Our Light

This is a repost from December 2006.

Our Light

Holiday time brings out the best in people. Folks give more, have more compassion on those less fortunate and seem to remember a bit about the message of the birthday boy. The world seems to get caught up in daily living for 11 months of the year. Forgetting that our real purpose in life is to end the suffering of others. As humans in a world that is no longer small, we should consider how we live our life. Is it for our pleasure only, or to make the world a better place ?Actually I believe the greatest pleasure, the greatest joy comes from living a life that reaches out to others.This is what letting our light shine means. It doesn't matter what religion you are, compassion is the root to most of them. We no longer live in a small world, its global. All of us know what is happening to people all over the world. We know about AIDS orphans, starvation, genocide and so much more. Happening to people with all the same emotions we have. Yes, this is an idealistic thought, but what would the world be like if we all lived simply, and shared all our excess with those in need. What would this world be like ? This type of compassion is what Christ, Buddha and many other religious prophets spoke of.For me, this holiday season has prompted me to look beyond this one month of kindness and seek to reach out 12 months a year.Believe me, this is for my own heart. How many silly things do I buy or want, when I don't need them, or shelf them after a few months time?

The new x-box costs $300

what does $300 buy to end suffering in the world and in your neighborhood .......

A months heating bill in winter for an elderly neighbor.

A months worth of food for an elderly couple.

It would fill 75 $4 prescriptions at Wal-Mart for a person with no health insurance.

$300 would purchase an entire Christmas dinner and presents for a single parent family

3 billion of the worlds poorest people live on less than $2 a day. Many on just $1 a day. So $300 would last 150 days for so many of the worlds poorest.

Through Heifer International, $300 would purchase 2 goats which would provide a family with plenty of milk and enough to make cheese with for the family and some to sell for clothes and school.

For $500 you can give a heifer to a family, providing 4 gallons a milk a day. Or four wool producing animals that will allow a family to weave or knit countless warm items for the family and for income.http://www.heifer.org/

Malaria kills 3,000 children every day, treatment is cheap. A simple bednet that will protect a person is something like $5. $300 would by nets for 60 people.

I could make a list a mile long of what $300 could do for those in need.

Baby clothes for a young mother, blankets for those on the street and on and on.

Lets work to make our light shine, and share what we have, wanting less and sharing more.

The end of my bayberry candle burning today, ready to put a new one in on Christmas eve.