This morning was my third visit to a refugee camp.  I’m not sure how many people out there in blog-land have ever been to one, but it’s something that I recommend everyone does at some point. If only to personalize and humanize those who suffer around the world.

The Ba’qa Camp is the largest refugee camp in Jordan, although there are roughly 10 camps scattered throughout the country – 8 of them being for Palestine refugees from 1948 and 1967, and 2 for Iraqis. It’s a strange concept to see entire generations growing up, marrying and dying within the camp; people are not meant to live in such poor conditions.

UNRWA seems to be doing as great of a job as they can with the finances they’re given, but is it ever enough?

I don’t think so.

There are several blocks that make up the camp, which houses just over 90,000 refugees. People don’t live in tents anymore because the camp has been there for almost 55 years, instead they live in apartments that they’ve built out of cement and cinder blocks. It is basically a ghetto created for displaced Palestinians.

Walking through I couldn’t help but feel guilty for being an American – for being able to ignore them if I so chose. I know how easy it is to not have to notice them. It’s easy to just discuss politics and foreign policy and act like things are all find and dandy in the world, and that somehow it all evens out in the end – but it doesn’t.

Each person, each American, each Christian has a duty and obligation to care for those who are oppressed, for those who are poor. It enrages me to think that I, and we, are not living up to that responsibility.

It isn’t enough to donate a few dollars here and there – it really isn’t. All that does is ease our conscious and shut down out their humanity.

Do we truly love our neighbors as ourselves? Do we wholeheartedly pray for those who persecute us and others? I don’t believe we do.

At the end of our lives we will give an account for what we did, what we have contributed, and whose lives we have impacted. I’m so tired of apathy. I’m tired of excuses. I really am so tired of it all.

I want believers to mobilize – to fight for justice, equality and love. Every time I think about the rediculous amount of assets and resources we have – it makes me sick. People do a lot of talking, and not a lot of doing.

A few days ago I was with my roomie watching a worship DVD from the UK. The song was “Send Us Out” and had hundreds, maybe thousands of people in the crowd passionately singing along. I turned over to see my roomie who was tearing up. She said, “They don’t even believe what they’re singing – it’s just nice words. Why don’t they see what’s really important in this life? I just don’t get it.”

She wasn’t saying it to be self-righteous. Her heart is truly broken by the overwhelming need, and the overwhelming lack of response to it.

I’ve learned a lot about community, and the importance of it this year. I think that as individuals it’s easy to feel like improving this world is just not possible. But when a community of people come together to achieve something, it really changes things. The presence of light always expels darkness, no matter in what arena of life.

It’s true that the task at hand is difficult, and in fact impossible without divine assistance – but that’s what’s so fabulous – we haven’t been left alone to just wander aimlessly. We have the ability to come together to work under the guidance of One who knows and sees all the problems.. and solutions.

I find it encouraging that I think lots of people are starting to wake up. It’s like The Matrix in a lot of ways – the entire world looks the same, and yet radically different. The things that were once impossible, suddenly become possible. There are just as many obstacles, and yet it’s easier to look beyond them and see that there is Hope and Love and that it needs, and can be, taken to the ends of the earth.