Jul 4
See Do
Posted by madameblogalot at 5:55 pm in Uncategorized

“See-Do”

This was the theme at the camp from which we just returned. The camp was for children who just finished 3rd-6th grades. “See Do” was all about “see the need, do the deed” and is very appropriate for anyone of any age. The kids were taught about how to see the need as well as how to do the deed. All of these lessons were based upon lessons taken from the Bible.

Today as I was reading Les Miserables, I came across a passage that seemed to be following this same theme, and I think it can apply to anyone of any religion.  It is at the moment when Marius is confronted with the destitution of his neighbors.  The passage is rather long, but worth reading.

“Marius almost reproached himself with the fact that he had been so absorbed in his reveries and passion that he had not until now cast a glance upon his neighbors. Paying their rent was a mechanical impulse; everybody would have had that impulse, but he, Marius, should have done better.  What! A mere wall separated him from these abandoned beings, who lived by groping in the night without the pale of the living; he came in contact with them, he was in some sort the last link of the human race which they touched, he heard them live or rather breathe beside him, and he took no notice of them! Every day at every moment, he heard them through the wall, walking, going, coming, talking, and he did not lend his ear! And in these words there were groans, and he did not even listen, his thoughts were elsewhere, upon dreams, upon impossible glimmerings, upon loves in the sky, upon infatuations; and all the while human beings, his brothers in Jesus Christ, his brothers in the people, were suffering death agonies beside him!  Agonizing uselessly. He even caused a portion of their suffering, and aggravated it. For had they had another neighbor, a less chimerical man, it was clear that their poverty would have been noticed, their signals of distress would have been seen,  and long ago perhaps they would have been gathered up and saved! Undoubtedly they seemed depraved, very corrupt, very vile, very hateful, even, but those are rare who fall without becoming degraded; there is a point, moreover, at which the unfortunate and the infamous are associated and confounded in a single word, a fatal word, les miserables; whose fault is it? And then, is it not when the fall is the lowest that charity ought to be greatest?”

See. Do.

See Do has 4 Comments

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  1. Montucky wrote:
    July 5th, 2008 at 8:59 am

    It’s a good lesson, but a very difficult one, especially for the kids. We live in a country that no longer cares. Every day I see people who have difficulty putting food on their tables and with the escalating costs of energy will find it hard to stay warm this winter, and yet, driving down the highway that passes their homes are huge RV’s and motor homes operated by those whose greed has caused that suffering. What action would we really expect them to take: those who profit from the price and wage inflation see no shortages of food, or gas or energy with which to heat their homes. “See-Do” is indeed an excellent lesson: everything we can do helps, but at this time in our evolution, charity simply is not the issue.

  2. madameblogalot wrote:
    July 5th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

    perhaps I stretched the correlation between the passage in the book too far-it just really hit me on the heels of the lessons taught at the camp. all the lessons at the camp were not just about “charity”, that is the one from the novel I am reading.

    for these young kids, we kept it very basic-helping those in need around you. learning to see what the need is and addressing it (whether that means picking up trash or helping someone carry something, very basic). one of the boys talked about how it is important for the kids to get their parents involved in this aspect, which I thought was good when it comes to doing larger scale actions.

    we were just talking last night about some service projects for the youth group. my husband brought up that it has to be something that people need right now. he said something along the lines of what you bring up here…rising costs, gas, etc…interesting.

    got any ideas on how to help kids make a difference in this time? what can kids today do when they see these big needs??

  3. Montucky wrote:
    July 5th, 2008 at 6:49 pm

    I really wish I did have some good ideas. Unfortunately so much of what we do, have the opportunity to do, ends up “preaching to the choir”. I personally believe that what is missing across America is compassion and respect for others. I know you well enough to know that your kids and most everyone around you do have that compassion and respect for others.

    The issue, I think, is how to reach those who don’t. What about those CEO’s who don’t care about who they hurt to maximize company profits (and also maximize their own salaries), the stockholders who demand more and more return on their investments no matter what has to happen to the rest of the world in order for that to happen? How do we reach them and re-introduce the ideal of integrity and the value of fairness into their psyches?

    It’s a difficult situation but I sincerely think that kids will be a large part of the answer, maybe because it seems like they are the ones who tend to have their priorities straight in the first place. We can certainly encourage that and do our individual parts, but it will take someone far wiser than I to come up with a more universal answer.

  4. madameblogalot wrote:
    July 5th, 2008 at 8:05 pm

    ah, compassion and respect, yes, two key factors…

    I guess in my own little world, I am “content”(not really the right word, I know) to do my own little part. and in doing so, try to involve others. and when we each do our own little part, I believe it adds up to something bigger…it may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but surely it has to make a difference…I think starting small, especially when working w/ kids, helps them to take bigger and bigger steps. I love hearing them dream and then if we can help them to achieve those dreams….

    if you come across any good ideas, let me know!

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