I hear of words like ‘compassion fatigue’…. And I have to tell you that the concept nauseates me. That we who have so much can even contemplate tiring of reaching out to those of our human family who have absolutely nothing, is absolutely incomprehensible to my little brain.

~Maithri Goonetilleke - The Soaring Impulse Blog

Cesar does not have enough money to buy  a ‘Swine Flu’ mask, much less new shoes to carry him away from the madness that he was born into. One of the most important living human beings on the face of the earth today lives next door to us. His father’s shade-tree auto body repair shop has dried up, just like 1oo’s of others around our jilted city. His brother earns $4 a day at a U.S. owned maquiladora (factory), but food and clothing, gas and rent do not equate to such a meager salary anywhere in Mexico, and are actually more closely related to what we pay in the states.

Fox News and CNN may tell you to stay away from Mexico, especially from Ciudad Juarez, but if you listen to those fear-sputtering cowards, you may never meet this incredible young man. The future is in the hands of young people like Cesar. And we who have so much are living in one of the most opportune moments in the history of the world; we have the ability to equip them, to lift them up, to bolster their foundations, to unfold hope before them.

I asked Cesar what he would ask President Filepe Calderon if he could sit down and talk with him. He replied, “I would ask Calderon to plant more trees so that when the pollution is bad the trees will clean the air and we can live better.” As Cesar sat and reflected with me, he said, “There are many beautiful things here. And the violence, I don’t want them to kill anymore; I don’t want them to rob like they do, or kidnap little girls and kill them. I don’t want this.”

One of his greatest dreams is for his family to move back to Mexico City (not the U.S. as some may think) so that he can experience  all of the things that his big brother has done there.

Maithri (quote above) goes on to explain that if we were just face to face with people like Cesar and we could, “only see their humility, their dignity, the immensity of their love and kindness in the midst of the deepest sorrow imaginable…” we would no doubt respond towards them, their culture, and their situation out of love and not out of fear.

Thanks to Maithri (pronounced My3) for the use of his powerful and poetic words. Maithri is a radical 28 year old doctor who is standing boldly with the people of Swaziland. Please stop by Maithri’s inspiring blog