We watched a documentary this weekend on the lost boys of Sudan.
1. One of the producers of the film was National Geographic Society. Nevertheless, it still came out (briefly) in the film that this was a war of the Muslims against the Christians, that this was genocide. There were also references in the movie to the faith of the refugees, such as their confusion at America's celebration of Christmas because, in their country, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ.
2. Boy, do we live a cushy life here.
3. The guys being interviewed often spoke of missing their parents. Again and again there were comments about "not having parents to take care of us." These were men in their 20s. They were capable of getting around town, holding down a job, cooking their own food, etc. Yet they recognized something important about having parents, something that I think isn't recognized in America.
4. Similar to a recognition of the importance of parents, the guys recognized the importance of family. It was hard for them to leave the refugee camp and their companions, even though they knew they would have more temporal goods. When they arrived in America, they lived with only a few other refugees in an apartment. Their jobs took them away from the apartment, so that they could go for days without seeing their "family." And that was unsettling to them. It didn't seem right that earning money should separate them from loved ones so much of the time.
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I think about number 4 a lot. How do you deal with that in America today? I mean, my parents have family in Nebraska and North Carolina. My parents are in Texas, you guys are in Wisconsin. And then there's extended family, which we've got in (between the both of us) New Mexico, Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland, etc. And that's not including the friends who we consider to be family as well but are spread all over the place!
ReplyDeleteIt has been really hard for me to think about how to deal with that in the future. We won't be right where we are now forever, but I still haven't 100% figured out what the means exactly.
Of course, there's also always the higher consideration of church and pastor and preaching.
It just seems like we out to be able to live in a place where we have good pastors and all of our family right there!!! And it really "stinks" trying to figure out what to do about that...
I don't know, Nathan. Mobility gives us one blessing, but takes away many others.
ReplyDeleteI guess I was thinking more in terms of day-to-day life with the people you're living with. How little time we spend even with the people that share our living quarters! That's kind of sad.
But then you go and throw in the aspect of grandparents and cousins and brothers-in-law and stuff like that...
This is near the top of my Netflix queue. I think I'll move it up.
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