In Sociology Class...

I am in currently in a calm before the storm of finals in about a week and a half which is such a blessing at this time of the year. Although I do register for classes in an hour and I'm constantly checking to see which classes I need to take are still available and everything I am finding some peace in just covering the daily homework then being able to relax. Incredible in two weeks the first year of my college journey is over. Although this time has been nice to relax, I love to think about the future. What will things look like for the student groups I'm in, how I can get an edge on the stock market to become the next Warren Buffett, how much poker I need to play to become the next Chris Moneymaker and so forth. The first step after all those thoughts was downloading the yahoo finance app on my Ipod in the middle of Economics class cause I couldn't handle anymore theories on Trade Barriers, we'll see how far that gets me. As my mind continued to wander into this morning, I found myself walking into Sociology Class, the topic: Global Inequalities. Today was different, (would I blog about it if it wasn't?) we analyzed some clips from the Film, Life + Debt, and I was overwhelmed. The documentary on Jamaica and the financial, economic, and political struggles of Jamaica are that of which I cannot describe. As any good documentary, it left me with a thought of, where is the hope? What can I do to help these people? The problem presented was so big and small at the same time. People couldn't get a decent paying job because businesses were out for the largest profit possible and would exploit anyone they could to achieve these profits. Now this was nothing I haven't heard before, but something becomes different when a camera can capture the story and display people who are actively living through it. The documentary depicted how we as U.S. citizens can freely go about almost anywhere in the world we'd like as tourists, but for natives of other countries to come here is incredibly difficult. Now we've all seen some of these documentaries or pictures or heard the stories and it leaves us feeling guilty, but the feeling eventually passes by. As we applied theories to why Jamaica was like that, I was struck by how, even though we could apply theories to why it was the way it was, there was no solution! No solution for someone who has to work 16 hours a day, 5 days a week, for $15 a week! Would we really want that for someone, who has a family, who has the same exact needs as us? As I've watched multiple documentaries like this and heard stories like this, there is nothing in me that doubts I am called to help somehow and I'm sure nearly everyone else has felt the same thing. I know I can't keep letting this feeling pass by, and neither can you. Pray for your heart to become active and the strength to act on the numerous callings that come in life. I honestly don't know where to begin, but the more and more I think about this, is there a wrong place to start? Here's my point, we live in a broken world and it is ALL around us, whether it is overseas or in our household, are we going to let the calling to help, to love, to loosen the chains of injustice pass by this time, or will we take a step, just a step to see where that one step may lead us? As I said I don't know where to start or even what it may look like for me, but I feel I must take a step. That is where life will come alive.