All the Hard Questions

In between my TV binges of late, I've been reading this:

What is the What by Dave Eggers

I've been on an Africa reading kick (more to come on that) and let me tell you, this book will put all of your first world problems in check. Let's just say that I'll never walk into my kitchen again, pore through the cabinets and declare, "there's nothing to eat." Nor will I mope around my closet and think, "I have nothing to wear."

This is the true story (considered fiction, though, because of the memory work involved in recreating dialogue and the order of such traumatic events) of a Sudanese boy who was forced out of his village at around 6-7 years of age because of all the fighting and violence in Sudan. He tells us his story of running away as Arabs on horseback attacked his village, shooting, stabbing, and burning everything in sight. He proceeded to wander around in the wilderness and the desert, connecting with other boys (known globally as the Lost Boys of Sudan), for several months before making it to a refugee camp in Ethiopia. He saw lions hunt and eat his friends; he saw crocodiles eat his friends; he woke up one afternoon as a vulture began feasting upon his flesh. The boys walked at night (facing animal attacks) so that they could rest and hide during the day (which brought enemy attacks from helicopters, airplanes, and on horseback). He passed countless dead and dying people along the way, and almost died himself. He went blind for a period of time, and still suffers massive headaches.

He spent approximately 14 years between three refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya before he was brought to the United States as part of a relocation program administered by the UN in conjunction with many countries. He also tells of muggings and an assault/robbery he encountered in Atlanta, along with police indifference, and sub-par medical care at a prestigious hospital. Without judging or casting blame upon anyone, he manages to bring up many similarities between first world and third world countries, which is fascinating. Reading this book took me a while because (hello, TV) the content is so dire and serious and just depressing. The book is well-written; his voice comes across loud and clear even though it is written by Eggers. There is also humor and many observations that are touching despite vast cultural and historical differences.

This book brought up many difficult questions in my mind, which is also why it took me a while to finish it. It's reminiscent of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes. Why are we here? Why bother to improve anything, to put effort into anything, when others are simply going to destroy it? Why are there so many evil people? Why so much senseless (I mean, senseless) violence? Why do humans repeat these evil processes, generation after generation? Why do rich people squander their wealth? Why do victims skip right over thankfulness and gratefulness, to manipulation, stealing, lying, and demanding more? Why do the good people die?

And yet. Light really does shine in the darkness. What would the world be without those good people? Without those mirrors, reflecting God's light?