What Kind of People that Best Represent the World?
I remember watching a Clint Eastwood movie entitled “Space Cowboys” (released in 2000) few years ago and there was a scene which keeps on playing in my mind every now and then. It was the church scene. This is the scene where Tank (played by James Garner) serves as a pastor delivering a homily to the churchgoers. Frank Corvin (played by Clint Eastwood) was silently watching him and listening to the former Air Force pilot. When Tank noticed him, he changed his sermon to his experiences as an Air Force test pilot, telling about his twenty – mile fall above the Earth. Frank Corvin lightly smiled, the church piano chimes in, and the churchgoers are now walking toward outside while Tank and Frank are now talking about their new mission.
As the scene runs through, images of Jehovah Witnesses walking peacefully, serving in Africa to proclaim the Good News. The Good News of hope and salvation, that there is a merciful God named Jesus Christ who will save the world in the future. Doing evangelical work in the remote places in Africa in order to proclaim the Gospel and recognizing that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior is one of the most amazing things an ordinary people can do.
The Africans are among the poorest people in the world, living on few dollars per day to sustain themselves. With their unique culture and unwavering resilience, in the midst of overwhelming poverty, they still stand tall, raise their chins up and still proud of their ethnicity. There were even studies that the first modern man originated from Africa, so it’s a very big milestone because the entire humanity’s lineage can be traced back to Africa millions of years ago. Despite that, in the history of mankind, they were among the most exploited people. They were slaves when Europeans set foot on Africa in 15th century. The Africans were slaves by the Americans in 18th century. In the modern times, the Americans with African descent are victims of racism due to their skin color.
But there is hope for the Africans to at least unburdening their difficulties, recognizing their roles in world affairs. There will be a time when the poverty – stricken Africa will have improve lifestyles, their basic needs met and a support for recreation and investing on people, for the purpose of achieving human dignity while living. The Africans desires the basic human rights enjoyed by the rest of the world. Even if these desires are challenging to achieve, at least there are institutions that helps the African people do their best to help them. The Jehovah Witnesses and other religious denominations helping the African people spiritually, the UNICEF that helps them in daily living, and other institutions that helps the Africans in other ways, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that gives vaccines to millions of African children.
But are the Africans the most unfortunate people in the world? No. There are other people who face the same adversities and lack of advantages as Africans. There are too many poor people in Asia. There are too many poor people in Europe. There are too many poor people in North and South America. Even Australia has a big collection of poor people there. Is there any poor people in Antarctica? Probably there is none because most of the people living in Antarctica are scientists who explore the South Pole.
For the poor countries, they are called the “Third World” countries. I don’t know who came up with that term, but did someone come up with that term because the conditions in the poor countries were so different and difficult that in their eyes, they belong to the other world? A poorer world? Whoever came up with that word “Third World” country must come from the heavily – privileged “First World” country, with the advantages of being among the richest countries in the world and probably one of the permanent members of the United Nations. Is the word “Third World country” accurately describes the poor countries? What makes them think that these countries deserved that title? Perhaps the idea of “poor” is too alien to them.
When we come into this world, be brought nothing. We were born naked. Male and female babies were born naked. We were nothing and very needy when we were born that if not for the parents who take care of us in our infancy, we might not have survived in this world. Nature wants five of your seven children to be dead, so to speak. Fortunately, we can survive this harsh real world with the help of our loving family and our loving God, who watches us over. We don’t have to face the real world alone. We need each other to live even if we live in this world where there are already billion people but we become more isolated from each other. We still need each other, directly or indirectly.
Maybe your crush can become your ally in life.
*laughs*
We are basically born poor when we come into this world. Stripped off of our basic necessities like shelter, food and education, all we had when we were in infancy were just acquired from people who lived before, our parents especially supporting us throughout our childhood until we become functional members of the society. As for the people who grow up to be poor until adulthood due to persistent lack of advantages, it is very hard to walk away from this poverty curse. Once born poor, always be poor, with very slim chance of escape. What is more striking is there are too many poor people in this world than rich and middle – class people combined. Are the poor people the most common people in the world?
The adversities felt by the poor people are staggering. While the rich and middle – class squirm at the news of economic collapse, reduced profits and lessened advantages, poor people live in crisis everyday. They are in constant war with economic catastrophe, no employers interested in them because of their perceived lack of skills due to their appearance. Even if poor people do get hired by companies, they still work in back – breaking jobs like being a construction worker. They get paid, but not enough. Some of them become garbage collectors, which is an honorable profession, but the pay isn’t enough to sustain a growing family. Some daring poor people get into small businesses but perhaps ninety percent of them will fail in third year of operation. Perhaps we people weren’t meant supposed to succeed in this world and success is just anomaly because there are very few of us possessing it. Riches. Power. Good life.
With the kind of fallen world we have, succeeding in life is illegal from day one of our lives until we die. This life here is supposed to stuck us up in misery, difficulty and adversity. Pain, depression and death await for us while we live, ambushing us in unexpected circumstances. I’ve seen some faces of death and some of the most shocking deaths is they were very much alive before succumbing to death few days later. Life in this world is full of suffering that there are thoughts if there is an end to this misery. One thing is certain, there is an end to everything. Poverty and death are no exception.
We must have purpose in this life so we can live throughout this ugly world and question ourselves what is the meaning of our existence. We weren’t asked to be born here, yet here we are…rarely enjoying the fruits of the world. Lack of everything. Time. Money. Energy. Affection. In the words of my favorite movie directed by Steven Spielberg titled AI: Artificial Intelligence (release in 2001) etched in the doors of Professor Hobby’s house:
Come away oh human child
To the waters and the wild
With a fairy hand in hand
For the world’s more full of weeping
Than you can understand
We really need each other, you especially, to face the life’s challenges. We need to help each other to make the world a less ugly place. We need you to make someone else happy. We can be happy to ourselves but happiness is much more sweeter when given by someone else.
No matter what happens, even if life throws us “Nintendo – hard” challenges, stay strong! Bahala na ug magkinaunsa man, magmalig – on gyud ta! Kapyot lang!” (No matter what happens, perservere! Just hold on!). Have a mountain of faith. If you ever feel depressed and no contemplating suicidal thoughts, please, please, please, call your most trusted confidant. Please. Committing suicide is akin to killing a fly using nuclear weapons. There are always alternative ways to solve your problem. We love you!
Because of the cunning nature of life (often hitting you at the groin when you least expected it) and the billions of poor people living as of this moment, suffering everyday and living in constant inadequacy that it pushes them to do things which are unlawful in normal circumstances like theft and drugs. I now believe that the people that best represent the world are the poor people. Billions of them which lives where reality operates. Reality succeeds, with frightening ease, at making poor people suffer, making poor people eliminate themselves via conflict, crime and dying to unnatural causes like road kill and starvation. Most of the worst versions of illnesses are diagnosed in poor people. If we think about it, the harshness of life is evident in the sea of poor people now living around the world, begging for mercy in exchange of cents. If the poor people did work, they get paid low wages which doesn’t support a family. What they need is a livable wage, not the wage decided by the companies, which are often very low. I sometimes have the hunch that the left – over profits made by the company after “investing” (paying exuberantly high salaries on company executives, paying the stockholders and creating a business empire) were given to the workers, which is pretty much like the left – over foods were given to dogs after the feast. What’s the point of globalization if the companies can’t even pay for their workers properly? Companies must have a social responsibility to the workers in order for them to led a good life. Companies doesn’t make countries rich. It’s the average people. Who brings and circulates the money? Rich people? Hell no. It’s the poor and average people. Rich people just put away their money and are no longer in circulation. Meanwhile, if you give poor people some disposable income to enjoy themselves, this will boost the economy in the long run. Poor people buy things to other poor people, improving the lives of each other overall. One poor person at least invests in himself by having fun and the other poor person can now buy some food for dinner tonight. Poor people define what is the state of the country. Poor people in USA might be considered middle – class when they live in the Philippines. Poor people make the whole world run, not rich people. Despite of that, rich people are abnormally advantaged. Why most people in power are rich when most of their constituents are poor? It doesn’t make sense. Even the poor people who became rich forgot the feeling of being a poor because of gross advantages conferred to them when they got wealthy. God has a big heart on poor people and rich people have much more difficulty getting through a needle according to the Bible.
Poor people represents the world. This is the world where life is harsh and poor people are the embodiment how ugly life is. Even though they are at a disadvantage, they fulfill a special role. They are the guardians of the world, preserver of culture and tradition, and serves as a reminder that whatever we have achieved , be thankful for everything. When poor people become desperate, the country becomes deplorable. We should help the poor because whenever we see them, we see the world. Battered, suffered and in need of healing.
Poor people, you are the real MVP.
Happy helping!