Are there true Saints & Prophets? … (01/27/08)
Some very “normal” humans have made extraordinary choices throughout history. These men and women are the ones all societies seem to admire. And every one of them was denigrated to a certain degree by their friends and families —
And yet every one of them found Peace by sacrificing their own self-centered “happiness” to find a deeper Peace within a Life of selfless Service for others …
Yes, Jesus could have been a great school teacher, Lao Tsu didn’t have to write the Tao Te Ching, and Buddha could have stayed with his wife and child and been an excellent father and leader in his community. Martin Luther King Jr. could have been a power-full and productive pastor, Rumi could have effectively continued to instruct Truth at his school in Konya, and the Peace Pilgrim could have remained a beacon of Love as a social worker in her own neighborhood.
And if they had so chosen, it would have been fine — they would have been happy & would probably have done some power-full Good …
And yet, they each saw the opportunity to awaken others to the Truths they allReady knew -and to do so with their actions more than their words. They each knew that the chances were slim that anyone would listen to the inconvenient Truths they had to share (indeed, very few did actually follow them) — and yet they bravely chose to Walk that Way anyway …
They expressed a reverence for their lives by being willing to die for others.
They expressed a compassion for others’ suffering by being willing to take on their burdens.
They expressed a Love for their friends by choosing to Love their friends’ enemies.
And this is why they are revered as Saints & prophets — because they replaced a mere willingness to serve Humanity selflessly with actually doing so. They replaced a mere understanding of Right Action with an embodiment of the same. They replaced a mere belief in Kindness with actions that were radically Caring.
A wise one once said “The world has dreamers and the world has doers. But what the world really needs is dreamers who Do.”
We each have the power to live as Saints & Prophets in our own communities. Let us go forth and do so today — one small act of Kindness at a time!
;