Confronting...soul-wrenching... spirit-inspiring...that's how I'd sum up the OASIS documentary aired tonight on ABC focussing on the prevalence of youth homelessness and addictions in Australia. I was moved to tears and, honestly speaking, need some more time to really process all that we saw and heard discussed.
But without a doubt, this was clear and plain ~ Captains Paul and Robbin Moulds, and the volunteer staff at the OASIS centre, are legends in their field and their consistent and caring influence in the lives of Sydney's youth is both compassionately Christlike and personally empowering in enabling young people to seek a change for the better.
A comment made in the documentary is still ringing in my ears and forces me to question: "If we don't speak life and hope into the lives of 'needy' others, who will?" It's a question that is not only relevant to youth facing homelessness and drug addictions; it is relevant to all people in all aspects of our society who are broken-hearted and in despair because of their individual experience of a range of personal, social, cultural and spiritual injustices.
The challenge here is to be 'salt and light' right where God has placed you, speaking life and hope into the lives of those you come into contact with everyday.
Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV) ~ "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
