A Seemingly Insignificant Response

It seems all there is in this world is suffering. I look around me and think to myself “how long O Lord?”

Fear, grief, sadness, anxiety is woven into my heart, and the hearts of so many others.

My heart is heavy, laden with a sense of hopelessness that makes my insides turn and my soul feel a wide cavern of fear.

Does the little bit of love and kindness I try to put into the world make a difference? Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it is worth much of anything. A small little kindness against a massive giant of meanness.

But what is the alternative? To become hardened, to become solely self-focused, to isolate and focus only on me and my individual needs? To join the meanness and help it grow? Or to be silent against the meanness, ignore it and pretend it doesn’t exist and find those actions only fuel the meanness to grow bigger and bigger.

That doesn’t seem good, that doesn’t seem to be the best choice—it seems that would only cause more hurt and pain than simply keeping my heart open. To keep using my tender heart when the meanness tries to squash it.

Love and kindness, no matter how big or small is a rebellious act against the meanness.

So, I choose to show up, even when my little bit of love and kindness seems like a seemingly inadequate response. Because it matters.

Keeping my candle of love, of heart, of soul lit is an act of faith, of love, of hope for I know a little light flickering in the darkness is still light, it still glows and the darkness cannot overcome it.

The light, no matter how small, glowing in the darkness is a beacon of hope, of safety and refuge. I keep mine lit so that if you are walking in the dark and need a friend you know how to find me.

Together we will sit, the darkness all around, and together we will build a fire to burn brighter and brighter.

There is Light in this world and no matter how dark the meanness is—it cannot and will not overcome the light.

Friends, let’s keep our little lights shining because it matters, it makes a difference, and the power of love only grows stronger each time we choose kindness, choose love, and choose to keep moving forward.