I'm mentoring in this summer youth program that includes dropping all the participants, for three consecutive days, in Toronto, with $2 to survive on. No cell, no car, no hidden money. Live like so many people do, for at least three days, and then tell us if you think that's human and sustainable and all those good things. "Then" we will start talking about faith, God, prayer and all those good things. Reading a paper, I was moved by a story of a family in a well-to-do hood of Toronto who decided to take up, as Lent discipline, giving up anyting that they could not afford if on welfare. When you read what the kids say after having gone through the experience, it tells you that whatever evils this society may suffer from, it all starts from denial and disengagement from the reality of so many others around us. I personally know of another family where the kids, when challenged by their parents to think of a personal way to celebrate Lent, thinking of what Jesus did in those 40 days etc etc, took up not using what their less "well-off" friends could not afford. To make it brief, the xbox went off to a oprhans home, the two kids dropped their ipods and traded their cellphones for mp3 cells, then gave away ipods and cells to friends. They also gave up spring break holidays at a cottage and instead each took a friend for free to a spring break camp. Stuff like this may sound a bit feisty and snobby, but my point is that these kids reinvested what they had, both in their own benefit and their friends'. And I believe that it is realistic, close to the ground, generous stuff what will, if anything, save us. Few people are able to keep wealth and ethics together. Because it takes a lot of effort and investment in denial to have a $500 dinner while knowing that people are actually sleeping on unsafe areas all over the city. It's doable, I'm sure. But then one has to take a Lent discipline like the ones above in order to at least begin to understand what the family of, say, that nice lady who cleans our mess, is most likely going through. sorry for the long rant.... how is it?.... SORI AH?
Humm interesting Lab! I know a lot of children who could use a lesson or two about the reality of how the less fortunate live. Do you have any info on this program?
We try very hard to teach my niece how important it is to give to those who are less fortunate. My dad had her sponsoring a little girl in Nicaragua from the time she could speak...they send stuff back and forth....she dictates and my brother writes the letters for her. She parts with toys that are given to her so we can send them to her. She is VERY aware of the fact that there are many people in this world that need help and she is learning to give which is hard at her age she is only five. I think it's something you need to teach children from a very young age. The earlier the better.
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CHI CHI CHI LE LE LE VIVA CHILE!!!!
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I'm mentoring in this summer youth program that includes dropping all the participants, for three consecutive days, in Toronto, with $2 to survive on. No cell, no car, no hidden money. Live like so many people do, for at least three days, and then tell us if you think that's human and sustainable and all those good things. "Then" we will start talking about faith, God, prayer and all those good things.
Reading a paper, I was moved by a story of a family in a well-to-do hood of Toronto who decided to take up, as Lent discipline, giving up anyting that they could not afford if on welfare. When you read what the kids say after having gone through the experience, it tells you that whatever evils this society may suffer from, it all starts from denial and disengagement from the reality of so many others around us.
I personally know of another family where the kids, when challenged by their parents to think of a personal way to celebrate Lent, thinking of what Jesus did in those 40 days etc etc, took up not using what their less "well-off" friends could not afford. To make it brief, the xbox went off to a oprhans home, the two kids dropped their ipods and traded their cellphones for mp3 cells, then gave away ipods and cells to friends. They also gave up spring break holidays at a cottage and instead each took a friend for free to a spring break camp.
Stuff like this may sound a bit feisty and snobby, but my point is that these kids reinvested what they had, both in their own benefit and their friends'. And I believe that it is realistic, close to the ground, generous stuff what will, if anything, save us.
Few people are able to keep wealth and ethics together. Because it takes a lot of effort and investment in denial to have a $500 dinner while knowing that people are actually sleeping on unsafe areas all over the city. It's doable, I'm sure. But then one has to take a Lent discipline like the ones above in order to at least begin to understand what the family of, say, that nice lady who cleans our mess, is most likely going through.
sorry for the long rant.... how is it?.... SORI AH?
Un Padre económicamente acomodado, queriendo que su hijo supiera lo que es ser pobre, lo llevó para que pasara un par de días en el monte con una familia campesina. Pasaron tres días y dos noches en su vivienda del campo.
En el automóvil, retornando a la ciudad, el padre preguntó a su hijo ¿Qué te pareció la experiencia?...
Buena, contestó el hijo con la mirada puesta a la distancia. Y... ¿qué aprendiste?, insistió el padre...
El hijo contestó:
1. Que nosotros tenemos un perro y ellos tienen cuatro. 2. Nosotros tenemos una piscina con agua estancada que llega a la mitad del jardín... y ellos tienen un río sin fin, de agua cristalina, donde hay pececitos, berro y otras bellezas. 3. Que nosotros importamos linternas del Oriente para alumbrar nuestro jardín... mientras que ellos se alumbran con las estrellas y la luna. 4. Nuestro patio llega hasta la cerca... y el de ellos llega al horizonte. 5. Que nosotros compramos nuestra comida;...ellos, siembran y cosechan la de ellos. 6. Nosotros oímos CD's... Ellos escuchan una perpetua sinfonía de zinzontes, chuíos, pericos, ranas, sapos, cucarrones y otros animalitos... todo esto a veces dominado por el sonoro canto de un vecino que trabaja su monte. 7. Nosotros cocinamos en estufa eléctrica y microondas ... Ellos, todo lo que comen tiene ese glorioso sabor del fogón de leña. 8. Para protegernos nosotros vivimos rodeados por un muro, con alarmas... Ellos viven con sus puertas abiertas, protegidos por la amistad de sus vecinos. 9. Nosotros vivimos conectados al celular, a la com****dora, al televisor... Ellos, en cambio, están "conectados" a la vida, al cielo, al sol, al agua, al verde del monte, a los animales, a sus siembras, a su familia.
El padre quedó impactado por la profundidad de su hijo... y entonces el hijo terminó:
Gracias papá, por haberme enseñado lo ¡pobres que somos!
how is it?.... SORI AH? 
