A bunch of ppl are making a lot of noise about china's human rights policy etc around the olympics, and they're probably right, but i was out walking round the streets last night with a few friends and we came across plenty of injustice on our own doorstep...
first there was dino, who couldn't speak any english, so with only a very few words of romanian between us we'll didn't hear his story but there he was sat against a bin, holding out a crippled hand for some change, a middle aged man destitue in a foreign land...
next was gemma, she butted in while we were praying with her friend aaron, she had been having a few drinks with her friends in a park, well dressed quite pretty, cap pulled low over her face. "Are you guys really praying? Cause im getting mad panic attacks and i want them to go away" Then she pulled up her sleaves and there were about 30 little cuts the whole way up each forearm. She said it was the only thing she could do when the panic attacks were making so scared she couldn't even leave her room to sit with her mum...
finally there was ahmed, sitting in a bit of town we dont normally find people, i would have walked past him but some of the other guys stopped. ahmed is 17 he's been seeking assalum for 3 years, during which time he has been bounched around from libya, italy, france, switzerland and england with no passport and only a basic grasp of these countries languages he has often ended up living on the streets. now here in belfast he was selling himself to men try and make a few quid...
we spent time with each person, giving them food and a hot drink, prayer and hugs, all of them appreciated it and a couple cried on someones shoulder. but what kind of a society do we live in where minors from war-torn states are forced to turn tricks for perverts to get by? somehow i dont feel so justified in pointing the finger at china or bush or anyone...