The war continues. The slaughter continues. The insanity continues. And while it’s easy to get caught up in the stats and political arguments and the noise of who did what, who’s to blame, etc, the reality is that these are human lives being destroyed – minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.

However, unlike most previous conflicts in human history, we now have unfiltered, on-the-ground sources which can show us what’s really happening – without the curated, specifically chosen footage and stories approved by mainstream media. Social media accounts of those in the heart of the warzone show us the horror being rained down upon the helpless: you may want to view the footage here and here, though – I must warn – much of it is not for sensitive viewers. Still, if you can bear to watch, please do. The discomfort we feel in seeing such atrocities should move us to action – whether that’s personal prayer, speaking out in calling for a permanent ceasefire, or whatever else we can do beyond simply sitting idly while this tragedy unfolds.

The technology also shows us the humanity of the victims. Groups like We are not numbers do an excellent job of telling us the stories of those who would otherwise just be anonymous casualties of this most savage of human endeavours.

There are also heart-breaking yet heart-warming videos, such as the case of a grandfather bidding farewell to his precious granddaughter – which captured so many hearts a few weeks ago. I wrote the poem below in honour of this gentle soul, and have included a collection of videos (sub-titled in English) at the end of this post for context.

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“To the Grandfather who Captured our Hearts”

When you lost “the soul of your soul”,
you still smiled,
showing us a contentment
that shouldn’t be humanly possible.
At least,
not for those of us
privileged enough
to live far from a war zone.

The way you held her,
hugged her,
like she was simply sleeping,
was an embrace all parents know,
but you knew,
she wouldn’t wake up,
and her soul had traveled
to a realm far greater than this one.

And when you found her earring,
and chose to wear it as a badge –
one last physical keepsake –
again,
that joy in your face
was unfathomable
to those
who have never known such tragedy.

Thank you
for showing us
humanity
amidst the depravity
of such senseless slaughter.

Thank you
for showing us
faith and acceptance
in the face of such unspeakable loss.

Thank you
for being
a living example
of true reliance on God.

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Credits:
Artwork by Abdullah Hadia
Videos from various sources (via Instagram), including news report by Jomana Karadsheh for CNN.