Blood Diamond
::edited Mar 8, 2007
::original Feb 22, 2007
I watched Blood Diamond yesterday. A terrific movie.
Intense, RIVETING (ha!), disturbing, stirring.
Portrayed in the movie, the rebel groups know no limit in their exploitation of children and ravaging of settlements. The government itself may be working to fund the rebels in their corruption. The general public are too scared or too weak to fight back, or are even brainwashed into joining forces of madness.
We know so little of what goes on over there… so little of what goes on over here. So little of all the wrong that really goes on in the world. A world of pain which we are far far from, the fullest extent of which we hardly fathom. We know so little of how our economy and our very lifestyle whets the greedy capitalistic appetites of people all around the world. There are secret dealings on both sides of the world and by both the wild buck and the corporation executives. It’s staggering…
I missed a CCF last term when a guest speaker from International Justice Mission (IJM) came to speak on the sex trade… many had their eyes opened to the world of evil in which we live. I’m glad I watched Blood Diamond: not the first I’ve heard of such injustice, but certainly a vivid and jolting one.
What lives are we living here? I’m almost sickened by the thought of it. We live in such incomprehensible excess–rolling about in our luxuries… our amenities. God indeed blesses each person differently. Being more privileged in a certain way does not mean we need to strip ourselves of all things and give it away. You could, but I don’t think to do it it or not do it necessarily is definitively good. I can imagine there are many who’ve encountered the following teaching of Christ and take it literally:
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” – Matthew 6:21
The message is not literal but refers to the underlying fundamental attitude of materialism. For more on this checkout this page.
This movie does, however, demand from my conscience a closer evaluation of all my spendings and the direction of my future. It reinforces my desire to live a humble life in terms of lifestyle spendings even into the future with family. Like really what size and how nice a house do we need? How fancy a car? How much decor in a house, even? I make no judgment upon other people’s choice of spending–but this is how I feel about it.
That said, to be deeply generous with our financial blessings is but only the most ‘basic’ or easy thing for us to do. Moreover, money to charities and humanitarian efforts only does so much. In the midst of all the corruption and theft both in the companies themselves and the powers at war, the resources hardly even reach the people of need much of the time. Ultimately, we need to resolve the wars, poverty and disease, not just stem hunger.
In the movie, Archer (leonardo dicaprio in the movie) sheds some unfortunate insight on western aid and peacekeeping: “Peace Corps types only stay around long enough to realize they’re not helping anyone.” I’m also reminded of one of Urbana’s skits (as noted in my blog 2 posts ago) where the white missionary girl comes to the related realization that their missionary visits do so little–and what’s more, that many deceive themselves in thinking that they have done so much, having gone on a trip here and there. I’m not diminishing the heart and actual effectiveness of such efforts. But consider: what are the stakes?
I don’t know what can be done about the enormous global issues. I don’t know what I myself can do. But I’m glad I had this eye-opener to motivate me and push me to be still more sensitive to it as I consider the future.
What we absolutely can and must do is to pray with great faith and urgency. There is power in prayer. At the same t me, let us not commit it to prayer and then continue in our lives unchanged… God partners with us, empowers us, and guides us. He’s not our magic answer-all genie.
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:43 pm
i should lend you a book I read last term- Understanding Global Slavery, by Kevin Bales. I think you’d like it- sort of along these lines
i’ve been thinking lately of what exactly social justice is, and the implications of what it means in my life. like- fair trade- for example- how can my purchases further benefit or worsen the life of someone somewhere else?
about the “aid” that goes on- it’s certainly important for aid to be sustainable and be partnerships with local organizations in order for it to benefit anyone. I have another book that I lent to Steve that you might like! it’s about the negative effects of humanitarian aid.. and the author calls for a huge re evaluation of NGOs on what they do.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
[...] results. Set mostly in Africa, watching this movie stirred in me similar feelings as I had watching Blood Diamond. Corporate and political mega-powers and their gross exploitation of the already struggling [...]