Willowbrook: Unforgotten
Yesterday we watched this movie in my class. Here is the trailer for those interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liMhBbl7NDk
I've seen it before in undergrad as well. In the 1970's Geraldo Rivera did a film expose on the treatment of over 5000 individuals with mental and physical disabilities who were institutionalized in this "school" on Staten Island. I was once again brought to tears. Tears that wondered how anyone could treat human beings so inhumanely and tears that asked how God could have allowed such suffering. I know He felt the pain thousands of times more than me because He knew and created each one of those individuals. Some He would welcome home and some will have died never believing in Christ as their Savior. I have no answer to this question, I just was pondering it and needed to put it out there for the world. Especially today being September 11th, I think a lot of people are asking that question - believers and unbelievers alike. Why does God allow pain and suffering? Why does He let hundreds and thousands of "innocent" people suffer death or emotional scarring of having to live through it all?
We do not have the answers here except to trust. I am not going to be fake and tell people that I have made my peace with all the suffering, but I will choose not to doubt God. If He is in control then I want to trust His wisdom as well as His power. I may never get answers to why God doesn't behave the way I want Him to or think He should, but I do have a message of His Grace and Love and Mercy and know that He is the Only One who truly understands suffering. A broken world that has turned its back on Him. An innocent, perfect, and holy Christ dying to rescue us from this darkness and repair the broken way. The Lord sees and knows, He feels and He comforts... and that truth I cannot deny.
I've seen it before in undergrad as well. In the 1970's Geraldo Rivera did a film expose on the treatment of over 5000 individuals with mental and physical disabilities who were institutionalized in this "school" on Staten Island. I was once again brought to tears. Tears that wondered how anyone could treat human beings so inhumanely and tears that asked how God could have allowed such suffering. I know He felt the pain thousands of times more than me because He knew and created each one of those individuals. Some He would welcome home and some will have died never believing in Christ as their Savior. I have no answer to this question, I just was pondering it and needed to put it out there for the world. Especially today being September 11th, I think a lot of people are asking that question - believers and unbelievers alike. Why does God allow pain and suffering? Why does He let hundreds and thousands of "innocent" people suffer death or emotional scarring of having to live through it all?
We do not have the answers here except to trust. I am not going to be fake and tell people that I have made my peace with all the suffering, but I will choose not to doubt God. If He is in control then I want to trust His wisdom as well as His power. I may never get answers to why God doesn't behave the way I want Him to or think He should, but I do have a message of His Grace and Love and Mercy and know that He is the Only One who truly understands suffering. A broken world that has turned its back on Him. An innocent, perfect, and holy Christ dying to rescue us from this darkness and repair the broken way. The Lord sees and knows, He feels and He comforts... and that truth I cannot deny.
Just read a post [after not being in the blog world since last school year] based upon purpose of pain and suffering. Many of our prayers ask to be relieved of this pain, but by doing so we are asking to not depend on God. Not saying it's easy. But it brought a light into my life. That movie is so sad and yes many times its hard to even fathom that. I suppose things like that help stir hearts of people to move and to do. Some food for thought. Love and miss you <3
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