You might think that the primative tribal people of Borneo would live nothing like the people of an American city such as, let's say, Vegas. But no, the same human nature plagues all people, not just those who are "successful" in this world.
I almost adopted a little baby a few weeks ago. My neighbour told me of a young mom (12th grade) from the village who was pregnant. She has been attending highschool here in the city, living with relatives. She sneaks out at night and has become pregnant by a fellow student. Her father (a Moslem man) was very embarrassed by the situation and did not want to bring shame to his family among those who know them in the village where they come from. And so he came to my neighbour asking for money that she could lend them to be used for an abortion. My neighbour, who is a woman with a strong faith in Jesus, said that she could not lend money for that reason.
When I heard the story, I asked if my neighbour could get ahold of this family and please ask if this mom/girl would consider carrying the baby full term so that the baby could be adopted. My neighbour explained that the family had already tried traditional "medicine" (a.k.a. witchdoctor potion) to abort, but it had not worked. I stood there leaning over my fence, thinking through the reprocutions of this: this baby probably was already mentally and physically affected by this poison. I said, "Please try and get ahold of them." By the time my neighbour did, the family had tried again to use the traditional medicine ... and the baby had been aborted.
She told me of another girl who had been raped up to 20 times by her grandfather before she finally conceived. And then the story of another baby who had been found in a garbage pile here in town, limbs cut off.
Story after story after story ... baggage and burdens and bondage that these people carry around.
And I wonder sometimes, especially at Christmas, why I am here.
And then I realize, especially at Christmas, why I am here.
It is for these that He came.