When global needs seem too overwhelming
Earthquakes in Pakistan? Tsunamis in Sri Lanka? Hurricanes in Louisiana? Bird flu in Indonesia? HIV/AIDS in Africa? Tornadoes in Indiana? Genocide in Sudan? Riots in Paris?
Hasn't 2005 been great!
Overwhelming is the only word that comes to mind when you think about all the chaos that's happened in the last year. In the more optimistic moments of life, I'm reminded of Anne Frank's quote, "I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains." Sometimes I think Anne Frank was one of the most enlightened individuals to have ever walked this planet.
But when the cynicism and news get too dreadful, it's hard to look at life with an Anne Frank worldview. It's easier to look at life from a Paul Wolfowitz worldview, or a John Bolton worldview - a worldview rooted in dominance, power, aggression and control.
Like Anne Frank did, I find comfort (if only minimal comfort) in journaling. This month, the Women's Perspective on Money and Spirituality have offered a series of questions for people to journal about "when global needs seem too overwhelming." Maybe it's pointless to reflect on questions like these. But then again, maybe it's the least we can do. 'Tis better to reflect than to ignore. Here are the questions...
On an unrelated note, there's five inches of snow outside my window, and the snow is falling out of the sky like rain. Ahh, the first snow of the year...welcome to winter!
Hasn't 2005 been great!
Overwhelming is the only word that comes to mind when you think about all the chaos that's happened in the last year. In the more optimistic moments of life, I'm reminded of Anne Frank's quote, "I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains." Sometimes I think Anne Frank was one of the most enlightened individuals to have ever walked this planet.
But when the cynicism and news get too dreadful, it's hard to look at life with an Anne Frank worldview. It's easier to look at life from a Paul Wolfowitz worldview, or a John Bolton worldview - a worldview rooted in dominance, power, aggression and control.
Like Anne Frank did, I find comfort (if only minimal comfort) in journaling. This month, the Women's Perspective on Money and Spirituality have offered a series of questions for people to journal about "when global needs seem too overwhelming." Maybe it's pointless to reflect on questions like these. But then again, maybe it's the least we can do. 'Tis better to reflect than to ignore. Here are the questions...
- Do I feel overwhelmed or helpless in the face of news about calamity?
- In the past year, what condition or disaster has touched me the most?
- Why did this situation speak to me?
- When responding to a disaster, what kinds of activities have felt most satisfying to me (e.g., gathering food for shipment, giving blood, donating money, etc.)?
- What kind of activities give me the feeling that I have made a difference, however small my role, in responding to a disaster?
Hurricane Katrina, HIV/AIDS in Africa, the earthquake in Kashmir - the news brings us daily images of disaster and suffering. We invite you to respond to these questions in your personal journal on money and spirituality:
On an unrelated note, there's five inches of snow outside my window, and the snow is falling out of the sky like rain. Ahh, the first snow of the year...welcome to winter!
posted by MikeJ at
1:21 PM
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