The Constant Gardener
I'd really like you to read this whole post. For no other reason than it might just resonate with you, and you might take action. If nothing else, I'm reaching out because I know I can't do this alone.
I never knew my medical microbio class would have such a strong impact on my life. The professor is amazing, so incredibly relatable, forward in his thinking, down-to-earth, and passionately inspired by a few people he has shared with us, changing my life as well.
We've been reading a book called Mountains Beyond Mountains. It's about a man, Paul Farmer, who begins his medical degree at Harvard while simultaneously practicing medicine in Haiti. He basically taught himself medicine through practice and flew back to school to take his exams. It's an incredible story, and one well worth the read. This man, this wonderful man, truly understand what it means to say that no life is less valuable than another. He dedicates his life to helping these people in dire situations, stomach turning traumas, and blood flowing injustices. I can't even begin to describe what he has seen; the thought of it alone makes me angry and sick all at once.
Tonight, our professor decided to show a movie for whomever was interested in watching it. I went in thinking it would be about some pathogen or bacteria and how it invaded the world, or something along the lines of how virulence factors work. I was prepared to be grossed out, but so not prepared for what I actually saw.
I will not do this movie justice in my synopsis, and I strongly encourage you to watch it, it's called The Constant Gardener. Here's the trailer:
Now this trailer truly doesn't do the movie justice, there's so much more to it. I won't go into detail, because I really want you to watch it, but I will say that the majority of it talks about the injustices in Africa and the insane conditions they live, along with how the rest of the world plays into these masochistic actions.
All I want you to take from this is awareness. Awareness that this is happening. Awareness that people are dying, EVERY DAY. Awareness that this is NOT NECESSARY. Awareness of the actions that some people are treated as if their life matters less, as if their not as important as the next person.
I drove home in the dark after the movie. I prayed, asking God why this happens. Asking God how could I change this. Wondering what it really means to die for your belief. Wondering how the apostles were able to endure such suffering for Christ. Standing in awe at the amazing love Christ must have for us to undergo such torture to save us. Questioning my faith when my actions to help these suffering people is so meek.
So I encourage you, yes YOU. I want you to think about what you have. Think about all of your possessions. Think about what you spend your money on, think about what you spend your time doing, think about what you talk about, think about, act upon.
Then think about what is actually necessary.
I don't know about you, but it makes me realize I don't want to live with so many things when so many people have so little.
If all you get out of this post is an awareness of the injustice in this world, a physical awareness, then you have become more informed. For me, this movie made me literally ache with pain, to see the heartache and injustice, the unfairness, the cruelty in this world; someone needs to do something. No one person can do anything alone, but as far as I'm concerned, they can sure try.
Think about it.
I never knew my medical microbio class would have such a strong impact on my life. The professor is amazing, so incredibly relatable, forward in his thinking, down-to-earth, and passionately inspired by a few people he has shared with us, changing my life as well.
We've been reading a book called Mountains Beyond Mountains. It's about a man, Paul Farmer, who begins his medical degree at Harvard while simultaneously practicing medicine in Haiti. He basically taught himself medicine through practice and flew back to school to take his exams. It's an incredible story, and one well worth the read. This man, this wonderful man, truly understand what it means to say that no life is less valuable than another. He dedicates his life to helping these people in dire situations, stomach turning traumas, and blood flowing injustices. I can't even begin to describe what he has seen; the thought of it alone makes me angry and sick all at once.
Tonight, our professor decided to show a movie for whomever was interested in watching it. I went in thinking it would be about some pathogen or bacteria and how it invaded the world, or something along the lines of how virulence factors work. I was prepared to be grossed out, but so not prepared for what I actually saw.
I will not do this movie justice in my synopsis, and I strongly encourage you to watch it, it's called The Constant Gardener. Here's the trailer:
Now this trailer truly doesn't do the movie justice, there's so much more to it. I won't go into detail, because I really want you to watch it, but I will say that the majority of it talks about the injustices in Africa and the insane conditions they live, along with how the rest of the world plays into these masochistic actions.
All I want you to take from this is awareness. Awareness that this is happening. Awareness that people are dying, EVERY DAY. Awareness that this is NOT NECESSARY. Awareness of the actions that some people are treated as if their life matters less, as if their not as important as the next person.
I drove home in the dark after the movie. I prayed, asking God why this happens. Asking God how could I change this. Wondering what it really means to die for your belief. Wondering how the apostles were able to endure such suffering for Christ. Standing in awe at the amazing love Christ must have for us to undergo such torture to save us. Questioning my faith when my actions to help these suffering people is so meek.
So I encourage you, yes YOU. I want you to think about what you have. Think about all of your possessions. Think about what you spend your money on, think about what you spend your time doing, think about what you talk about, think about, act upon.
Then think about what is actually necessary.
I don't know about you, but it makes me realize I don't want to live with so many things when so many people have so little.
If all you get out of this post is an awareness of the injustice in this world, a physical awareness, then you have become more informed. For me, this movie made me literally ache with pain, to see the heartache and injustice, the unfairness, the cruelty in this world; someone needs to do something. No one person can do anything alone, but as far as I'm concerned, they can sure try.
Think about it.
Comments
Post a Comment