I came across it while going through an old file of short videos some time ago; I wasn’t looking for it. It was a video of a little girl in some city in India. The light is dim, as night has already fallen. The video itself seems to have been captured on an ol
d flip phone with a rudimentary digital camera. The image is grainy and blurred, which only adds to the rawness of the moment.
She is wearing a yellow dress, her hair is tangled, and her feet are bare. Around her, the sidewalk is busy with people rushing to and fro. She stands and looks about for a few minutes, then proceeds to make her bed; a blanket spread on the hard concrete and a pillow tucked against a wall on the far edge of the sidewalk. She fixes her bed with so much care, even fluffing the pillow before lying down for the night. All the while, people come and go, and no one seems to notice. No one seems to care.
That video stirred deep emotions in my heart. The question that screams within me is: did any of the passersby notice the little girl? Did they intentionally avoid looking at her to prevent the inevitable guilt that comes, induced by compassion?
Compassion is one of the most beautiful gifts from God. It is what makes us human. It is what brings us closer to the original image of God in which we were created. It is what caused the Samaritan in Jesus’ parable to stop when he heard the cries of the wounded stranger on the side of the road.
Today, I am incredibly grateful for you; for your deep compassion for the hundreds of children who find refuge in the ICC children’s villages around the world. I am so thankful for the shining light that the Sweet Home village represents to the abandoned and neglected children in the Narsapur region of India. May the Lord continue to bless you for your compassion and for the sacrifice of love you make to save one more child from the horrors of life on the streets.
With gratitude,
Joel Reyes
President
