Why, when we intellectually know we can help one another, do we fail to translate realization into action? It seems we stop ourselves before we even get started, before we can become committed and therefore, vulnerable. What are we more afraid of—failing or succeeding? “If I help so-and-so today, then what about all the others waiting in the wings? When will it end?” we wonder. Or we hear a story like Debbie’s and despair takes hold. We think, “My five dollars won’t make a difference,” or “If I can’t solve the problem I might as well do nothing.” The only thing this self-talk and over-analysis succeeds in doing is shutting us down before we can begin. Don’t listen to it! It’s not the truth.
What is?
As of July 31, 2008, the Barack Obama campaign raised over $390 million dollars with an average donation of around $25. Millions of Americans, each contributing a small amount, generated a fortune equivalent to the 2007 GDP of Samoa or Dominica. We know we can do it, we’ve proven we can do it, and in fact, we’ve done it. Was that so hard? Couldn’t we raise the bar a bit? We must not help just once, or when we feel like it, or when we are passionate and connected to the cause. Nor must each of us help every time. But enough of us must decide, more than just occasionally, to become our brother’s keeper. Only by saving one another do we save ourselves.
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