Those of you who have been long time followers of Life’s Little Inspirations may know by now that one of my major passions in life is the concept of Community.
Unfortunately, in the blogging world, I worry sometimes that the word community may get a bit watered down as we use that word to mean our own little group of conversationalists who sit around and chat and joke and carry on around the blogosphere water cooler. And while that is precious to me and I adore all of you, the word COMMUNITY has a much larger and much more powerful meaning to me.
To me, the concept of community is a place full of hope and passion and responsibility and love for each other. It is a word that means family, friendship, brotherhood and taking care of one and another. A word that means responsibility, teamwork, caring and love. Looking out for each other. Being a part of something. Never being alone. Sharing. Not letting each other down. Being my brother’s keeper. Doing my part for the good of everyone else.
I have a vision of being a part of a world community. In THAT Community, the members would look out for each other and care for each other as one giant family. People wouldn’t isolate themselves to their *own* kind and only help those who shared their own beliefs or their own physical features. We would finally understand that we ARE all one, that we share beating hearts that love, and blood that bleeds, hands that can help and heal.
We CAN end poverty in our lifetime. We can end it by becoming the family and community that we are capable of being if we join together. If we can share the vision that we are so much more then the petty differences that keep us apart. We can end poverty If we can learn to search for the common ground of what is good in each of us and search for the love inside of each other by listening and caring and building each other up. No more tearing each other apart, no more hunting for the negative side, we need to learn to be hands that heal, hands that help, hands that feed, hands that teach. Then…we will be hands that end poverty.
As bloggers, we are already one step closer. We have already torn down the barriers that divide us. We have begun to create the communities here on our blogs. With wonderful awareness events such as Blog Action day we can shine a light on poverty, suffering, hunger and other social issues that need our attention if we will only use the amazing power that we have as bloggers and writers to make a difference.
One of my favorite women is Mother Teresa. She dedicated her life to fighting poverty. Even now, she continues to inspire countless people in the fight against poverty. It seems fitting to let her words speak today to inspire us to make a difference when it feels like nothing we can do will even make a dent in the struggles that we all face together.
Do It Anyway~Sign In Mother Teresa’s Office
People are unreasonable,
illogical, and self-centered,LOVE THEM ANYWAY
If you do good, people will
accuse you of selfish,
ulterior motives,DO GOOD ANYWAY
If you are successful, you win
false friends and true enemies,SUCCEED ANYWAY
The good you do will
be forgotten tomorrow,DO GOOD ANYWAY
Honesty and frankness
make you vulnerable,BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY
What you spent years building
may be destroyed overnight,BUILD ANYWAY
People really need help but
may attack you if you help them,HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY
Give the world the best you
have and you’ll get kicked
in the teeth,GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY.
The world needs us, all of us, to make a commitment to live as a loving community dedicated to world peace without hunger. Will you join this world community? How can you help?
Wendi, I share your sentiments and this is a beautiful, inspiring post. My heart breaks when I hear others speak with callousness about those who are poor. We cannot draw a line in the sand and decide that poverty is something that happens to other people and is “their problem” to manage. It is our problem and we are our brother’s keeper. I am reminded of a bible verse that speaks to taking care of the poor and having your kingdom established forever. We cannot build strong communities, cities, nations if we do not care for the “least of them.” Thank you Wendi for this awesome reminder.
Great poverty post, Wendi. I agree that poverty can be ended in our lifetimes, and I agree that the technology which makes blogging possible also makes it possible to bridge an awful lot of gaps.
Writer Dad’s last blog post..Daddy Destitution
What an awesome post, Wendi! And I know, M. Teresa was one of the most incredible women.
The global issue of poverty overwhelms and scares me. I never know what to think. What is the exact root cause of it? Sure each one of us can make a difference, I completely agree, but I think it may not be enough to eradicate it altogether unless the root cause is addressed. It’s not enough to be Band-Aids, or remedy the situation, though it does offer relief to individuals and families, and I would certainly not stop trying to help.
But if feels as though we’re spinning our wheels, to me. What we need is not only community but a different approach altogether. The only thing is, I don’t know what that different approach might be.
steph’s last blog post..The Power of Being Open
Wendi,
That is a beautiful poem. Did you write it? Your post really gets to me today, I feel it right at chest level. And the tears at eye level.
I believe this can happen, and I hope it will. What you talk about is extremely selfless and good.
You know, it’s like Christmas which shouldn’t only happen once a year where we all suddenly love eachother. It should happen everyday where it is an upfront concern.
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post..Retreat
I agree that we CAN end poverty.
But we need to make everyone want to.
An article such as this is an important step.
Vered – MomGrind’s last blog post..What If You Could Never Be Rich, But Poverty Didn’t Exist Anymore?
Wendi,
Isn’t it ironic that our nation can go to war and spend BILLIONS of dollars doing so (not to mention more importantly, lives lost as a result, bail out large corporations and banks due to the “financial crisis” that we “got ourselve in” and our government can spend gazillions on determining weather or not the sky is blue (just a metaphor but I think you know what I mean) and yet here we are, a world that not only has millions of homeless, starving people, and we can’t seem to help those who need it most? If not for the activists who get out there and make it a priorty to help end these atrocities, who knows how many more children would go to bed hungry? What can I do? Well, I can’t end world hunger but I can be a part of the community who cares and contributes.. even if only to send in canned and dried food for the schools food drive, donate clothing and shoes and coats to the local resale shop or help at church for PADS…. just a little here and there.. Imagine what it would be like if everyone made a commitment to care.. I thank you for the reminder again today to be grateful for what I DO have and help those less fortunate when I can. Now, off to my pantry.
Wendi- I almost used a quote from Mother Theresa today about love. But I chose to go with a Chinese Proverb. I am glad you are using community. Because money alone is a poor answer, a temporary fix. Building community is a better one. Using the resources of community amplifies and ripples much more than mere money can. I am no saying money is NOT a solution but renewable wealth is a better one. And that comes with a sense of community.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..When Did You Last Show Anyone How to Fish?
Wendi, As always, you have an uncanny knack for getting me all choked up. I am proud and humbled to be in a community with you and others who are doing good work toward making the world a better place.
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Blog Action Day: People First
Thank you for this inspiring post. I am happy to know YOU are part of my blogging community.
“People really need help but may attack you if you help them”….
This part really hits home for me. I’m afraid I may be attacked so sometimes I don’t help. I’m not sure how to get past this fear. I think I do help people, but I do walk away if I fear I may be attacked.
Is that unreasonable?
Stacey / Create a Balance’s last blog post..Take Action! Help Children Impacted by Poverty
That kind of community would be amazing, wouldn’t it? Those shared beating hearts…. yes. Thanks for sharing these inspiring thoughts with us. I hope they inspire a lot of people to action. I know you have inspired ME. 🙂
Amy Derby’s last blog post..Blog Action Day: Look, See, Do Something
Wendi, thank you for sharing this heart-felt post. Community, in the greatest sense, is really about a world caring for each other. Will we ever get there, to a true world community? I don’t know. But if we all take small steps toward that end, we may. And even if we don’t, we’re a lot closer than we were. You have a beautiful vision for what community is and can be. Just reading the many posts on “Blog Action Day” is a real example of the community of people who desire to make a difference. Of course, it’s not just writing about poverty – it also takes action – doing something about what we’ve written or read.
Being part of your community here at Life’s Little Inspirations – I do feel connected to you. And it doesn’t stop there. Through your writing, I feel connected to our world – and the community that CAN be.
Lance’s last blog post..Poverty Close to Home – Blog Action Day 2008
Karen,
Thanks for your comments, I agree with the thought that Jesus said “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me” EVERYONE matters. No one left behind.
Writer Dad,
The technology is SO here…it is actually sad..how much technology does it take? It takes hands. Hands that reach out and DO something!
Steph,
What IS the root cause of poverty? I think it is lack of faith. Lack of belief that each person can make a difference in their own life and in the lives of others. People all over the world suffer from Learned Helplessness. That’s all they know. Is it their fault? No. Can it be changed? Yes. But it is going to take a mountain of faith moving to get the job done.
Ellen,
I don’t know who wrote it. It is what hung in Mother Teresa’s own office/ place. As far as Christmas….When I was in 5th grade, I wrote a story called UnChristmas. IT was about a mirror world that was opposite of ours. For every day of the year except one, they celebrated the spirit of Christmas and were kind and loving and generous and charitable to each other. They gathered around large tables and broke bread and shared meals and prayer and laughed and shared good times. Then ONE day out of the year, they celebrated UNChristmas by being mean and evil and stealing and piliging and and by being greedy and selfish. That was their holiday.
I got an A on the paper but my teacher said I was wierd. I think she missed the point.
Vered,
You are right, changing people’s hearts IS the first step. Raising the collective conciousness of mankind to actually care enough to want to make a change. That’s where the real work begins. Right here…one heart at a time.
Kari,
Your comments are SO profound. Isn’t it crazy? How about we put down the guns and fighting and go feed people instead. Teach them, train them to feed themselves…put that money to valuable use. What a crazy world!
Janice, yes money runs out unless they know how to sustain themselves by becoming a community that can restore themselves. And if we can become the world community that can take care of each other…well then..that is very sustainable.
Melissa, Right back at you, I think it is because we are like-minded…we ARE building a community that is in agreement about what is so important. I am proud of US. 🙂
Stacey/CaB
Danger….it’s hard isn’t it? I know that’s an honest truth for all of us, not just you. When you see a homeless person on the street, or when you are alone in your car, safety has to be weighed responsibly against charity. What are the answers? I don’t know. I am a mother. I have an obligation to my family first, to be alive to take care of them, and to keep them safe….but…that doesn’t mean we close our eyes and walk away…I guess it means look for the safest ways to help. It’s hard.Very hard. I have to stop myself, Sometimes, in the city, John grabs my arm to keep me walking or I swear, I have a heart to want to stop and chat with everyone I see….I want to know their story, why they are there, what can be done….sigh…That isn’t the safe solution.
Amy,
thanks, we can inspire each other, I know your post was very inspiring to me. Now…to get it last longer than a one day diet…:)
Lance, thank you for those warm words. I do feel connected to US, the collective us that is growing and the difference we are making that is spreading out all over. We are growing and we are gathering a common voice. Here at LLI, and on everyone else’s blogs in our growing circle of friends, we are reaching out and blogging for hope, compassion, love and change and it comes through in our messages day in and day out. This is the beginning. This is the start of the community that will change everything. The drumbeat just keeps on going and it won’t stop.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on my danger worries. The solution is out there somewhere. We just have to keep looking!
Stacey / Create a Balance’s last blog post..Introducing My Authentic Self