While we sleep, someone is awake thinking about how to change the politics of the world. Someone is awake thinking, planning, designing, fighting, giving their life so that those who sleep may do so in peace…
While we are distracted, someone else is sent to fight a battle that is not their own, but if they don’t go, others won’t be able to enjoy their distractions…
While we stroll through the streets, looking at shop windows and eating hot dogs, someone else walks through rubble, crying over their pain, wondering how to rebuild; others walk through alleys destroyed by fire, water, and human hands…
While I let water flow in my shower without counting the minutes, someone else lies near a puddle, trying to drink a bit of dirty water because it’s all they have…
While I am selfish enough not to worry about the hungry person next to the restaurant window while I eat, someone else, somewhere, shares the little they have with someone who has nothing…
While I write this text, others stare at letters they can neither recognize nor understand, but dream of deciphering them one day. Yet, due to their reality, this right to learn and read is denied to them…
Yes, while we live our lives, our today, somewhere on this planet someone is crying, sighing, longing, dreaming, fearing, suffering, hoping, crying out, screaming, gritting their teeth to endure. Someone feels insecure, prays, pleads, begs for a tomorrow with less pain and uncertainty; they wish to hear a voice that intercedes for them, defends their cause, fights their battles, faces their fears, and overcomes them…
Yes, while you read this text, may God make you and me intercessors and active participants in His Kingdom, as instruments in His hands to help those who cry out. May our days cease to be “while” and become moments of realization in love for others.
1. Understanding urban food systems and health: WHO – Urban Food Systems.
2. The impact of globalization on urban food cultures: SciELO – Globalization and Food.
3. Healthy eating and the role of urban planning in promoting nutrition: UNICEF – Urban Health.
