Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
--Proverbs 31:8 (NIV)
As a history major (and in particular, someone who is currently taking a German history course with an emphasis on WWII and the Holocaust), I have spent countless hours studying the horrific events that occurred both within and without Germany. I have read books, watched movies, and even wrote about the persecutions of the Jews, the tragedies of a Baltics region caught between Hitler and Stalin, the violence against Nazi resisters...the list goes on and on.
The most common theme I've found amongst these victims and their suffering is this: they were VOICELESS. Defenseless. Very few were standing in their corner, prepared to fight for their lives even if it cost their own. As a result, millions were persecuted, tortured, and murdered at the hands of their oppressors.
Kind of like today...
There are millions of human beings suffering at the hands of others, and in some cases, very little is being done about it. Human trafficking, domestic violence, abortion, and bullying are only a few examples that destroy millions of human beings each year. Who is speaking up for them?
I will be the first to admit that there are the chosen few that have dedicated time, money, effort, and even their livelihoods to giving a voice to these voiceless victims. But what about the rest of us? Are we speaking on their behalf? Or simply watching on the sidelines as our fellow brothers and sisters are shattered and demolished before our very eyes?
I'm guilty of it too, trust me. I have seen stories of abuse victims and simply breathed a quick prayer before moving on with my life. I've watched videos about the horrors of abortion (and those affiliated with it) and not shared them with others because I was too afraid of "offending them." But lately, I've been realizing that this isn't how it should be.
As a Christian, it's my obligation to fight for them, to give a voice to those are unable to speak for themselves. It's not right for me to sit on the sidelines, living life comfortably while others are hurting, suffering, and even dying but are unable to do anything about it. I have something they don't have: a voice, an ability to fight against the injustice their face. If I don't use it to speak on their behalf, what is the point of having it at all?
Jesus always spoke/moved on behalf of those who were defenseless: the outcasts of society, those who had been neglected and mistreated, the ones who couldn't help themselves and who received help from no one. He ALWAYS fought for them, always changed what they themselves could not. He set the captive free, healed the sick, restored the outcasts, died for the sins of mankind when we couldn't do it ourselves....and fundamentally changed the world in doing so.
Above all, Jesus showed the rest of us how to live. If the God of the universe took the time to come down and act on our behalf, what is our excuse for not doing so for others? We may not have much to offer, but like Jesus, we can offer everything we do have. And most importantly, we can offer our VOICE.
