the strength within

i've heard it repeatedly and in a dozen different ways that we need some divine intervention to thwart those in power and the unlawful political process that is happening in our country today. i couldn't agree more! but there's something I would like ya' all to think about if you believe in the god of the christian bible. (and just to be clear, mentioning these things is in no way meant to offend anyone.) and even if you don't believe, please keep reading, because this applies to all of us.

i want you to think about the stories throughout the bible, the amazing things that benefitted the people. to begin with, we have god speaking to noah, telling him how to save those of faith from the flood to come. did god build the ark? no, noah built it. then we have moses leading the slaves out of israel. was it not moses, inspired by his faith and the suffering of his people who got the job done? another example is when the philistines were waging war against israel, the israelites were afraid of goliath, the giant who mocked and challenged them continually. david, alone and with only his sling and a bag of stones was able to bring goliath down, thereby causing the philistines to turn tail and leave. we can just as well open the new testament and read how god used to john the baptist to spread the word of a coming savior. further on we read of numerous healings and miracles performed by jesus; how he cured lepers, healed the infirm, turned water into wine and raised lazurus from the dead.

i can just as easily use more modern stories as an example. think mahatma gandhi, nelson mandela and martin luther king to name just a few, throughout history men and women of conscience and compassion have brought about change.

the point i'm trying to make here is not to preach biblical stories, but to say to those who feel scared, helpless and hopeless, those hoping god will intervene on our behalf, that we can see by example, and throughout history, that our conscience and our own actions have always been the catalyst for change. always.

whether we believe in god or simply in goodness, we have to consider that the way that he, she or it works is with us and through us. i have a card I bought many years ago and framed. It hangs in my home and reads, “we are the prayer that we want answered.” this reminds me everyday that it is we who have the ability and the power to change our lives for the better.
~s~

side-note: this post was written with those of faith in mind, i am certainly not suggesting that a religious or spiritual belief is necessary for one to be altruistic. there have been and are many humanists and atheists who have worked and continue to work towards a better future for all.