Jun 1, 2008
God Grew Tired of Us
We just watched God Grew Tired of Us, a documentary about the lost boys of Sudan and the new life that several of them began in America. It’s a startling look at the conflict that raged in southern Sudan and the ways America is helping and not helping. I came away with a couple of thoughts:
- Sudan is a beautiful place to these young men. In America it’s easy to think of Sudan as this devastated war zone, but these men are now eager to return and rebuild their lives along the lush banks of the Nile where food is plentiful.
- The lost boys of Sudan endured horrible conditions on their various marches to escape the Northern Sudanese army. All of them have seen horrors that we cannot imagine. They are to be admired for their perseverance.
- The boys in America were shocked by Christmas. They said, “In Sudan we just celebrate the birth of Jesus. Where do Santa Claus and the trees come from.”
- America is rampant with individualism, loneliness, and isolation (see Scott’s review of Bowling Alone). The boys had a really hard time adjusting to the loneliness of America.
- America is still in the grip of racism. The Sudanese boys repeatedly ran into suspicion during their time in America, especially when a group of four walked around together on the weekend. Though they often didn’t realize how private people can be in America, the police were often called upon simply because of their race.
- Despite the pressure on the Sudanese boys, churches and other groups helped them succeed by driving them to work, helping them enlist in college, and learn other essential skills. Many of the Sudanese boys felt pressure from friends and family back in Sudan to send back money, and they generously sent every extra dollar while working two or three jobs. Though some cracked under the intense pressure to make it, the key boys covered in the documentary did fairly well.
- The people in southern Sudan still need our help to get their lives started again. Britain left a royal mess in Sudan when they united two previously separate countries into one. With vast natural resources in the border region, it ensured that North and South would be engaged in a deadly struggle for control. The United States still has a lot of work to do in ensuring this region stays stable, even as we confront the genocide in Darfur.
