Posted by Talbiseh Media Center
By Sister Krystal Funk, ASC
Like thousands of people around the world, I viewed with deep sadness a video of a terrified and bloodied Syrian girl screaming for her father after a rocket attack on their town, Talbiseh, caused the ceiling of their house to collapse.
Her cries found their way into my soul, the center space in my heart. I teared up.
Photo by photographer and media activist Mahmoud Raslan
The look in her eyes seems to speak of the same tragedy as that of the boy, covered in dust and blood, who was pulled from a bombed-out building in Aleppo. The photo of that child grabbed the world’s attention only months earlier.
Just how little do we know of the Syrians’ daily sufferings? Aren’t these children made to suffer because of adults?
The sound and image of this girl’s lament and terror made me think of our US elections.
On what are we basing our votes this election? You, like me, already may have made up your mind. If we differ there, at least we can agree that all of our candidates are human and will make mistakes as they learn and grow.
- How can we make an informed decision?
- What in this world speaks loudest to your heart?
- What are our most important issues and how do the candidates debate them, if at all?
I find my answer in what I know about the candidates and what they stand for.
My answer also is found in these children, the already born who are dying, the ones who are not Christian but who need help, those right before me, the refugees, the immigrants, the poor, and the needy.
Each of us has something that speaks to our heart and stirs our souls. Instead of bickering over who said what or who did this, which candidate addresses what speaks most to your heart?
Find what makes you stop and pause and think, and vote accordingly. Each of us is only human after all — the voters, the candidates, and the crying children of Syria.