‘Let your light so shine’
HELLO MI neighbour! ‘He that hath an ear to hear let him hear’: anyone with the capacity and opportunity to help a needy person and refuses so to do is in dire need of help. Act now!
Quite likely, such mind is clogged not only with selfishness but ignorance of human social responsibilities. This condition of the mind, rapidly spreading across our society, has plunged social responsibilities to a new low. No need to wonder, therefore, why people will help themselves to the belongings of accident victims rather than helping them out of their suffering. And, they actually have the gall to justify such behaviour. What good is such mindset? What is going to become of us?
Before answering those questions, here’s another: what do we want to become of us? Follow me –
“If you see your brother standing by the road With a heavy load from the seeds he sowed And if you see your sister falling by the way Just stop and say you’re goin’ the wrong way You’ve got to try a little kindness yes show a little kindness Yes shine your light for everyone to see ...”
Yes, shine your light for everyone to see. I recently came across young QT* who is bitter to the bone – so bitter that he is shunned by almost everyone. He has no friends, ‘fren nuh good’. He even thinks that God might be ‘picking on me’. He feels cornered with no escape route in view. He seems to hate everyone, yet believes that everyone should be reaching out to him. “Why should they be eating three square meals a day and I can’t even eat one for the entire week?” he questions.
Not only does QT* need help out of his difficulties, he makes it difficult for anyone to help him. He’s had a rough upbringing, like many in our society. He is blind with pain, anger and misery. He has very low self-esteem and will stop at nothing just to ‘get on yuh nerves.’ It takes much grace and patience to interact with him even from a distance ... but he needs help. He is blind to any possibility of a change of fate – no faith to see anything but a fruitless future ... “Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m worn ...” Just thought I’d interject that plea there. Hope it helps someone.
For those of us who can, let’s use our God-given foresight to look beyond the faults or failures of people and help to ‘raise them up to stand on mountains’ – they may be ‘diamond in the rough’. None of us belong in the pit even though we often create our own pitfalls. Every day people are victimised by circumstances and need to be detangled by the untangled. So, “Don’t walk around the down and out Lend a helping hand instead of doubt And the kindness that you show every day Will help someone along their way You’ve got to try a little kindness ...”