"It's a long road to wisdom but it's a short one to being ignored."
This quote is from a song. It struck me. In a world of quick posts and picture uploads we take just a few seconds to share how we feel and what we think. We read the news, see the pictures, and watch the video footage and we get all worked up. Frustration, anger, confusion, these things spiral together inciting a post expressing our opinions and we feel a bit better. We let "the world" know how we feel and where we stand. We pride ourselves in "doing something about it." All of us have done this in some capacity at point or another. Is the world a better place now that we have all stood up to injustice? I mean, it should be a lovely, peaceful place seeing all the Facebook statuses, the Twitter posts, the Instagram uploads...but it's not.
Words are wonderful. A beautifully constructed sentence can inspire and motivate anyone to be stronger, braver, and more compassionate. Quotes about past wisdom and experience can open our minds to new perspectives, new aspirations. Words can start progress. Words are just the beginning...but most falter on what should happen next. We do not follow through.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
This quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been shared countless times. It should be shared. It's a wonderful quote. Simple, visual, inspiring, and well, correct. His words are meant to drive you to shine light in dark places. Dark places like the over-looked corners of our communities that are in desperate need of basic needs. Food, water, clothing, shelter...kindness...compassion. Dark places of the mind. Depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, drug addiction, alcoholism...hopelessness...fear. Dark places of the heart. Racism, bigotry, prejudices of all kinds...anger...hate.
You have shared the quote on social media, but what have you done to drive out the darkness? Have you given to a community pantry? Have you donated school supplies to children who can afford them? Have you volunteered at a homeless or domestic abuse shelter? Have you given money to help provide medical attention to new mothers and their babies? Have you volunteered at a crisis line? Have you donated clothes, coats, and shoes to those whom have none? Have you acknowledged that we all could do so much more for one another? Giving kindness and compassion to those who are less fortunate is not just telling them "you care," it's accomplishing something so much greater, it's showing them "you care." You care about their well-being, you care about their children and their future. It is addressing the darkness that looms over them and it is providing them a light to hold on to. A small, but strong symbol they can lean on at their weakest. If everyone provided more light instead of just talking about it, the darkness we see will not feel so overwhelming. The light of compassion does not filter through race, religion, gender, or any other label.
Providing kindness and caring to those in need is a long road. 140 characters on your beliefs is at most a quick fix, but quick fixes will fade and be forgotten. We all can and should do more.
Action is our greatest tool to drive out darkness, not words...words are just the beginning.
Find ways to spread the light here: https://greatnonprofits.org/
