My good friend of many years, Cantleaveitalone, has started a blog, and in his first post he is asking the question: "What do you think is the one thing you as an individual can do to make our world a better place?"
My first instinct is to talk about all the wrongs that are committed in this world, and how the erosion of our society is creating a systemic … blah, blah, blah. The question is not asking what is wrong with the world nor is it asking my opinion of what others should or could be doing. The question, so brilliantly posed, is about what can I, as one little person (well not little) can do. That makes this question much harder as it requires me to analyze myself, take inventory of my faults, list those faults for you to read, and then to address what I think I need to do to work toward alleviating those faults. By doing so, I am creating an environment where I must be truly self-introspective, honest, and can also be held accountable.
The Macro Perspective
In its most macro sense, this question is about Love. Everything good, after all, is linked to love. Without love, we fall prey to the ills of society and the failings of our own souls.
To frame this using a Christian perspective, love is a primary tenant taught by Jesus. Followers are taught in Matthew to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.”
Love is, above all things, the primary directive that should frame our decisions and our world view. Without love, I cannot and will not have the desire to do good, nor to work to making this world a better place. If one does not care, if one does not have love, or one has replaced love with apathy, then the question dies. And thus our quest for introspection to answer Cantleaveitalone’s question begins. If I have love then I am capable, and more importantly, willing to move to the next level and discover for myself how to answer the question: what can I do to make this world a better place?
The Micro Perspective
Not everyone has a social injustice in which they mount a media-induced campaign. However, that does not mean that the part we play is somehow diminished or less important. This question of my role in making the world better is not just about my works or my labor. It touches what it means to be human and be alive. Ultimately it is a piece of the meaning of life. The struggle comes in evaluating our lives, my life, and finding a place where I can use my talents to make a difference.
My place of employment is downsizing and my position is being eliminated. So over the last year-and-half I have been looking for new employment. That journey has taught me something about myself. I have applied for positions in administration, marketing, and fundraising -- all jobs that I have experience in. However, I found that I was apathetic about many of the jobs to which I was applying. I may have the skills to do the work, but I find that I do not wish to do the job.
So I applied for some career counseling and after the testing quickly discovered that I my career goals do not center around a particular type of work, but rather center around civic duty. I want a job in the helping field -- a job where I contribute to the betterment of my community. That realization lead me to stop looking for a job, transition our family to one income, and go back to school full time to become an elementary school teacher. While that may be difficult for our family for the next three years, my wife helped me understand that the trek is worth it.
We each contribute differently. Some people teach, others volunteer at church. Some people recycle, others take care of their neighbors and friends. Some are social workers, some volunteer at local civic organizations.
In my family, we do many things such as volunteer at church, volunteer for charitable organizations, participate in public school fundraisers, we exercise our rights as a free democracy by voting, and we help our friends and family.
I am not, however, very patient. And thus comes the deeper introspection and call to change, which is what I think Cantleaveitalone was hoping for. So here you go, good buddy. If you have known me for over a decade or more you will be able to attest that I, at one point, was a very opinionated, harsh, overbearing, impatient, black-and-white thinker. I left little room for grey. Now, over the last 11 years of marriage, my wife has systematically softened me and opened my eyes to the shades of grey. I am still opinionated, but I am also open to other perspectives. I am still crass, but I am learning empathy and compassion. I’m still pretty impatient. But in the long run, the more I work on these things the more my outlook is changed, and on a level of daily human interaction my becoming more tolerant, compassionate and patient affects other people's lives. Those are things that I must work toward.
With that said, I still have not actually answered the question. What is the one thing that I, as an individual can do to make this world a better place? I would say that the most important thing that I (with help from my wife) do in order to contribute to the betterment of the community and our world, is to share with our daughter, our intense desire to do good, be good, and practice Love -- above all things. If there is nothing else we do in this world, it is to raise a child in a loving, tolerant, Christian home and instill in her a sense of community over self.
My first instinct is to talk about all the wrongs that are committed in this world, and how the erosion of our society is creating a systemic … blah, blah, blah. The question is not asking what is wrong with the world nor is it asking my opinion of what others should or could be doing. The question, so brilliantly posed, is about what can I, as one little person (well not little) can do. That makes this question much harder as it requires me to analyze myself, take inventory of my faults, list those faults for you to read, and then to address what I think I need to do to work toward alleviating those faults. By doing so, I am creating an environment where I must be truly self-introspective, honest, and can also be held accountable.
The Macro Perspective
In its most macro sense, this question is about Love. Everything good, after all, is linked to love. Without love, we fall prey to the ills of society and the failings of our own souls.
- Love is the golden rule: treat others as you wish to be treated
- Love is compassion
- Love is forgiveness
- Love is understanding
- Love is knowledge
- Love is wisdom
To frame this using a Christian perspective, love is a primary tenant taught by Jesus. Followers are taught in Matthew to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.”
Love is, above all things, the primary directive that should frame our decisions and our world view. Without love, I cannot and will not have the desire to do good, nor to work to making this world a better place. If one does not care, if one does not have love, or one has replaced love with apathy, then the question dies. And thus our quest for introspection to answer Cantleaveitalone’s question begins. If I have love then I am capable, and more importantly, willing to move to the next level and discover for myself how to answer the question: what can I do to make this world a better place?
The Micro Perspective
Not everyone has a social injustice in which they mount a media-induced campaign. However, that does not mean that the part we play is somehow diminished or less important. This question of my role in making the world better is not just about my works or my labor. It touches what it means to be human and be alive. Ultimately it is a piece of the meaning of life. The struggle comes in evaluating our lives, my life, and finding a place where I can use my talents to make a difference.
My place of employment is downsizing and my position is being eliminated. So over the last year-and-half I have been looking for new employment. That journey has taught me something about myself. I have applied for positions in administration, marketing, and fundraising -- all jobs that I have experience in. However, I found that I was apathetic about many of the jobs to which I was applying. I may have the skills to do the work, but I find that I do not wish to do the job.
So I applied for some career counseling and after the testing quickly discovered that I my career goals do not center around a particular type of work, but rather center around civic duty. I want a job in the helping field -- a job where I contribute to the betterment of my community. That realization lead me to stop looking for a job, transition our family to one income, and go back to school full time to become an elementary school teacher. While that may be difficult for our family for the next three years, my wife helped me understand that the trek is worth it.
We each contribute differently. Some people teach, others volunteer at church. Some people recycle, others take care of their neighbors and friends. Some are social workers, some volunteer at local civic organizations.
In my family, we do many things such as volunteer at church, volunteer for charitable organizations, participate in public school fundraisers, we exercise our rights as a free democracy by voting, and we help our friends and family.
I am not, however, very patient. And thus comes the deeper introspection and call to change, which is what I think Cantleaveitalone was hoping for. So here you go, good buddy. If you have known me for over a decade or more you will be able to attest that I, at one point, was a very opinionated, harsh, overbearing, impatient, black-and-white thinker. I left little room for grey. Now, over the last 11 years of marriage, my wife has systematically softened me and opened my eyes to the shades of grey. I am still opinionated, but I am also open to other perspectives. I am still crass, but I am learning empathy and compassion. I’m still pretty impatient. But in the long run, the more I work on these things the more my outlook is changed, and on a level of daily human interaction my becoming more tolerant, compassionate and patient affects other people's lives. Those are things that I must work toward.
With that said, I still have not actually answered the question. What is the one thing that I, as an individual can do to make this world a better place? I would say that the most important thing that I (with help from my wife) do in order to contribute to the betterment of the community and our world, is to share with our daughter, our intense desire to do good, be good, and practice Love -- above all things. If there is nothing else we do in this world, it is to raise a child in a loving, tolerant, Christian home and instill in her a sense of community over self.
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1 comment:
Very good thought. I went over to Cantleaveitalone's blog and posted comments there. Thanks for the link. I am going to add him to my links on my blogs.
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