The Search Bar

Friday, March 7, 2014

Day Three of Lent

In my attempts to better understand the Catholic faith and my own journey converting, I'll be spending this Lent doing a daily reflection of things I've learned. The faith encourages reflections on subjects like this (even the Pope reflects!) so I figure I'll reflect through writing. As always, my understanding of this is noobish so forgive any wrong conclusions and do feel free to correct me where needed. Here we go. 


Today's focus in the book was more about almsgiving and asking why we have accepted a system that leaves so many people in need. I don't know the answer, to be honest. Reflecting back on human society, there has always been a gap between those who are poor and those who are not. That gap has widened considerably in the years human society has been around.

Is it a gap that can ever be overcome? Part of me wants to say yes. I'm a sci-fi geek so I've seen societies in that genre be virtually free of poverty.

But I find myself thinking that it's not just about poverty, but rather about people in need of other things. Human society has left a lot of people behind. Not just the poor but the ill. Not just the ill but the spiritually malnourished. Increasingly, at least here in America, the belief in an almighty is waning.

Look at our government. Look how they carry themselves. Some in it claim to be believers and yet their actions are opposite of their beliefs. People say one thing and do another; that's a fact of life. One I wish weren't quite so apparent, but a fact that I feel won't ever change.

Can we, as a society, as human beings, ever achieve a point where there will no longer be poor? No longer be ill? No longer have people who are spiritually malnourished?

Realistically, the answer is no. It's highly unlikely, based on how human history has unfolded, that we can right any of those wrongs. You know why we've accepted the system as it is? Because there's really no way we can change it for everyone.

But that's a mindset that needs to be broken. True, we can't change it for everyone, but we can change it for those around us. We have the power to change things in a limited fashion and, God willing, that may affect others in a limited fashion ... maybe it won't be so limited when it's all said and done.

We should strive to change things for the better in whatever way we're able to. That's the lesson I get from today's reading.

Today was a Friday and I had fish. I melted a plastic spatula (whoops) but the fish was mostly undamaged. I avoided ham and cheese (my favorite) and ate very well. Got outside, got some exercise in a rare day of sunshine and semi-warmth. Today was a good day.

Did I change anything? I changed things for myself. Did I change things for others? Doubtful. But the point remains that we should strive to do so when the opportunity arises, if we're able and willing.

Thanks for reading, folks. God Bless. 

No comments:

Post a Comment