Dehumanization

Today I was sitting here, browsing around on msn.com and I saw the "Week in Pictures" link and decided to click on it. If you have never seen this before, what happens is at the end of every week about 15-20 photos are selected from around the world to be put on the week in pictures section. At the end of the section is a place where you can vote for your favorite picture.

After looking at the pictures...I realized that we as a culture are becoming dehumanized. We go so far as to look past the humanity in the pictures and think, oh wow...this is a good shot. Does anyone see the devastation in picture 12? Do you see the humanity of that young man, bleeding to death? Or do you only see a casualty of war, the color of his skin, and the country he lives in? What about picture 15? Do you only see the way the shot is a perfect capture of shading and sunlight? Or do you see the world letting these young children suffer from starvation and malnutrition? Do you see the pain in the mother's eyes as she can't even take care of her own children? Or do you just see the photographer's eyes? And what about picture 13? Do you see the clarity and color of the picture? Or do you see the filth and trash these people live in? Do you feel a sense of injustice and anger when you look at this picture and see the unsanitary conditions that these children are forced to be surrounded by?

See...I could easily vote for the best picture. Yet, I don't understand how we as a culture can sit in our comfy chairs at home, drinking our bottled water, using our laptops and be okay with voting on the best picture. Shame on us for becoming a culture desensitized and dehumanized so much that we don't even care that these pictures are taken at the expense of seeing someone's pain and grief. Shame on us that we are a culture that when we see these kinds of things, we don't even bat an eye but we continue to live our lives, our comfy and selfish lives, and think...wow, now thats a great shot. God forgive us for not following your commands...to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. Forgive us Lord...forgive our nation....forgive our world.


God bless you all. (and Lord have mercy on our souls)