Monday 25 August 2014

Chosing a subject

Last week I had Wednesday evening off - there was no 'book-talk-discuss' group as there were quite a few people on holiday. I have been writing reflective pieces on this topic ( To covet or not to covet!) so now I have the opportunity to take a break and tackle another topic.

Opinions- who doesn't have one? One just needs to read the morning paper, or the Facebook messages to see what items interest people and tempt them to react. I try to remain objective - and that is hard when I read some of the responses both insulting and degrading. So I have stopped reading them - the Letters to the Editor was once a favourite page where I would devour peoples gripes, ideas and challenging outlooks on life.

I could decide to Blog about the terrible injustices, the wars, the inhumane situations people face in their own world - far away from mine. How would that help them? How would that change what is happening? Would my Blog stop a war, feed and heal the ill and malnourished?

Not wanting to write about these situations doesn't mean I am not aware, or don't care - I just feel utterly helpless and down spirited about it all. And that surely doesn't help those in my immediate space. If I am disgruntled, morose, depressed - I affect those in my vicinity in a most negative way. Certainly not the way to help create a beter world.

Many years ago when my children were young I had a tape of Children's Songs. It was called - The Creekbank. One of the songs had as subject - "Drop a pebble into water and watch the circles grow". Pity I can't transfer it from the tape onto a CD- never mind! I can still 'hear' the words and the song when I think about it.

The lesson is quite clear: Everything we do - has a ripple effect. If I am down in the dumps - so are those around me. If I smile - I have a good chance I will get a smile too. And if I dwell on the sad things in life - so will those around me. To spend the day bemoaning the situation others find themselves in - will definitely NOT help their situation.

That doesn't mean turn a blind eye - and if there are practical things we can do to help - blankets to
homeless, monetary donations to the Red Cross to name a few, then Do them. But most of all my dear friends - we need to keep the faith. We need to keep praying for PEACE. We need to BELIEVE that those wielding the POWER see that there are better ways to resolve their issues.

Matthew 22:34 - 39 states;
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him with this question. " Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself."


If we ( humans)  love our neighbour, and if we love ourselves - how come we are slaughtering each other?





Modern version

2 comments:

  1. My kids had this record, too--isn't it great?

    I also wish we could find better ways to solve our problems than killing one another.

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    Replies
    1. I scoured internet for the original record and only found the revised version - I know, that is for the children of today! Would so have liked to have found 'our' version. My head still 'holds' the old songs. I hum them from time to time. Lovely memories.

      Jeanette, we don't have to find a better way. It already exists. Pity some find it hard to put to practice. Even in families 'war' rages. It seems that to love each other is harder to achieve than it ought to be.

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