As the world mourns the loss of the great man Nelson Mandela, it made me think about other significant people I admire who had left a mark for good in the 20th century. And so, a trinity of quotes from a holy trinity of ‘M’……on a theme dear to my heart……
‘Madiba’ Nelson Mandela:
A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.
Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is people who have made poverty and tolerated poverty, and it is people who will overcome it. And overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.
Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.
‘Mother’ Theresa of Calcutta:
At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.”
We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.
A life not lived for others is not a life.
‘Mahatma’ Mohandas Ghandi:
It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
In a gentle way you can shake the world.