It's Not My Job to Free TibetWritten by Skye Thomas
I hate saying that. It feels so very wrong. It's not that I wouldn't like to help them. It's not that I am not appalled at what is happening over there. I have been wrestling with my guilty feelings lately. What have I done to make world a better place? I started by taking inventory of areas that I'd love to 'fix'. My to-do list looks like this: Free Tibet Heal hole in ozone layer Cure Cancer Save endangered species Overhaul public school system Raise my own kids Defend gays and lesbians Teach people how to be happy Solve world hunger Find loving homes for orphans Save rainforest Rid planet of pollution Implement a clean economical fuel system Design a quality inexpensive health care system End divorces and broken homes Clean out political system Create world peace Find Atlantis and solve mystery of pyramids Scientifically prove somebody's religion is true Psychologically heal inmates who want it End all superficial fakeness Save children Stop racism Bring an end to lethargy Stop terrorism Save coral reefs Change America's focus from being 'politically correct' to becoming 'spiritually correct' and I'm not talking about religion It all gets a bit overwhelming. How can I ever accomplish all of these things in my lifetime? Even if I delegate certain areas to my kids, and make them take a blood oath that they will force my grandkids to carry on with work on this list until it is finished, I cannot possible hope to solve all of world's problems. Then I got to thinking about getting up on my soapbox and preaching to everyone that they need to come help me. There is just so much that needs done and you and I both know that my list is not even complete. I would be lucky if I can do one of those things really well during my lifetime. I had to sit and really think about my own resources, natural gifts I was born with, and what amount of time I want to commit to doing good deeds. I had to analyze list and what it would really take to accomplish each of those things. What I came to realize is that there are some that I am called to do, some that I just want to do, and still others that I secretly wish someone else would do. That's not a bad thing, it is what it is. I may really want to cure cancer and other diseases, but I know that deep down I don't have any resources, skills, training, or education to apply to problem. It's really not my job. All I can do is to support those who are meant to do that work. If I had money, I'd dump a fortune into their pockets to make sure they had all of tools they needed. But I don't have it to give, not yet anyway.
| | If Not Now, When?Written by Maureen Killoran, MA, DMin
All this talk about being a "human be-ing" NOT a "human do-ing" -- kind of reminds me of Martin Luther's argument that "works" don't matter! And I need to tell you that this is a doctrine I do NOT affirm. Yes, we sometimes get so caught up on do, do - pun intended - that we lose sight of world's beauty and our inner being. Inner depth, focus, spiritual wholeness are essential aspects of human BE-ING. But for wholeness, we also need ENGAGEMENT . . . focused action in support of those things we most deeply believe.
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