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“. . . Love your neighbor as yourself.”  – Matthew 22:39 

For the past two years the world has suffered the worst pandemic in over a hundred years, claiming the lives of an estimated six million people worldwide.  Couple that with increasing rates of violent crime, an epidemic of drug abuse, rising rates of suicide, political turmoil, the highest inflation rate in forty years, not to mention the attack on Ukraine by its Russian neighbor, a move that places a threat on the rest of the world unlike any since World War II.  “These are the times that try men’s souls,” as Thomas Paine famously wrote in his 1776 pamphlet series, The American Crisis.

Indeed, it feels as if we are living in such times, doesn’t it?  Even worse is the helplessness we feel in fixing these things – to heal those stricken with COVID and stop its spread, to reduce crime and the flow of illegal drugs, treat mental illness, encourage our political leaders to work together, and all this as we pray for the Ukrainian people and a just and peaceful resolution to this bloody invasion.  “But what can I do,” we ask ourselves, “as these problems are beyond my capacity to help?”

During my corporate days, one year as we approached year’s end the fine people on my team suggested that rather than squandering money on each other at Christmas that perhaps we might instead pool those resources to help someone in need.  So, for the next few weeks we collected and purchased food, clothing, and other necessities including toys for the children, for a family we had identified.  Then, one crisp December afternoon we all went as a group to deliver their gifts.  One team member even dressed as Santa, providing a special treat for the small children in the family.  Sometime later the word got out about what we had done, so when the next year rolled around others outside our team wanted to participate, thus adding more resources so we were able to help two families instead of one, and the following year three, as our outreach project grew.

There seems to be an unexplainable miracle that occurs when you “love your neighbor as yourself,” a ripple effect that impacts others beyond what you ever imagined.  Helping others can be infectious in such a way that even in these times that are trying our souls, simple kindness to those who cross our paths can “ripple” far beyond what we can see or imagine – maybe even to those as far away as Ukraine.

“. . . let them rule over . . . all the earth.”  – Genesis 1:26 

To believe the essence of the creation story as it is told in the book of Genesis is to accept that the universe and all life within it are the works of a supreme creator – regardless of the process of how things may have specifically come into being.  And to accept that much of the story one must also recognize that humankind was somehow created distinctly separate from the rest of nature – that we were given intelligence and reason beyond that of every other being within creation.  That is to say, although we too are created beings along with the rest of nature, we are also different from it.  We are the only form of nature created in the image of the Creator.

Writer Annie Dillard once spent an entire year living by a creek in the mountains of Virginia expecting to be inspired and refreshed by being close to nature over an extended period of time.  What she discovered instead was quite surprisingly to the contrary.  She came to realize that nature, rather than being peaceful and serene as we like to imagine, is actually ruled by violence of the strong against the weak.  Tee and I used to observe the same thing while sitting out under the stars on our West Texas ranch.  That realization, however, should not diminish for us the beauty and majesty we see in nature, but instead should serve as a reminder of the role we play within it; that despite our many human flaws – including our own violence at times – we are the only creatures with the ability to subdue it.  We are, after all, given dominion over all creation by the Creator, and it is our sense of values borne out of our unique capacity to care and to love that empowers us to act as stewards of both nature and mankind.

So, unlike the rest of nature which is ruled by the strong overpowering the weak as Annie Dillard discovered, mankind is ruled by a higher form of behavior, guiding principles we call values – values which are formed out of our intellect, ability to reason, and capacity for love, influenced by such things as life experiences, social norms, and religious beliefs.  Everything we do, the decisions we make and the actions we take during the course of a day are based on our consciously or unconsciously held values.  So, since God created mankind in his own image and left us with this charge, “let them rule over all the earth,” isn’t creation best served when we, mankind, strive to align our values with those of the Creator as given to us through God’s Word?

“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.”  Ecclesiastes 3:12 

Occasionally I suggest to my coaching clients that they should write their own epitaph. The intention of this exercise is not to be fatalistic, but visionary.  In other words, if you can sum up in just one short sentence or phrase how you would like to have your life described at its conclusion you have essentially written a vision statement, the purpose of which is to provide direction for your life.

Years ago we had the good fortune to become acquainted with a man named Max, who had at one time been a prominent banker, rancher and successful businessman until a severe stroke rendered him mostly paralyzed and in need of full-time care.  Always cheerful and outgoing Max puttered around the facility where he resided in his motorized wheelchair visiting with fellow residents and greeting visitors as they came and went.  My mother happened to reside there as well, and that’s how we met Max.

Max never forgot anything.  He remembered everyone’s name, where they were from, and what they were up to.  Having a conversation with Max was an absolute delightful experience.  He was inquisitive, interesting, and funny.  But Max did something I will never forget.  At the end of every conversation before we parted ways, he would always remind us in some way to go live our lives to the fullest.  Then, looking us in the eye his departing words would always be the same, “Remember, this is not dress rehearsal.”

At first I was puzzled by Max’s closing remarks, suspecting perhaps it had something to do with his confinement to a wheelchair, or regrets about things he had done or failed to do.  Maybe . . . Except Max didn’t seem much like the type to harbor regrets or disappointments.  In fact, based on the stories we heard and the enthusiasm he continued to show I suspect Max had lived his life with the same vigor he was encouraging us to have.  Max appeared to be a man with a vision, a clear direction for his life, an epitaph.

“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live,” said the writer of Ecclesiastes.  All it takes is to customize that for our own lives, and – voila! – we have written a vision statement – an epitaph at life’s conclusion.

“Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.”

• Psalm 37:27 

I recall sitting in the office of an executive with the Wall Street firm where I was once employed discussing the challenges of dealing with unethical or marginally ethical people within our industry.  (Every profession has them, by the way.)  The executive with whom I was meeting made a comment I will never forget.  Bad people never last, he assured me.  Eventually they go too far, step over the line, and get caught resulting in disciplinary action, firing, revoked licenses, lawsuits, or prosecution – and on rare occasions all the above.  I disagreed at the time; for it seemed these clever shysters were ever present in my world placing an enormous burden on my staff and me to constantly monitor and police their activities – not the best use of our time and energy.  It’s just a fact of life, though, that from petty dishonesty to crime to terrorism to murderous dictatorships, evil is forever among us, and indeed has been throughout the history of mankind.

Someone once said that no matter how things may appear, there is no future in evil, only in good.  Pondering that has caused me to take heart; for discouraging as it is when it seems the bad guys win, when we consider that throughout history when evil actually is defeated – and it always is eventually, though not necessarily within our lifetimes – it is because in some way good has prevailed, thus validating that there is no future in evil, only in good.  Or as my old Wall Street executive friend assured me, bad people never last.

On Mount Sinai Moses received the same assurance from the Lord himself who said, “. . . for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

So, we should take heart in doing good, for by doing so we are paving a path for the future; as there is no future in evil, only in good.  Or as the Psalmist affirms, “. . . do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.”

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

• Psalm 139:13 

Did you know that according to recent estimates there are over 7,900,000,000 people living in the world today?  That is 7.9 billion in case the zeros are overwhelming.  Does that make you feel small, like just another rat in the rat race?  You’re not alone if you do.  But the fascinating thing is that within this massive population, including all who have ever lived before and all yet to be born, each one of us is unique.  There is no one else in the world identical to you or me.  We are not just rats in the rat race; we are each different and placed here for a special purpose.

In my profession of executive coaching administering psychological assessments of some sort with our clients is a fairly common practice.  It is not for the purpose of psychological evaluation that we do this, for most of us are not trained psychologists; rather, it is to increase each client’s awareness of his or her own specific and special talents, behaviors, and characteristics – what it is that makes him or her special and unique.  Once uniqueness is recognized then applied creatively in a person’s business, profession, and personal life both performance and satisfaction tend to increase dramatically.  It is the coach’s job to raise the person’s awareness of his or her uniqueness, and to help them develop ways to use it most effectively.

First, though, is to realize that we are not the result of some sort of human mass production.  We are instead uniquely and individually designed by the One who created our inmost being; the One who specifically knit us together.  We are not just rats in the rat race; we are each different and placed here for a special purpose.

So, as you begin the days ahead remember that there is no one else on earth like you, and that you were placed here for a special purpose.  The Psalmist recognized this in his eloquent prayer, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  Consider then how you might apply your uniqueness to your business, profession, and personal life.  Your family, friends, neighbors, business associates, clients, and community are depending on you for what only you can provide.