If we look only to the media for an assessment of the state of the world and mankind, we will be tempted to shake our heads in dismay at the dismal picture we see painted. The problems are overwhelming, solutions inadequate at best, and mediocrity seems to describe our general condition. Violence, greed and corruption leap off the page and the screen daily. Where are the selfless, the loving, the honest, the peacemakers, the generous, those who inspire and encourage?
I know where they are.....they are in my home, in my church, in my neighborhood and beyond. When I am feeling discouraged because of a steady stream of bad news, I need only to think of the acts of kindness, compassion, friendliness, generosity, courage, comfort, tenderness, beauty, humility and thoughtfulness that I see, hear, and am touched by every day.
The world may be a very troubled place, but it is also a world filled with people who care deeply and who demonstrate their love for God and for others. It is a dark place but it is also a place filled with people who shine the light of Christ into the darkness. These are imperfect people, serving a perfect God and striving to honor Him with their lives. They pour courage into the discouraged and remind us that there is hope for this hurting world.
"A true saint exaggerates what the world neglects." ~ G.K. Chesterton
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