The Spectator

Do you see the spectator in this picture? Probably not. The spectator is holding the camera. In 1993, Kevin Carter made a life changing trip as a photographer to Sudan. The story tells of him hearing the sounds of whimpering child outside of a local village. He followed the sounds to an emaciated toddler, a little girl stopping to rest as she tried to get to a feeding center nearby. There was another figure in this scene, the vulture waiting for the little girl to die.

At this point in the story, it is unclear what happened next. Some say that Carter simply turned and walked away. Others say that he chased the vulture away. What we do know to be true is that the little girl remained there in the dirt, without help and without food. The photographer was just another spectator who could have helped but did not - he passed the girl by. As did a religious leader and a “Godly” person in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Like Carter, these people had important work to do and this unfortunate distraction was not in their vision statement, agenda nor in their budget plans.

Carter sold the photo to the New York Times where it appeared in March 1993. A year later, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in May 1994.

Three months later, in July 1994 Carter drove to an area where he used to play as a child, and took his own life at the age of 33. The note he left behind tells of nightmares he could not forget.

Today, in full view of the world, there are 30,000 children who die daily from hunger and the effects of extreme malnutrition. 30,000 children who are weak, starving and alone. As with the vulture in this picture, death awaits them.

There are many “Churches” like Carter who are spectators to the suffering of the innocent, seeing and then passing by. Even when told of the need, they make intentional choices:

• To do church as normal - busy within the church but seldom outside the church with those who need help
• To offer great exposition on suffering, with deep theological treatises - but never getting down in the dirt
• To withhold help offering wise retorts instead - i.e. didn't Jesus say we would always have the poor with us?
• To spend the offering on important things - but seldom sacrificing for the poor, the oppressed and the hungry

Although Luke 10 does not state why the “Church” walked by the suffering man, it could be that any of the above choices would have applied back then as they do today.

Thankfully, there are many vibrant and caring churches around the world that are living out the Gospel. Sadly though, there are far too many Churches that are nothing more than Spectator Churches – seeing the suffering of the innocent and walking away from their biblical responsibility.

Like Kevin Carter, a Spectator Church may win an award or two for wonderful worship programs, great seminars, a new book or a fantastic web site. Like Kevin Carter, they will not last. The Churches that will last Cry for the Children.