With all of the turmoil in the world, it is often difficult to think about learning to serve. But, it is that turbulence that provides the greatest challenges to service. World events may preoccupy us to the extent of paralysis. How can service to our local community and to individuals be important when world peace is threatened? How will our service impact the “big” picture?

The recent tragedies at Fort Hood and elsewhere remind us of the importance of serving, even in small ways. The images of the long funeral processions symbolize the unity that can result, even among and across disparate community elements. The reaction of the Amish community in reaching out to the family of the perpetrator of the killings in Lancaster stands as a testament to the possibilities of the service of forgiveness. This unity stands in contrast to the conflict, terror, violence, death and destruction that exists in much of the rest of the world.

The many small service acts of community members can have a powerful impact, not only on the immediate community, but can provide a model for the rest of us.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 11:43 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.