Our current ‘western’ society
promotes a competitive culture - In order to win someone else must loose, seems
to be the prevailing attitude in a lot of places.
Therefore when we see
someone else win we sometimes feel a sense of loss – i.e. it hurts us to see
someone else happy - we tend to feel pain when observing someone else’s
pleasure – this is almost as disturbing as the thought of people feeling
pleasure from seeing someone else’s pain – which is the definition of sadism.
At a recent event I went to for
Harmony Day someone commented – “Everyone who comes through the door comes with
a smile”
This is the sort of culture
I wish to promote – one in which people are happy to see other people happy
A friend of mine, talking
about his mother being in hospital recovering from an operation, commented -
“It beats the heck out of dying”
We are increasingly living
in a society where Living doesn’t beat the heck out of dying – for some people
the thought of just living another day (let alone living forever) is too
painful. Does that mean we let them die? This phenomena seems to be increasing
– maybe eventually life will be too painful for everyone – does this mean we
are destined for extinction?
Recently I heard my parish priest say
in his sermon at mass – “Suffering only has value if we Love”
My friend Loves his mother –
therefore “It beats the heck out of dying” – and I am sure his mother feels the
same way – at least partly because she has a son (and several daughters and a
husband) who love her.
If everyone “came through
the door with a smile” i.e. with an attitude of love for other people - then
life would “Beat the heck out of dying”
And now for some poetry....................
Religion for Dummies
The gospel
is religion for dummies
How long
has it been with us
How much
have we heard
And we
still don't get it
Verily I
say unto you
No greater
Love
Than this
Has man
That he lay
down his life
For his
neighbor
Or his
enemy
The first commandment
The new
commandment
Love
With all
your heart
With all
your mind
With all
your strength
With all
your soul
Your
neighbor
As
Your
Self