I think it was Shakespeare or Tolstoy that said "generosity maketh the world go round." I agree with them. Unfortunately many don't.We live in a time of "oooo, cake, me love to eat cake. No sharey cake. Cake for me." So we stuff our faces oblivious to the fact that perhaps our creator isn't all about the cake but has his sites set on other things. Like cake for everyone. Starting with us sharing ours.
Let's be honest, you, me and Chelsey long for Others to live generous lives (sorry Chels but it rhymed). We rant and rave about rich capitlists but at the end of the day we too can be found eating cake. We think we're better then our capitalist enemies because our cake is no name and the houses we eat them in are "humble" but as Tim rightly pointed out - materialism and greed is not a $ figure. Its something much more.
For instance; envy and jealousy. We judge the rich because we're not. We judge the corporations because we're the ones their screwing. We judge capitalism because we've yet to reach the tax bracket where we can profit from its theory. We resent the Joneses because we're just The Closes. We We We. I I I. How generous is that?
Now don't hear me wrong, I'm not saying the rich, capitalistic corporations don't need to be raked over the coals but if by raking we think we're making a more generous world, we're smoking the magic dragon. Being right and Being right are two different things. Cynicism (which I love) is much fun and can funtion to prick hearts or convict the heart's of the pricks but unless we are practicing generosity in our own lives we might as well be holding hands with the same ones we judge.
At the end of the day, when all our witty rants and clever judgements have passed, do we in fact live generous lives?
Are we generous with our words?(perhaps the prick remark wasn't)
Are we generous with our time?
Are we generous with our judgements?
Are we generous with our enemies?
Do we have a large table, with many chairs, and lots and lots cake?
Is our table full?
John
P.S. It wasn't Shakespeare or Tolstoy.
4 comments:
"You've got a way with words..." - Shania Twain. Now, that song has nothing to do what what you said here, and I loathe Mrs. Twain, but you get my point. Most importantly, I got your point loud and clear: I am a prick.
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"Char, could you pass the cake? You should read John's blog. It is all about how he thinks the world is full of pricks."
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"Funny, the message of generosity came across loud and clear to me," Charla mumbled and turned off her monitor.
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If you press shift and 8, it makes cool stars. Oh ya, I loved your post, I was just having some fun. Mostly because I have to go to church in an hour.
Brian
hey that's okay, i like being mentioned on other people's blogs. i feel special. and of course it is true... i do want others to be generous...
I like your thoughts as always, although I think you might be the only leftist in Calgary. Don't make the same mistake that Tolstoy made (and I can say this because I have read several of his LONG "holycouldhehadeverhadabettereditor" books. The problem is never the cake. There is nothing wrong with having lots or cake or a very little. The problem comes when you start to put your trust and faith in cake, and when you start to value it above your fellow man and God. Tolstoy couldn't seperate the attitude from the cake. (I know this argument sounds a bit - guns don't kill people - people kill peoplish)
For my part I love chocolate cake - don't care much for other types.
Great thinking!
Roberta
hey johnny 5,
remeber those movies, with that sweet robot? those were awesome...
i, like you, am very much a cynic, and not in a good way. i am often cynical without reflecting on myself and where i am with these same things. my question to you and any others is if you have any practical suggestions on how to make this generosity a reality in our lives. and before some smart aleck (how do you even spell that?) says "be more generous", i mean practical and specific things that we can do and share with others as ways to do it as well. the first thing that comes to mind is simply the giving of our time to others. if we are so wrapped up in ourselves then we have no time to even begin to be generous towards others. i think what kori and lisa are doing in uguanda is a really amazing example. just giving their time to give their lives to other people. that's my first suggestion/thought. any others?
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