Sometimes it feels like the world is, to use a phrase I like the sound of, going to hell in a handbasket. Which is, as strange an explanation as this is, why it's been such a long time since I wrote anything for this blog. Not sure I still wanted to, in all honesty. Did I lose my faith, my conviction, my drive? Certainly not. However with the world being as it is, the question "Why do I even bother trying to make a difference?" crosses my mind more and more.
I pray, I read scripture, I meditate, I try to do good, be kind, give charity, love others. I write about equality and love for our fellow human beings, I write that as far as I am concerned we are all equal and the same - human beings: people of flesh and blood. I want to write about religion and faith, want to encourage people to seek a closer bond / relationship with God / The Divine, want to explore the many similarities between different religions and speak about the beauty of compassion, kindness, love, hope, faith and understanding. And then I wonder, does it really make a difference? Is that one drop of whatever it is I'm saying (positivity, hope, faith, love, compassion, equality, al that...), is that one little itty bitty drop I'm adding to an ocean full of madness, is it really ever going to make a difference?
Newspapers and the television news, social media and the radio - it's all about groups like ISIS and those like them, about how this group hates or dislikes that group, about war and death, murder and rape, abuse and destruction. There is so much hatred in the world, there are so many angry people, so many who yell and scream, use and abuse, who maim and kill and hurt others. Sometimes, when I've been reading too much bad / negative news, it can feel like those who care about the world and humanity are the minority and those who don't are the majority.
A post I saw once on Facebook reminded me that "God always leads us to where we need to be, not where we want to be." I started this blog for a reason, decided I wanted to share what I'm thinking and feeling, learning and reading about for a reason: to hopefully encourage others to learn more, think more, understand more, care more. While writing a blog on the internet is not really a 'where', it is definitely where I need to be - writing and learning and sharing; working to do my part to makethe world a better place. On a personal level, that means working on bringing myself closer to God and creation, working on being a better person and encouraging others to do the same. As it relates to this blog, it means writing / posting more and doing more to raise awareness and understanding of issues that matter to me.
What we are doing to each other is important as once someone is hurt, making them whole again takes a lot of time, effort, patience and understanding. Once someone is ill, making them better again isn't always possible. Once someone is dead, we cannot bring them to life again.
What we are doing to our world is important as it can't be easily undone. Climate change and global warming, the dumping of plastic all over our planet, the way we fill our oceans with garbage and pollute the aire we breathe. Worst of all, perhaps, is that we're not just hurting ourselves - we're hurting the entire human race and all living beings who share this planet with us. So, if this blog helps me to reach even one person who believes in my message and spreads the word, then this blog has reached its purpose. Changing the world is not something I can do on my own. It takes a village, is what is said of raising a child. What then, is needed, to not just raise one child, but to raise all our children and to do it well, turning them into responsible, kind, caring, just, honest, moral and loving people? A world. Our world. All of us, for all of them. For the future of our entire extended family numbering in the billions and the only home we have, planet earth.
Originally written on the 14th of January, 2015.
I pray, I read scripture, I meditate, I try to do good, be kind, give charity, love others. I write about equality and love for our fellow human beings, I write that as far as I am concerned we are all equal and the same - human beings: people of flesh and blood. I want to write about religion and faith, want to encourage people to seek a closer bond / relationship with God / The Divine, want to explore the many similarities between different religions and speak about the beauty of compassion, kindness, love, hope, faith and understanding. And then I wonder, does it really make a difference? Is that one drop of whatever it is I'm saying (positivity, hope, faith, love, compassion, equality, al that...), is that one little itty bitty drop I'm adding to an ocean full of madness, is it really ever going to make a difference?
Newspapers and the television news, social media and the radio - it's all about groups like ISIS and those like them, about how this group hates or dislikes that group, about war and death, murder and rape, abuse and destruction. There is so much hatred in the world, there are so many angry people, so many who yell and scream, use and abuse, who maim and kill and hurt others. Sometimes, when I've been reading too much bad / negative news, it can feel like those who care about the world and humanity are the minority and those who don't are the majority.
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| Image Source: Hebrew in Israel - Facebook page |
A post I saw once on Facebook reminded me that "God always leads us to where we need to be, not where we want to be." I started this blog for a reason, decided I wanted to share what I'm thinking and feeling, learning and reading about for a reason: to hopefully encourage others to learn more, think more, understand more, care more. While writing a blog on the internet is not really a 'where', it is definitely where I need to be - writing and learning and sharing; working to do my part to makethe world a better place. On a personal level, that means working on bringing myself closer to God and creation, working on being a better person and encouraging others to do the same. As it relates to this blog, it means writing / posting more and doing more to raise awareness and understanding of issues that matter to me.
What we are doing to each other is important as once someone is hurt, making them whole again takes a lot of time, effort, patience and understanding. Once someone is ill, making them better again isn't always possible. Once someone is dead, we cannot bring them to life again.
What we are doing to our world is important as it can't be easily undone. Climate change and global warming, the dumping of plastic all over our planet, the way we fill our oceans with garbage and pollute the aire we breathe. Worst of all, perhaps, is that we're not just hurting ourselves - we're hurting the entire human race and all living beings who share this planet with us. So, if this blog helps me to reach even one person who believes in my message and spreads the word, then this blog has reached its purpose. Changing the world is not something I can do on my own. It takes a village, is what is said of raising a child. What then, is needed, to not just raise one child, but to raise all our children and to do it well, turning them into responsible, kind, caring, just, honest, moral and loving people? A world. Our world. All of us, for all of them. For the future of our entire extended family numbering in the billions and the only home we have, planet earth.
Originally written on the 14th of January, 2015.
Good day to you! Sure, there's a lot of more or less bad things happening, but I'm glad that some can still look on the bright side of things too, it cheers me up sometimes.
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