The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Opinion / Columns / Don’t look away, we need you now

Don’t look away, we need you now

September 8, 2006 by Denton Josey

By Denton Josey, Page Editor

“Never Again.”

That message, in four different languages, stands on a sign in front of a memorial to victims of the genocide in Rwanda.

Recently, I finished Paul Rusesabagina’s autobiography.

Paul is better known as the guy Don Cheadle played in the movie Hotel Rwanda. A hellish genocide took over Rowanda in 1994, and the whole nation of was greatly affected. Hundreds of thousands of people died.

But Rusesabagina saved thousands. The entire world watched without acting; Europe and the United States ignored what was happening in Rwanda when they could have helped. Something I read in the book really stuck with me.

“A sad truth of human nature is that it is hard to care for people when they are abstractions, hard to care when it is not you or somebody close to you. Unless the world community can stop finding ways to dither in the face of this monstrous threat to humanity, those words Never Again will persist in being one of the most abused phrases in the English language and one of the greatest lies of our time.”

How true that is to me. I’m a lot better, as most of us are, at caring for someone I know. I’ll skip classes to talk with a friend that needs me; I’ll fly cross country to be with someone I care for. But when people die because of disasters on the other side of the world, I just think about what a shame it is; I question God’s sovereignty and plans, but I don’t buy a plane ticket and go help people rebuild and recover.

Here’s the point: I’m not out to guilt everyone, including myself into responding to crises all over the world by direct action. I applaud those that do. But maybe we need to develop a mindset that cares more for community and action.

I don’t think this means a Christian in Africa needs to come comfort me when I get a broken heart or when my car breaks down. That’s more of a love the people around me should supply. But unless I do what I can for people outside of my group of friends, outside of ACU or Abilene, I think I’m missing out on life.

We’re given a lot here at ACU, so I reckon we should share what we have, even with people far away.

Maybe that looks like sending money to Africa, maybe it looks like going there personally. Maybe it looks like remembering 9/11 with reverence, maybe it looks like going to Louisiana to finish cleaning up. Or maybe it is just flipping through this paper and seeing where there are local needs.

We need to learn to care. Until we do, tragedies like the ones in Rwanda and the ongoing tragedy of people saying they follow Jesus, but not acting like him, will continue.

Filed Under: Columns

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

About Denton Josey

You are here: Home / Opinion / Columns / Don’t look away, we need you now

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved