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When we watch the latest uprising on television or read about the toll
\nof the latest natural disaster on people in another country, we are
\noften inspired to help. We want to make a difference. We want to change
\nthe world. But doing it is another matter.<\/p>\n
We often find ourselves discouraged with the sheer magnitude of the
\nlatest flood, earthquake, or war. Can anything we say or do really help?<\/p>\n
The answer is yes, but not in the way you might think. When Mother
\nTeresa was asked how to change the world, she said it was by meeting the
\nneed in front of you. This is also part of what Jesus had in mind when
\nhe taught to love your neighbor as yourself, defining “neighbor” as the
\nanyone in need of compassion.<\/p>\n
One anti-slavery organization commissioned a study to determine the best
\nway an American could help end world slavery. The conclusion? If every
\nAmerican gave a small monthly donation ($10-$20\/monthly) to anti-slavery
\norganizations, the funding would exist to end the global slave trade in
\nour lifetime.<\/p>\n
The point is that the little things matter. How you treat the cashier at
\nyour local grocery or the server at your favorite restaurant is how you
\nand I begin to change the world.<\/p>\n
Perhaps my favorite story on this topic comes from the encounter where a
\nwoman brought an expensive jar of perfume as a gift for Jesus. Some
\nbystanders pointed out that the perfume could have been sold for a high
\nprice and the money given to the poor. But Jesus responded, “She did
\nwhat she could.”<\/p>\n
When this life is over, I hope God looks at me with the same attitude,
\nsaying, “He did what he could.” I may not cure cancer or end poverty,
\nbut I am determined to help those I meet each day with the love of God.<\/p>\n
If enough of us do this, we really will change the world.<\/p>\n