Alright, I have a bone to pick. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about celebrations. However, recently I flipped the channel over to a holiday tradition being broadcasted on television. It’s a lavish event…spectacular even. The Rose Bowl Parade.
So, let me get this straight. All floats are required to be made of flowers and flower material. I have heard the average float contains about 100,000 blooms. The average float costs around $250,000. That is just one float. Millions of people stand by to watch these creations drive by. They clap, cheer, and stand in awe as they enjoy the feeling they get by being entertained by dead flowers pasted on wheels. In America, we call this entertainment.
I often wonder what those in third world countries think of us Americans. Do they look to us with admiration as if we are royalty since we live so extravagantly? Do they look at us with anger seeing how we live fully having the knowledge they are out there starving?
In Ethiopia, many work day and night for a wage of $0.50 to $1.00 a day. I’ve seen them. They are so hungry and so hopeful that one day help will come. I guess that is why I get a bit irritated with the parade. Those I have seen are human just like you and me. For whatever reason we were born here and they were born there. Why? I don’t know. I do know that if I were in their shoes, I would want people to spend money on coming to help me than I would have it being spent on flowers to cover a float. I’ll admit, while watching the parade for the brief time I did, I felt a bit defeated. I try hard to bring forth the need of the least of these and the importance and urgency of that need. Watching float after float prance by while the crowd clapped, made me feel sick and like I had fallen behind in the battle.
I can’t deny that the floats are absolutely beautiful. However, do we really think it is ok to spend millions of dollars on chopped up flowers when there are children dying from illnesses that would be prevented or treated with our pocket change?
I probably shouldn’t take it personally. No one means to personally offend me by it. However, I do. These people who are suffering are my friends, my brothers and sisters, my children, and as Christ tells us in the book of Matthew….HIM.
I couldn’t help but see visions of schools being built with each float that passed. Imagine if we just took the money that was put into those floats and put them into the hands of those who really need it. Food, education, shelter, etc. How much do we as a society value human life if we let children starve to death in the streets in one part of the world, while we waste money on pretty floats to just enjoy for a brief moment in time? Am I the only one that thinks we are missing it in a BIG way? Most days, I am proud to be an American. However, this was one of those times that I was less than proud of how we do things in life.
So, let me get this straight. All floats are required to be made of flowers and flower material. I have heard the average float contains about 100,000 blooms. The average float costs around $250,000. That is just one float. Millions of people stand by to watch these creations drive by. They clap, cheer, and stand in awe as they enjoy the feeling they get by being entertained by dead flowers pasted on wheels. In America, we call this entertainment.
I often wonder what those in third world countries think of us Americans. Do they look to us with admiration as if we are royalty since we live so extravagantly? Do they look at us with anger seeing how we live fully having the knowledge they are out there starving?
In Ethiopia, many work day and night for a wage of $0.50 to $1.00 a day. I’ve seen them. They are so hungry and so hopeful that one day help will come. I guess that is why I get a bit irritated with the parade. Those I have seen are human just like you and me. For whatever reason we were born here and they were born there. Why? I don’t know. I do know that if I were in their shoes, I would want people to spend money on coming to help me than I would have it being spent on flowers to cover a float. I’ll admit, while watching the parade for the brief time I did, I felt a bit defeated. I try hard to bring forth the need of the least of these and the importance and urgency of that need. Watching float after float prance by while the crowd clapped, made me feel sick and like I had fallen behind in the battle.
I can’t deny that the floats are absolutely beautiful. However, do we really think it is ok to spend millions of dollars on chopped up flowers when there are children dying from illnesses that would be prevented or treated with our pocket change?
I probably shouldn’t take it personally. No one means to personally offend me by it. However, I do. These people who are suffering are my friends, my brothers and sisters, my children, and as Christ tells us in the book of Matthew….HIM.
I couldn’t help but see visions of schools being built with each float that passed. Imagine if we just took the money that was put into those floats and put them into the hands of those who really need it. Food, education, shelter, etc. How much do we as a society value human life if we let children starve to death in the streets in one part of the world, while we waste money on pretty floats to just enjoy for a brief moment in time? Am I the only one that thinks we are missing it in a BIG way? Most days, I am proud to be an American. However, this was one of those times that I was less than proud of how we do things in life.
1 comment:
Amen!
Melissa
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