Weekly Reaction #3 - But What To Do?

At this point in the semester, I feel as if we have, as a class, read and talked about so much information. Now this is important so that we are properly educated and informed about the content we are covering. But where do discussions, theories, and opinions end and tangible action begin? I wish I knew the answer to that question because I find myself growing frustrated with the cyclical discussions and readings in class. So much talk. But what to do?

Now, I do understand the need for intelligent discussion on the topic of earthly stewardship. It is essential to see an issue from different view points. We all have different experiences due to our upbringings, home towns, and lifestyles. These differences can help us make informed opinions about where we stand on climate change and the population crisis. I love how we have stressed the importance of experience recently in class. The Andy Catlett book was all about how perspective shapes  experience. Andy’s experience with civil rights and World War II was shaped because of his age. His young mind did not view the war with as much severity as his older relatives because he was a child, someone not quite accustomed to the reality of death. When we split into groups and went to explore a place on campus, I was in the group at the Perry Center. There, we found that the rec center as a place depends on the time of day. In other words, my description of the Perry Center might be drastically different then another person’s description due to our separate experiences. And we would both be right!

Another example of this ongoing theme of experience in class has to do with the documentary we watched about chocolate. On one hand, there are the consumers who eat and enjoy chocolate. And on the other hand, there are the children who are subject to working on cocoa plantations for nothing. And then there are the companies themselves who have to worry about keeping their business running while making sure that each step in the production of their product, chocolate, is legal and morally ethical.

As a side note, what a hard position for the CEOs and leaders of the chocolate companies! How do you fix such a big problem when you have to worry about the wellbeing of thousands of people who work for you, keeping a company running, and feeling morally obligated to stop the use of child slavery?

Anyways, what good came out of all the talk about child slaves and chocolate companies this week? We established a problem and discussed ways to practically end this problem as individuals. Do we not eat chocolate? That way, we are not supporting those who allow children to work illegally on cocoa plantations. But will me choosing not to eat a candy bar really make a difference? After all, I am just one person. Or do we spread awareness through social media and word-of-mouth? Maybe this will cause a larger group of people to take action, and, as we all know, a big group with an opinion is heard more easily than a couple people. But there is not much action or push for change if all people do is talk about an issue. A prime example of this came up in class when someone mentioned Kony 2012. Then do we physically travel to the Ivory Coast and smuggle children off of the plantations? As I was sitting in class and listening to a discussion that seemed to go in circles, I felt helpless to know what I could do about this problem as a student. The only conclusion I came to was this: seek and llisten to what God might be calling me to do in my life. I think that it is easy to get fired up about injustices for a couple days and then forget about them completely, satisfied that you feel bad about it. But there is too much injustice in the world to do something about everyone. I am by no means saying to ignore the absolutely awful practice of trafficking children as slaves in the Ivory Coast. In fact, raising awareness about it and not eating chocolate are some ways to do something about it. What I am saying is that instead of getting angry and outraged about an issue, we should sit back, think about it, and ask God what he might want us to do about it. Especially since we are students, individuals who are actively pursuing degrees and specialized skills that God might have need of on the battleground of injustice.