If you watch the trends of media, whether it be print, internet, or tv, you’ve probably noticed that every couple of months there is a new version of the “mommy war” being played out. Last month’s battle du jour was surrounding moms who work vs. moms who stay at home. Today, a firestorm has ignited over a provocative photo and article in Time magazine about extended breastfeeding and attachment parenting.Rather than play into the media fueled, divisive, manufactured controversy of the day ... she gives her readers a lesson in perspective...
When it comes to issues of motherhood, there is one issue I care about: some kids don’t have one.and in self-centered thinking...
I’m confident that most mothers are doing the best that they can for their kids, even if their choices are different than mine.She then goes on to list a large number of problems with the current system that conspire to keep children in this country and around the world motherless. They all hit a nerve with me, as I am the adoptive father of two wonderful girls. The article is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.
I see first hand how my girls benefit from their mother's love and attention... and how frightened they would be to lose that. Mother's are important, no doubt. But this post isn't really about that.
I was struck by Kristen's absolute passion to advocate for orphans who can not advocate for themselves. The prophetic tone of her speech clearly shows that there is some kind of connection between her words:
I’ll get behind complaining about how the government renames orphans and calls them "wards of the state", and renames orphanages and calls them "group homes", and how we collectively turn a blind eye to the fact that we have hundreds of thousands of children waiting for families in the US....and the prophet Isaiah's words in Chapter 1:28
Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loves bribes, and follows after rewards; they refuse justice to the orphan, and the cause of the widow does not come to them.
Her words:
I’ll be appalled over how many children around the world will age out of orphanages, due to lack of paperwork or other factors that make them ineligible for adoption. I’ll continue posting about the deplorable conditions of third world orphanages, and the developmental challenges that neglected children will face.
...and the prophet Jeremiah's words in Chapter 5:27-28:
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit; therefore they become great, and rich; They are fat, they become sleek; they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause of the orphan, that they might make it to prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.Her words are filled with the same urgency and clarity of the prophets. The current situation is intolerable and it is hard to get people to care about it. There are an unlimited amount of problems to fix and and we only have limited resources, energy, and power.
I teach Judaism and one of things I like to point out to my students is that the world is a better place because the Jews brought certain ideas into existence. One of those ideas is to care for the widow and the orphan... care for those who have no one else to care for them.
I am not sure what Kristen's religion is, but it is clear to me her words are inspired by the very powerful words of the prophets, uttered thousands of years ago. It is clear to me that her actions, both in the micro (her own adopted family) and the macro (there advocacy and inspiration to others) bring the light of God into this world.
