Excerpt from Working Poor sermon by Doug Kraft given at UUSS on MLK Sunday 2002 What can we do? The thing each and everyone of us can do is look at the world through the eyes of the heart. Anytime we hear political or social arguments that are laced with fear, anger, blame or self-righteousness, know that the discourse is probably distorted. Know that you may need to look a little deeper, get more information and open the heart a little more. Two weeks ago I spoke about the spirituality of despair: when we open our hearts to these larger issues, we feel some pain: perhaps some discouragement or despair. But if we gently stay open and hold the distress in our hearts, something starts to shift. Out of that crucible, compassion, imagination and commitment start to flow. Am I suggesting that we all go out and join in a crusade against poverty? No, of course not. Some of you might. And that is wonderful. But most of us will just go about our lives holding the pain of the world a little more openly. Then, how you talk to your friends may be a little different when the topic comes up. How you speak to your children may be a little different. How you use your time and money may shift a little. How you vote, write letters, volunteer and so forth may be a little different. When the heart is open and informed, we know what to do and what not to do. Gandhi once said that the measure of civilization is not the gross national product but how we treat the poor and dispossessed. When a reporter asked him what he thought of Western civilization he said he didnt know there were any. If you fiercely look at the world through the eyes of the heart, you become part of a groundswell movement toward a truly civilized society that promotes the inherent worth and dignity of everyone. There are working poor amongst us. Let us dedicate ourselves to finding the fierceness and courage to open our hearts for our sake, for their sake, and for the sake of all who share our planet. © 2002 Doug Kraft To read the complete sermon, go to: uuss.org/Sermons/index.php?id=37
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 22:43:13 +0000