I would have fallen on my face and gave my life to follow Him as soon as the credits rolled. I can't save them. I can't protect them from the harm and torture that is inevitable. But I can have hope in something more powerful than anything in this evil world.
welcome home, Reagan!
Thank you for fighting for what you believe in.
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