THE SECOND VULTURE

Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist went to Sudan to cover the civil war. In the 1990's there was this photo he took that was widely circulated of a vulture waiting for a starving little Sudanese girl to die and feast on her corpse. Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for 'the photo that made the world weep'.

However, as Kevin Carter was savoring his feat and being celebrated on major news channels and networks worldwide for such an 'exceptional photographic skill', he lived just for a few months to enjoy his supposed achievement and fame, as he later got depressed and took his own life! He was 33 years old.

Kevin Carter's depression started, when during an interview (a phone-in program), someone called in and asked him what happened to the little girl. He simply replied "I didn't wait to find out after this shot, as I had a flight to catch." Then the caller said, "so, there were two vultures on that day and one had a camera." The constant thought of that statement led to depression and he committed suicide.

Kevin Carter and that little girl could have been alive today and even more famous if he'd picked that little girl up and taken her to the United Nations Feeding Center, where she was attempting to reach or at least take her to somewhere safe.

Even today, regrettably, this is what is happening all around the world. The world celebrates stupidity and inhumane acts to the detriment of others. Kevin Carter should have taken the girl away from that place, which would have cost him nothing, yet he didn't. Here is the inhuman posture, "he had time to take his shot, but he had no time to save the girl's life".

Thus, we must all understand that the purpose of life is to touch lives. So are you too a Vulture? In whatever we do let humanity come first before what we stand to gain out of the situation. In all we do let's always think of others and how we can be of benefit to humanity, how we can lend a helping hand and wipe away tears.

Hence, when we seek knowledge, wealth, fame, skills, or even positions, let's think of how we can use it to benefit the people and society at large.

There is a lot of poverty in the world, so if Almighty God has blessed you, you should want to be a blessing to others and extend a helping hand to those in need. Remember, your giving is also a way of appreciating divine blessings, bounties, and favor of God Almighty upon you.

Therefore, it is important to help the poor and needy, the orphans and widows who are amongst us. Please don't be a Kevin Carter, be human and think humanity.

We cannot eradicate 100% of poverty for Jesus said: "You have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good."  ~ Mark 14:7
When asked about helping people, Jesus answered: ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’   ~ Matthew 25:40
Churches do many good works, however, if each Church adopted a fundraiser that was dedicated to helping people, poverty and homelessness could be drastically reduced. Instead, some Churches tell the poor, "that's what welfare programs are for, so go your way and be fed."

Come judgment day, Jesus will say: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink." ~ Matthew 25:41-42

If we are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem.