I had just picked up my son from the sheltered workshop for the handicapped where he works part-time. We were driving home listening to music on the radio when suddenly a news break came on. It appeared that a reality television star had just wasted 10 million dollars on a wedding for a marriage that lasted 72 days. The next story predicted that BILLIONS of dollars could be spent on negative attack ads in the coming election year. I sighed and wondered about this weird and crazy world we live in. “Is there any hope for us at all?,” I thought.
“Dad, I shared my cookies!” I turned my head to see my son’s sparkling eyes. He started telling me how he had shared the cookies I had put in his lunch box that morning with some of the other handicapped people who worked at the sheltered workshop. I smiled and told him what a great boy he was. Then I realized that God had instantly answered the question in my mind with the sweet voice and loving example of my own son.
Is there any hope for us at all? Yes there is! It lies in the beautiful souls of people like my son. It lies in the caring hearts of people like you and me. It lies in the common sense of all of us who know that it is better to give than to receive, that people are far more important than profits, and that when you stop to help even one person you change the world for the better.
Yes it is a crazy and weird world we live in. It is a world of warped values where inequality and stupidity often go hand in hand. Yet, in this world live so many caring souls, so many loving hearts, and so many joyful spirits shining their light for all to see. There is hope for us all then. Our choices are clear and the path of love lies straight before all of us. All we need to do is take it and walk it in joy. All we need to do is grasp the hands of those we meet along the way, stroll together in God’s sunshine, and maybe even share a few cookies together.
Joseph J. Mazzella joemazzella@frontier.com