Wednesday, March 20, 2013

NEAREST NEIGHBOURS



                             One day a man came to Mother Teresa's house to inform her that a poor Hindu family with several children was starving for several days. She immediately visited the family, carrying in her hands a bag of rice for the family. The mother of the family thankfully received the bag of rice. The starving woman then divided the rice in the bag into two halves and went out with one half of the  rice.
                             When she returned, Mother Teresa asked her where she had gone. The woman replied that she went to give a share of  the rice to a neighbouring Muslim family which was in a similar state of poverty and starvation. Mother Teresa was touched by the love and compassion of the poor lady which made her share her meagre assets with her starving neighbours. She was happy to see them enjoy the joy of sharing.
                             Albert Schweitzer thought and wrote about the "fellowship of those who bear the mark of pain." Those outside this fellowship usually have great difficulty in understanding what lies behind the pain.
                             We should display three major qualities: Daring, Caring and Sharing. We should have the courage to practise what we preach  and should show care and kindness to each other, especially to the weak, the sick and the poor. 
                             We should be ready to share our possessions with those in greater need. Sir Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
                             The Bible teaches, "Our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action....God is love and whoever lives in love lives in union with God and God lives in union with him."
                             Love is a language that can be heard by the deaf, seen by the blind and felt even by the new-born and the mentally retarded.
                             We may give without loving; but we cannot love without giving. Love is giving all we can. Love is like a smile - neither have any value unless given away. Karl Menninger said, "Love cures people - both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it." Mother Teresa said, "It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts."


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© By Prof. Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally, Leo. S. John, St. Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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