Our present culture urgently needs an infusion of goodness right now. The destructive confusion, pain, and grief being released on our present culture through regrettable malevolence, greed, and hateful actions must not be allowed to go unanswered. As we are learning, it takes a choice to invite and develop excellence of character. The good news, however, is that we are the ultimate recipients of the benefits that flow from our attitudes and actions of goodness.
I recall hearing a powerful story while I was traveling through Katmandu, Nepal:
Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them, the holy one went down into deep prayer and cried, “Great God, how is it that a loving Creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?” And out of the long silence, God said, “I did do something, I made you.”
“I made YOU!” Obviously, the intention is that throughout my life I will become involved in doing something about the condition and situation of the crippled, the beggar and the beaten. But I must do something even more than just sitting with my legs crossed and praying and asking the “God-stumping” questions. It is imperative that I invite into my life the opportunity to do something about the situation, invite the help that it will take to do it, and also, determine to develop, through one choice at a time, the strength of character to enable me to become effective enough to make a difference in this old world.
I stopped counting the number of countries into which I have traveled when I reached the number of 150 countries. I really don’t know what the total is up to now, and it really doesn’t matter. Most people have a tough time even reciting the names of 20 countries. But, during my travels I have met many people who have inspired me with their lives. The common thread that seemed to run through the fabric of each life was the determination to be involved in attitudes and actions of goodness. But it had to be an individual choice for each. They, at some point in life, had invited and developed a certain level of personal character.
Out from that reservoir of excellence of character were now flowing rivers of kindness, truthfulness, generosity, fairness, sympathy, personal responsibility, virtue, justice and wisdom. Their effect on the people and circumstances around them was literally changing their world.
“Rivers of kindness” in Rajahmundry:
I remember meeting Dr. Syam Kumar and his wife Mary Jean on one of my many trips to India. To me, he was a bundle of high energy that had been marinated and soaked through and through in a potion of dead-earnest compassion. Genetically, he had been born into the Brahman High Caste of India.
But somewhere along the line Syam Kumar’s parents had bumped into some very caring Christians and consequently they had raised Syam in a devout Christian home. The family’s sensitivity level had been piqued as they now viewed India’s tragic caste system from new eyes of kindness, justice and sympathy.
Young Syam had decided to become a doctor. He determined to give his life to donating medical care to the poorest of the “untouchables” of Eastern India.
I had flown into Calcutta, and had caught another India Air flight to Vishakhapatnam on the eastern coast of India. There, Dr. Syam Kumar had picked me up and we traveled another 7 ½ hours to the city of Rajahmundry where the doctor, his wife and their small son lived.
“Dr. Jackson,” he confided in me, “It is nothing less than a miracle that I am a doctor today in India. When the Medical University found out that I was a Christian they did everything within their power to wash me out of the system.”
He continued, “They altered my test answers and manipulated my grades and actively tried to keep me from passing my exams. But in spite of all they could do I was second highest in my class and I was the very first Christian to graduate from the Medical University. You see, when I vowed to be a doctor to the poorest and most pitiable people in India something wonderful happened. God opened the doors and all I had to do was to walk through them.”
Then, with the same determined high energy and confidence he turned to me and said, “Now we will go to my clinic and you will see for yourself. Dr. Jackson, I need you to help me because you will see that I have nothing in my clinic except sick people and God.”
I was being infected not with any of the strange diseases of India but I certainly was being infected with the passion and focus of this dedicated Indian doctor. And I was eager to visit his clinic.
While at the clinic, a frail little Indian woman came in with an advanced sinus infection and severe facial pain. Additionally, she had a blocked septum. Minor surgery would regularly take a doctor about 10 minutes and with some antibiotics the woman would have experienced relief. Dr. Kumar literally begged me to send him an electric blood cauterizer in order to perform such procedures along with enabling him to more efficiently remove tonsils from adult and pediatric patients. Presently, he had nothing.
Ringworm, scabies parasites and other skin problems were rampant with the tens of thousands of “untouchables” in the Rajahmundry area. To watch Dr. Syam Kumar work with those people touched my heart deeply. I could see how much he openly loved the people and cared for them. No other doctor had ever come to help them.
Previously, I had asked many people in India to help me bring medical aid to the “untouchables.” The answer had always been the same, “Oh, Dr Jackson, just why would we want to do a thing like that? You must understand our culture and our beliefs. Those people are poor and wretched for a reason. They, or their parents or grandparents have done something in a lifetime that was so awful that they really messed up their Karma.”
“That infraction has determined where they are today. They must be left alone to learn what it is that they should learn. You see if we were to step in and help them, they would never learn what it is that they should learn and as a consequence they would have to return in life again and again and repeat the process over and over until they learn the lessons. Someday they might be able to merit being born in a future life into a higher level. So, it is not only kind but also necessary to let them alone. For now, they can work for us and do the things we would not do. And if they are obedient citizens, and good learners, maybe someday, they can learn what they need to learn and have the opportunity of coming back as wealthy artisans, government leaders, business people, military or educators and join us. Someday, perhaps they can be like us. They all have that hope. So, it is best not to disturb the system and try to help them right now.”
But -- there was Dr. Kumar! What he was doing was revolutionary and “counter-culture.” He had chosen the opportunity to do something about the “crippled, and the beggar and the beaten.” And as I watched, I determined within my heart, that I would do everything within my power to help that dear man to accomplish his goals!
“I did do something – I made you!”
Next Week: I Want to be a Change Maker for Good