Why Did We Care About the Boys in the Cave?

I’m thankful for the international response to the 12 boys who got stranded in a cave in Thailand. I followed the news, prayed, and cheered along with the world as the rescue went on. But the whole time a nagging question has been in the back of my mind. Why do we care so much about these 12 boys and their coach, while we are simultaneously able to turn a blind eye to so many other tragedies?

Obviously the media and accessibility has a large role in this. But I believe there are some larger factors at play.

1. We can relate to the boys.
   Most of us have been on a sports team or found ourselves in precarious situations as adolescents. While we will never know what it was like to be on this soccer team, it’s easy to TRY to imagine what those 18 days must have been like. I have no capacity, on the other hand, to imagine what it’s like to be in chemical warfare in Syria or a genocide in South Sudan. My mind labels these tragedies as “terrible”, but the gruesome reality of the situation escapes me.
2. It could have been us.
   Or our kids. Or our grandkids. Being trapped in a cave doesn’t sound that far from possible reality for me. But other wars and horrors seem removed from my life.
3. The group was small.
   When we can narrow in and focus on ONE face we see the humanity of the situation. When we’re presented with statistics about “millions of people” it remains just that—statistics.
4. The clock was ticking.
   The objective was clear, and we intuitively knew that either the boys would get rescued or they would die. It wasn’t a story that could play out for years, or even months. It’s easy to rally around a short-term issue, but we as a human race, tend to experience empathy fatigue over events that drag on with no deadline.
5. We are limited.
   We simply don’t have capacity to care about each global tragedy. My heart, time, and brain is limited. God’s is not. He is the only one who sees each sufferer. But I must choose where I focus my time and energy.

I'm not saying we shouldn’t care about 12 boys and a coach stuck in a cave. We should. But now that they are safely out, I challenge their followers (myself included) to be their advocates in their long-term plight. The coach and three of the boys are stateless. This means nobody will claim them as citizens or give them a passport. They have no "home country" to go back to. They can't open a bank account or own land or legally own and drive a car. They are treated as second class and in danger of human trafficking.

In light of their publicity, maybe there is hope for these four individuals. But what about the millions of others like them who have no face, no voice, no story in the news? Will we find enough room in our hearts for them?

I have more questions than answers on the situation of global suffering. But, for Christians, prayer is a starting place in letting God—who cares for all and knows all—lead our response.