Being the Hands and Feet

A century ago life looked very different.  Our communities were smaller.  They were tight-knit.  Communities often looked more like families than anything else.  Ideally in a family, everyone pitches in to support one another, meet each other's needs and love each other well.  Communities lived this out on a larger scale.

Fast forward to today.  Our communities are much larger as people have moved into cities.  The communities that were once so knit together have taken on a new look.  People often do not know the people that share a fence or hallway with.  People do not share their lives in the same way. They are isolated from one another and the effects can be seen in the health of our communities, families and our mental health.

I believe that we were made to be in real community.  I believe we were made to knit together in relationships.  We are made to be kind to one another, do acts of kindness, to help.  It has become harder and harder in our society to live this out.  If you don't know your neighbours, then you don't know their needs.  We have been trained to either avoid eye contact or answer with a perfectly unauthentic "I'm fine." We do not even know the needs of others and they do not know ours.  The isolation continues...

How can we change this?  We have to do our small part in the world to be the hands and feet in our communities helping others and living with authenticity.  I have been blessed to be able belong to and raise my children within sub-communities (families) where we have the opportunity to do this.  We have been able to surround ourselves with living examples of how to be a blessing and how to in turn, receive a blessing.  

Silent River is one of those families that provides these opportunities both within the walls of the kwoon and also out in the larger community.

One of the ongoing projects that is happening right now is the Adopt a Driveway.  This is a perfect example of how our world has changed.  A century ago there likely would not have been a need to have a formal program because people would have just taken it upon themselves to just take care of one another.  In some parts of our communities, this is still the case.  For a variety of reasons, this is not happening on it's own for many in need, so a more formal program was developed.  We have been provided with the blessing of caring for one sweet couple through the simple act of clearing snow for them.  This one simple act may make the difference between whether or not they can stay in their family home and remain independent.  This is a simple gift that we can give to them.  In exchange we get to have some laughs while clearing the snow as a group and that warm feeling of knowing that we are making a real difference in their lives.

I challenge each of you to look around, really look.  We have lived in isolation within our larger communities for far too long.  Each of us alone cannot change the way our society is headed but we have the opportunity to each be a bright light.  That bright light has the ability to have a domino effect which does have the power to make real changes.  Open your eyes and your hearts today, see a need.  Then be the hands and feet and do what you can to meet that need.  It may be a simple as a smile to brighten someone else's day!