But Knowledge isn’t Enough

Have you ever heard of Urumqi, China?

I hadn’t either until recently. Urumqi (pronounced oo-rum-chee) sits in the far western part of China. The province, Xinjiang, is nestled between Mongolia and Tibet. The city carries the distinction of being the most remote location with regards to promximity to a major body of water such as a sea or an ocean.

Urumqi, photo by Wikimedia Commons

Urumqi used to be an important stop on the silk road. Perhaps a place that Marco Polo stopped at on his way to eastern China.

Though remote and unknown, Urumqi boasts a population of 3,000,000 people.

The name Urumqi derives from the Mongolian word for “beautiful pasture.”

I can know all this about Urumqi because I live in an age when knowledge is easy. I discovered this information in only a few seconds through Google and wikipedia.com.

But knowledge isn’t enough.

I can also know that there are 153 million orphans worldwide.
That 17.9 million children have been made orphans due to HIV/AIDS. Mostly in Subsaharn African and Southeast Asia.
I can know that there are medications that can alter the course of the illness.

I can know that 19,000 under the age of five years die every day somewhere in the world.
That 67 million children of primary school age do not attend school.
(Stats via sos-usa.org)

But knowledge isn’t enough.

I can know that in one specific orphanage in Urumqi there are over 400 kids with special needs. 400 kids without families. Without a mom and a dad. without a place to call home.

I can know that one of these 400 is a boy who is 13 years old. I can also know that when he turns 14 in January, that his hopes to be adopted and find a forever family will end. That he will “age-out” of the system.

I can know that his time is running out.

But knowledge isn’t enough.

I can know that I don’t know for sure what will happen to him when he turns 18 and the system releases him.

And I can know that even though from my perspective, I have don’t have much to give. That I am already giving from places I didn’t know I had.

I can know that I don’t know where the time and energy to give will come from.

But knowledge isn’t enough.

I can know that I can always give more than I ever imagined.

But knowledge isn’t enough.

What matters is doing something about it.