For several years now I have been thinking, praying, and strategizing about how to stem the ever-increasing tide of bitterness and vitriol we see all around us. I even dove into a doctoral program to study generosity from a scientific perspective. I have learned a lot and, to be honest, not all of what I’ve learned is encouraging.
Yet, here I am today, asking you to join me in considering an alternative to what we so often see in the news. I’m asking you to consider how each of us might be used in a good way to bring about more good in this world. I’m asking you to consider how a generous heart and and an encouraging word really could change this world for the better.
John Mayer sang of this pessimism a few years ago in “Waiting on the World to Change.” For example, “… One day our generation, Is gonna rule the population, So we keep on waiting, Waiting on the world to change.”
I get it. My wife and I have three sons in their early to late 30s. They help keep our ear to the ground as it relates to what younger generations are thinking about today. But Mayer’s words aren’t much different than songs throughout the past decades. Remember Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy,” when he sang his ecological lament, “Oh, things ain’t what they used to be…?” That song was a huge hit in 1971. That’s over 50 years ago.
So, I guess it’s true. The more things change the more they stay the same. But why is that?
My opinion, backed up by some genuine research, is that humankind is – and always has been – torn between two tendencies. That is, generally speaking, human beings are torn between helping others and helping themselves. And while both of these truths can held in healthy tension, we humans tend to tilt toward what we want now in this moment. We don’t give much thought as to how our decisions today affect all our tomorrows and the lives of others in the process.
This is not about all the ideas and ideals that so easily divide us. It’s really more about helping us think about how we can each contribute to a better day for all of us. A generous and encouraging spirit, displayed in the lives of more people, has the power to change things for the better.
I am just one man, but I am thinking about how we could literally start a wave of generosity and encouragement that allows us to ride the crest of goodness all the way to shore. I’ve been watching snippets of a show on HBO called “100 Foot Wave.” The series chronicles what seems to me to be an insane quest to find and ride potentially lethal walls of water on a variety of ocean coastlines. These obsessive people are willing to risk their lives for the thrill of conquering the massive waves.
I don’t feel like we have to risk our lives to find a big wave of goodness. I do think we might have to let go of certain narratives or political affiliations. We might even have to reach across theological lines to take the hand of fellow believers. But, I don’t think it’s impossible. I actually believe that “… with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37, KJV).
There will never be a lack of negativity or venomous hatred or genuine human need in this world unless we fight back against it. I’m asking you to be a part of the rescuing work of goodness, generosity toward others, and the gift of an encouraging word. While others are waiting on the world to change, I’m gonna try to change the world – in a good way – for as many people as I can. Who’s with me?