lost causes

So I know the title implies that this blog is going to suck all the happiness out of your life, but I swear that's not what I'm aiming for. I only chose to write about lost causes tonight because this theme repeatedly broke into my day.

When it comes to lost causes, desperate circumstances, tragic situations, or sad stories, I honestly feel like I am numb towards them in a way. Having studied history in college, I have read literally thousands upon thousands of pages in books that spell out in stark detail the most terrible things that humans have done to each other. I've visited the sites of mass graves in the former Yugoslavia and spoke with people who survived the war in the 90s and experienced heart-shattering things. When it comes to depressing situations or stories where people are victimized or oppressed, there isn't much that can shock me anymore.

During my normal workday, I tend to hear about a lot of sad and frustrating situations. [I feel like I need to mention that they're not all tragic...some can be downright entertaining. Like the woman who called and asked me if she could do a citizen's arrest on her neighbors because they were being too loud. I almost said yes just to see what would happen..] For any of you who don't know, I work at a non-profit law firm that helps people at or near the poverty line with certain civil legal issues. Most of our work involves landlord/tenant disputes, foreclosures, bankruptcies, divorces, issues with social services, etc. My job is to speak with potential clients, get the facts of the situation, and see if we can take their case.

Basically, they end up telling me all the gritty details of their depressing circumstances and ask for our help. I swear, I am going to petition my boss to change my job title to Therapist. [That's at LEAST more accurate than Paralegal, which makes it sound like I know a thing or two about the law. Which I don't.] One woman kept me on the phone for a half an hour the other day, and I'm pretty sure she just paraphrased the same story four different ways and kept repeating it to me. I could literally feel my will to live slipping away as the conversation dragged on and on.

The worst part is, after hearing their story, I'm the one who has to tell them if we can help them or not. If we can't, I try to refer them on to another organization, but we all know how effective referrals are. They end up being referred to every agency and nonprofit under the sun, and in the end get referred back to us, more likely than not. And the wretched cycle begins again.

Some of the people who call in are quite familiar to the office. [They're referred to as Frequent Fliers. They really should form some kind of club.] It's frustrating when they've had 8 or 10 cases already opened with us in the past. These aren't bad people, they're simply the marginalized, the ignored, the lost causes of society. Their lack of education and basic life skills puts them at an incredible disadvantage in every stage of life they're in. The cycle of poverty isn't easy to break or rise above, and anyone who follows the mantra "well why don't they just pull themselves up by their bootstraps like every other American" has clearly never had to face a serious struggle by themselves.

My point in reflecting on all these depressing scenarios is to lead up to a theory on how to deal with lost causes, one that's certainly not original or new to me, but one that I'm trying to make my own. This theory came to me most recently through a letter I received today from the pastor of the boy I sponsor [through Compassion International] in India. The letter talks about the crazy/huge obstacles and struggles faced by this boy's community [yet another kind of lost cause] in rural India and how Compassion sponserships have already begun to make a difference in the area. It concludes by thanking me and saying: "Let us hold each other and care for one another with kind hands" so God can keep transforming the world.

That sentence hit me so hard. No one talks like that these days - at least not ordinary people and definitely not on a regular basis. That idea of 'holding and caring for each other with kind hands' is so striking, different, and so counter-cultural. Compassion, empathy, and kindness aren't nearly as sexy as wealth, beauty, youth, and celebrity to a society that is generally obsessed with the latter things. Standing up for and taking care of the oppressed, the marginalized, and the victimized is not ever going to be as profitable as rubbing shoulders with [and sucking up to] the rich and powerful. However, if my choice is between spending my life looking out first and foremost for #1 - screw everyone else - or refusing to give up on the lost causes, I think I know which way I'm heading.