As any history buff knows, these times we are living in can sometimes seem like reruns. News reports are filled with stories of wars, disasters, dictators, attacks on the innocent, increased crime, and the ever present persecution of Christians in various parts of the world. Political unrest is ramped, and genocide is being perpetrated upon ethic groups in parts of Africa. American cities are crowded with homeless camps, and countless homeless families are nearing the numbers not seen since the Great Depression.
Times like ours call for us to become spiritually fit, so we can be beacons of light among those who have lost all hope. The challenges that face all of us are not for the faint of heart. The spiritually fit can triumph over anything, and we must continue trying to encourage this new generation of young people to be prepared for whatever challenges and hardships are coming our way. Those who have developed a strong faith must be willing to sharing their faith based strength with those who are on the edge.
A study of history can show us that we are not the only people who've faced these problems, and we will not be the last. What is missing, it seems to me, is the sense of community, of a people who are united to find solutions, and not simply war with each other. The present political climate in the United States, with it's polarization of good people, can not lead to the solutions we need to turn things around. What is needed is for people of good faith to step forward and help those who have lost homes, jobs, and hope, and lift them, offering help in whatever way we can. Walling ourselves off from those who've fallen through the cracks will not make things better.
During times like these we must refocus our attention on the things that build up community. Rather than giving ourselves over to entertainment, or on-line friendships (which are not always bad), we can involve ourselves in active philanthropic activities, such as volunteering in soup kitchens, tutoring homeless kids, manning childcare centers that help parents have the freedom to find jobs. We can volunteer to be job counselors, or for meals-on-wheals. We can look in on the elderly lady living next door, or the young mother whose husband is in a far away country, serving in the military. We can volunteer to teach English as a second language to immigrant families, or drive seniors to doctor appointments. We can fill the gas tank of a struggling family at the next pump, or pay for the groceries for the single mother standing behind us in the checkout line.
When seeing someone on the bus that is looking lost in worry, we can offer to pray for them, or even invite them to church with us on Sunday. We can purchase a few extra hamburgers, with the intention of giving them to the homeless people asking for spare change at the entrance to the fast food store. We can offer to sit with a the sick relative, and let the caregiver have a few hours to get outside for some much needed leisure time. We an offer to take a neighbor out to lunch, who we know is going through some difficult times. We can purchase a fistful of McDonald's booklets of coupons, and give them to anyone who asks for a handout. The coupons are not that expensive, the person gets several meals out of them, and when you're desperate for a meal, it's a real treat. As you hand the person a booklet, ask them to pray for you. This allows them to pay you back for your generosity by offering up their prayers for you, and thus preserving their dignity, sparing them the indignity of feeling like a beggar.
Whatever struggles we have on our plate will seem like nothing, once we've given ourselves over in service to others. Even when we are struggling to make ends meet, the power of giving can change our life for the better. By becoming philanthropic ourselves, and focusing on others in need, our own problems will seem less serious, and the world will be just a little bit better.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
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