I just watched “The Constant Gardener,” for the fourth time in the past three weeks.

One particular theme from the movie captures what I have been saying for the past two years, at least to myself. A short time into the film, after the main character, Tessa Quayle (played by Rachel Wiesz), loses her baby, her husband and she are leaving the hospital in the Kibera slum when they notice a young boy, his mother, and his niece walking down the road. His name is Kioko Kilulu, the baby is his sister’s, Wanza Kilulu, she was 14 when she gave birth and died a short time later, presumably from AIDS or TB. Tessa wants her husband to pull over and offer them a ride home, as they walked over 40 kilometers to get to the hospital, they will have to walk all night to return home. Justin, her husband tells her to be reasonable, he needs to watch out for her and protect her, there are millions in need, we can’t help them all, “that’s what the agencies are for…” I love her response as it summarizes what I feel the solution is to many of the problems in the world, and what I believe our Christian response should be: “but these are three people we can help!”

Toward the end of the movie, things begin to make sense to Justin. His search for her killer leads him to northern Kenya, north of Lokichogio, I believe southern Sudan. As the bandits begin to raid the area, lighting fire to the huts, kidnapping the children, killing some, Justin and the others flee to the UN plane about to depart. A young girl tries to get on the plane but is not allowed, the pilot tells him that there are thousands of children out here, we cannot help them all, the rules are to protect them. Justin, learning from his late wife, responds, “but this is one we can help…” though to no avail as young Abuk is sent away, to "find a refugee camp, if she is lucky."

The point here is something I have been saying for a long time. If we want to save the world or at least make a difference, we have to start with those we can help. I can't save every one of the two millions orphans in Kenya, the effects of last year's tsunamai still linger in much of Asia, there isn't much I can do. Though homelessness isn't much of a problem in my community, it exists, I can't help them all. I am inundated with students in my classes that come from homes I can't even imagine and if I could build a house and provide a staff that would provide for these kids I would, I can't. However, what I can do in all of these cases is help those in front of me, offer an encouraging word to my students and show them that I care and do for them what they need when I can. If I encounter a homeless person, I can buy them lunch, maybe a night in a hotel if necessary. There are 404 orphans being fed, clothed, educated, and loved in Kenya right now due to Tumaini, it's just a dent, but it's more than that to each of them.

We must do what we can when we encounter those in need, not rely on the agencies.