Apathy – The Open Door to Evil

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”

 – Martin Luther King, Jr.
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/frederikvanroest/

Wild Weekend:

This past weekend, my neighbors were out hiking at Amicalola Falls in North Georgia with their family.  This is a beautiful place in the foothills of north Georgia that my family also loves to visit.  There is something almost magical about how the water rushes over the towering cliff and pours out into the beautiful oasis below.

But, this day would have an unexpected turn.

At the falls, our neighbors were taking pictures of their children in front of the waterfall when the mom noticed a man walking by and taking pictures.  He was not taking pictures of the waterfall. 

He was taking pictures of children.

He was taking pictures of our neighbors children.

It took a second for our neighbor to put together what was happening.
She kept watching this guy, I imagine in disbelief, as he kept taking secret pictures of other children.

You want to know what she did?

She ran after him.

She walked up to him, stuck her camera in his face and took his picture.
Then, she told him that he better stop what he is doing.
And, she went to the authorities.  And, now the police are looking for him.
That’s what a protector does.

OK.  I feel it bubbling out of me, so I might as well let it out. 
THANK YOU FOR BEING COURAGEOUS!!!!!

I am SO proud of them.

Do you realize what they did?  They not only protected their children.
They stood up for mine.  They stood up for yours.

Not on my watch:
There is SO much apathy in our country and SO much political correctness that it is enough to make the heart sick.  So, when we see someone take a stand for what is right, especially for children, it encourages us to keep up the fight for the defenseless.

In January, I sat at a table in Ukraine with our mission team, a local church partner and the government administration for this particular orphanage.  We knew through our partner there that these children were being abused in the bathrooms by some of the administrators.  We were sitting right across the table from some of the potential abusers.

I couldn’t take a picture of them and call the authorities.
It wouldn’t have done any good.

But, I can help fuel the amazing movement that is happening in Ukraine (and the states) to get these children out of orphanages and into families where they can be safe and loved.  Another courageous mom who led that previous trip to Ukraine is heading back to fan the flame.  I say again to her, “THANK YOU FOR BEING COURAGEOUS!!”

Apathy – the open door to evil:
I’m tired of apathetic churches, court systems, fathers & political systems that allow evil to go unpunished.  Shame on us for not protecting our children from abusers, molesters, and perverts.

Kids are worth the fight.

We will never win the fight standing at a distance.
Evil will always exist.  And, bad people will always have their voices raised.
My concern is not so much with them as it is with us.  There are more of us.
But, most of us are silent.

I agree with Martin Luther King, Jr. when he said:

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

Please don’t be silent anymore.

Steve Gillis
Founder | Exec. Director
www.patchourplanet.org

Please take a moment to watch this inspiring video of a courageous mom, a protector – unbelievable.
http://www.godvine.com/Mother-s-Inspiring-Video-About-her-Blind-Baby-Boy-1484.html