"The life that I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place and time my touch will be felt. Our lives are linkied together. No man is an island."(F. Buechner "Listening to Your Life" p. 139-140)
There was terrific movie "Pay it Forward" in which the principle of this quote is shown quite well. There is also an ad on tv for I think New York Life which also shows this ideal.
Do I really have that profound an effect on the world? Probably and in ways I don't even know. When I'm seen at my best or my worst, by another person, I have an impact. That impact may be small, perhaps I made them laugh or aggrevated them. Even if they weren't the intended audiance, they may still have their day affected.
I know that I am impacted by the actions of other people. Whether I'm directly involved or just a casual witness. So I try regularly to remind myself befor I lace into someone, that I might feel momentarily better, but all I've done is transferred my bad mood to someone else.
So whether it is us as individuals, or as a church, a group, or a nation or actions have reverberations all over the place, because we are bound by a common humanity.
Blessings,
Ed
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