Thursday, April 24, 2008

Making a Difference

Sometimes we struggle to figure what we can do to make a difference. At least I do. I saw two articles today that inspired me. Both from the LA Times.

1) Chinese Samaritan Saves Lives
I love this story. This unlikely hero has spent every weekend for the past four years patrolling the Nanjing bridge, looking for people about to jump off the bridge to a watery death in the Yangzte River. He estimates he has saved about 140 people. The article says 28,000 people kill themselves every year in China (twice the number in the US).



2) Officer gets friendly with Laguna Beach's homeless
Rather than shoo'ing away the homeless living under the boardwalk down in Laguna Beach, this officer knows each one by name and spends each day getting to know them, and treating them like real human beings. The idea is to persuade these folks to seek whatever aid is available to them, rather than persecuting them only to have them return to the boardwalk the next day.



I'm sure this is what we (the human race) are meant to be doing. What do you think of these stories?

-x-
aarti

3 comments:

KooolOut said...

i love these stories. Thank you for reminding me that i too need to do my part to help the human race.

Patte said...

These precious stories of decent men makes me think of Psalm 27:13:
"I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

What simple ways to love our neighbor. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all found a place to do the same? Especially if we were to purposely reach out to the marginalized people who are so easy to overlook.

I heard a saying recently that really stuck in my head. "Don't do for others what they are fully capable of doing for themselves." We spend so much time & $ doing things & giving gifts to those who already HAVE plenty when there are people who have little or nothing who really NEED us & the gifts we give to them could provide necessities that most of us take for granted.

Patte said...

Here's some more inspiration for y'all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY5Uo1PfZuY

 
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