'Well done is better than well said'

I was talking with Mark yesterday about Social Justice issues and raising awareness of Social Justice issues to young people in Australia.  It got me thinking about the whole thing of raising awareness as I have become frustrated with hearing people talk about issues but not actually doing anything.  I found a quote the other day that said 'well done is better than well said'.  Talking, talking, does it really make change?
It makes me question myself and my motives, raising awareness for what, for yourself as someone doing something or for people to do something? Or to save lifes and bring hope?  I constantly have to check myself and remember why, for every single person on planet Earth is created in the image of God and there is a hope and a future for them.  But, I don't blame people for their inability to understand the social justice issues facing our World, or want or know how to do something.  Australia is a country that does its best to look after its people, with access to medical, education, democracy, freedom.  It wasn't until living in another country and requiring urgent medical care to save my life that I realized how fortunate I was to be Australian and to have lived in Australia.  For most Aussies, Australia is all they know and can not even begin to think about countries being different to Australia.  How we perceive things and few things can only be based on what we know.  My fellow citizens are facing and dealing with there own problems that are real and overwhelming for them to deal with.  I started to think and share with Mark that really, how can the average person be concerned to do something for people on the other side of the World when they don't know what is going on with their next door neighbour or there situation is overwhelming or feels hopeless or the pressure to keep up.  Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking my country or its people, I love my country and am beginning to understand that people can only know/do what they know. The statistic that is  everywhere of 30 million people in modern day slavery is such an overwhelming, horrifying, truthful number.  That I can not ignore and have my grandchildren ask what did you do Granny?  But I started to think, what does the average person do with information like that.    When we live in a society that is self focused and not community focused, so many can not give it another thought or think what can I do, so we continue on in our own life's   How do we move from self focused to World focused, how do we see that we are all responsible for our World and for the people of the World?
We have to begin by looking in our own backyard, as the saying goes.  To show care, compassion, support, encouragement, aid for those we live next door to.  For Churches to move beyond the walls, move beyond denomination and go have a coffee with someone from another Church, get to know them.
One form of modern day slavery is abuse.  When a woman or man is a victim of abuse, physically or abusive and is not free to come and go from the home without fear of consequences they are a victim of modern day slavery.  Domestic abuse is alive in our neighbourhoods, these are modern day slaves that we can do something for.
Will you begin to end modern day slavery by going to your next door neighbour and say 'hi'.  Begin to find out about those around you, know what is going on in your backyard.  When you hear something or see something, then do something.
'Well done is better than well said.'