First day home, and I went for a swim this morning as is my normal routine.
Two of my friends there, at separate times, asked me how the trip had been. They have heard before about some of my travels with CRED so they both know some background to the types of trips I undertake. I gave the same response to both - incredible trips but very harrowing regarding the stories behind the projects and the people we met.
The contrast between their responses with regard to the Ethiopia prostitute work left me stunned in some ways, but at the same time not surprised as it just shows the variation in human response to so many of these issues.
One of them, the 30 something guy, totally seemed to get it: the pain of the stories, the hope of the Women at Risk project, the depravity of humanity that causes a need for prostitution.
The other, a 50 something lady, responded with comments such as 'oh well that happens everywhere', 'it's all the fault of the church', and 'I don't know why you had to go to Ethiopia to see that, it happens here as well you know'.
Two very different responses, both totally valid as far as the giver of the response was concerned, and although I don't agree that prostitution is the fault of the church, I don't deny that some sectors of the church have had bad press recently regarding child abuse which is what she was basing her comments on.
As I swam off to do some more lengths, I reflected on the different responses, and the reminder that not everyone will 'get it' when I try and share the stories.
I hope and pray that this blog will help more people 'get it' and in so doing bring more hope and understanding into some little corner of this world.
Two of my friends there, at separate times, asked me how the trip had been. They have heard before about some of my travels with CRED so they both know some background to the types of trips I undertake. I gave the same response to both - incredible trips but very harrowing regarding the stories behind the projects and the people we met.
The contrast between their responses with regard to the Ethiopia prostitute work left me stunned in some ways, but at the same time not surprised as it just shows the variation in human response to so many of these issues.
One of them, the 30 something guy, totally seemed to get it: the pain of the stories, the hope of the Women at Risk project, the depravity of humanity that causes a need for prostitution.
The other, a 50 something lady, responded with comments such as 'oh well that happens everywhere', 'it's all the fault of the church', and 'I don't know why you had to go to Ethiopia to see that, it happens here as well you know'.
Two very different responses, both totally valid as far as the giver of the response was concerned, and although I don't agree that prostitution is the fault of the church, I don't deny that some sectors of the church have had bad press recently regarding child abuse which is what she was basing her comments on.
As I swam off to do some more lengths, I reflected on the different responses, and the reminder that not everyone will 'get it' when I try and share the stories.
I hope and pray that this blog will help more people 'get it' and in so doing bring more hope and understanding into some little corner of this world.
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