Helping Eachother

It is encouraging and strengthening in the middle of all the distress and trauma of these weeks, to be reminded in so many ways of the light in everyone’s heart and the essential goodness of human nature. I am thinking of those communities who have banded together to help each other, of people who have made offers of their holiday homes to those who are flooded out for example, or those who have voluntarily travelled from their safe homes to help those in flooded areas. One commentator said that people were actively looking for ways to help. We obviously wish that this spirit didn’t have to arise out of hardship and suffering.

But the commentator was also referring to the reactions he had witnessed to our successes in the Winter Olympics in Sochi and how it brought to him the feeling that people were not just celebrating with national pride, but the upbeat nature of the events at such a low time, was helping to stimulate that feeling that it was possible to succeed and that in turn made people want to do something to make life better for everyone in these difficult times. Light generating light, I thought!

This, for me is an example of what we believe in the Lodge that goodwill and the light of love; the willingness, even the yearning to help others is all part of the natural spirit within all people and which we can encourage to flower, so to speak, through sending out the light. 

One final example that touched me was from the figure skating at Sochi where an American fell rather badly. When he eventually got up and continued to skate the spectators, most of whom would have been Russian, cheered every move and stood up for him at the end. I expect many of you remember the years of the cold war between these two nations! White Eagle has told us we are moving forward towards the golden age of brotherhood and in all these examples we see small steps being taken and I, for one, am renewed in hope and commitment to our service for the light:

‘The whole process of growth is interaction. It is impossible for one individual to grow whilst isolated. Each soul is dependent upon another, by an inviolate cosmic law of evolution. You are dependent upon thousands of your fellows in the humblest walks of life as well as in the highest. The influence of millions affects you daily. The whole purpose of life is to bring about this harmonising, this co-ordinating and co-operation as an expression of universal love.’