Newspaper

The other day I was flipping through one of the Indian newspapers that floats around the place and I noticed a section I have never seen before. This section was an identification page with pictures of dead bodies and a description of who they think they might be, what they were wearing and where the bodies were found.


I was quite shocked to see this but at the same time I have been wondering what happens when a homeless person dies, the big cities like Delhi are packed with them! Skinny, dirty, malnourished and disease ridden, an undignified death is inescapable for most of these people. And obviously there a lot more than just these few in the newspapers.


It is now that I see for myself the extent to which poverty is rife in this country, and all the countless issues that stem from this, that I can really understand how discouraging being a single individual in a big bad world is when it comes to actually wanting to make a difference. The cities are just jam packed with people sleeping wherever there is a flat surface and that really is no exaggeration.

I just pray that I will never forget that each one of those individuals has a story, has a life that God has given them and has a plan and a purpose. It could have just as easily been me living out on those disgusting urine and rubbish filled streets. Because it isn’t me however, I know that I have an obligation, ESPECIALLY as a Christian, to do all that is in my power to make life easier for those who cannot help themselves. From a western mentality is it easy for us to question how hard these people are actually working to improve their lives, there are many who choose to beg as a career... but then what about the handicapped, the mentally ill, even the mother of seven or ten kids who has no choice but to beg for a measly living? Her children then grow up on the streets and it becomes a vicious cycle. Even for those who have jobs, life is far from easy for a lot of these people, their living and working conditions are far from carefully monitored offices and factories.

If I ever become complacent, if I ever become nonchalant about the topic of injustice and poverty in this world, you have my permission to ostracise me, forget me, never help me out, remove me from my house and deny me clean water and food… At least then their hardships will never leave my mind.