  Spiritual
This week: There Is Such A Thing As A Selfless Deed Edited by: Kit of House Lannister  
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There is a saying that there is no such thing as a completely selfless deed. I think that's nonsense.
This week's Spiritual Newsletter, then, is all about selfless deeds and charity.
kittiara |
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If you are a member of a social media website, you're likely to have been exposed to a lot of make-up free selfies this last week or so. Charitable trends on social media websites are not uncommon, but they're often confusing and rather pointless. “Like” if you're against hunger isn't going to fill anyone's belly, nor are vague statuses going to do anything other than puzzle people – it's fun, but ineffective. This time around, though, the make-up free pictures to raise awareness of cancer also raised over a million pounds in donations to Cancer research, so whether or not that was the initial plan, some good has come out of it.
If you've somehow escaped the initiative I mentioned above, the idea that took shape was for women to post pictures of themselves without make-up, and donate to charity when they nominated others to carry on the trend. Cancer Research were baffled but grateful. In addition, the idea that it takes less time to check yourself than it takes to put on make-up (hence the pictures) has indeed encouraged some women to carry out some checks. Men soon joined in, posting pictures of themselves with make-up, and then began their own initiative that I sadly cannot mention the name of, as that would really up the content rating of this newsletter. Let's just say that it involved socks.
I don't go on social media websites these days, nor do I ever wear make-up, so I am not the ideal person to explain how horrified some women felt at the thought of exposing themselves in this manner. The charitable trend made the news and had a mixed reception. Some people felt “bullied” into donating to charity. Some thought that the people taking part only did it to gain attention. Whilst I agree that nobody should feel pressured into something they're not comfortable with, I cannot help but feel that the second point – that they only took part to gain attention – is irrelevant. It reminds me of the saying that there is no such thing as a completely selfless act.
I've never understood that saying. It's not only incorrect, it's also rather discouraging. Even if someone does good, out of the kindness of their hearts, not expecting any thanks or exposure or praise, somehow it's not selfless enough, because they might feel some small measure of pleasure at their action.
It makes me think of those men and women who put their lives on the line every single day to protect others. They may gain satisfaction from their jobs, sure, but when the time comes, when danger strikes, I doubt they'll waste any time thinking, “I'm doing some good here!” There are people who see a drowning person and jump after them in an attempt to save a life. There are people who dive onto a busy road to rescue a wandering child. Do they do it to play the hero, or because right there and then instinct kicks in and they simply do what needs to be done?
Most of us on this website have been the recipient of anonymous kindness. C-notes, anonymous reviews, even upgrades have been sent by kind members – sometimes to members they don't know. They may have felt good about doing so. They may have smiled when they clicked the send button. Does this make them selfish? Does this take anything away from their good deed? I don't think so.
It's human nature to pick at something in order to try expose a flaw. Sometimes it's best to leave it be and appreciate it for what it is.
I always feel sorry for celebrities who do charitable work. If they aren't seen to be doing anything, they're considered to be selfish and greedy. Yet, if they are seen to be doing something, there are people ready to shout that the celebrity must be doing it to raise their profile. Recently, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was approached to help raise funds for a desperately needed operation for a very ill little child. Instead of donating some of his football gear, as requested, he decided to cover all the costs - £50,000. Many people thought that this was a nice thing for him to have done. Others went on the attack, saying that £50,000 is nothing for an overpaid footballer, trying to diminish the gesture.
It's almost like you can't win. No matter what you do, there are those who are ready and willing to slam you down and taint anything good. The way I see it, though, is that we shouldn't let it stop us. Keep on doing nice things. If doing so make you smile and feel good about yourself, it's even better. That simply makes it a win-win situation for everyone involved.
It's not selfish to smile when you're helping others. When your main aim is to make other people happy, or to help out a person in need, any positive feeling on your end is just a pleasant side-effect. I'm going to be controversial here and say that even if your main motivation is to make you feel good about yourself, go ahead! You obviously need the boost, and if in helping others you are helping yourself, that's great. It all adds to the general sense of well-being.
And if, reading this, you feel like doing something nice, and you can't think of what to do, have a read of someone else's work. Review it if you have the time. Drop someone an anonymous c-note to brighten their day. It may make a real difference to them. Or write something - something inspirational. I've always thought that the best spiritual pieces come from the heart.
Whatever you choose to do, I wish you a lovely week.
kittiara
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And, of course, in line with this Newsletter's editorial:
You may actually get rewarded for doing good in this event, but eh, that's not a bad thing!
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The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in!
Imagine21  - Very good article. It tells the truth. Hopefully more people understand what food banks are about.
Thank you!  I hope so, too.
~~~
blue jellybaby - A very well written newsletter, kittiara. I love reading the things you write, particularly about such issues because it really puts it into perspective. I don't class myself as a judgemental person but sometimes it helps to have these facts pointed out clearly. Thank you Now when I get paid I'm going to look out for a food bank!
Thank you very much  . Can I just say that you are a wonderful person? I am sure that your help will be greatly appreciated!
~~~
Zeke  - My wife works weekly in our churches food bank in a small New Jersey town. The church's pantry is open three days each week and serves approximately 1,000 each week.
A thousand people a week in a small town? That just goes to show how dire the situation really is. Bless your wife for helping people!
~~~
Quick-Quill  - Thank you for your NL. I wish the USA adopted the same system. I have been on Welfare in the past due to the economy. I felt the sting of judgement, but I always smiled and answered, "I've worked for this and it is my right to have it. I don't plan on staying on it all my life, but this program was made for people like me, so don't pin you judgements on me." The problem is, now the very people who deserve it don't qualify unless you give everything you have up and then the Gov. will take care of you. Its demeaning and doesn't give a person the initiative get off the "dole."
You are absolutely correct - you worked hard, and when you needed it, you deserved to be supported. People shouldn't have judged. And you never know, the person doing the judging may be next to need assistance, because you never know what life will throw in your path. Not that I would wish it upon anyone.
It's so sad to hear how hard it is these days for people to get help. Instead of offering people a hand and getting them back on their feet, they are humiliated and degraded and dragged down into a life of misery. Governments are going about this in entirely the wrong way. Unfortunately, they are cheered on by people who simply don't know what it's like, and who do not want others to have what they, wrongly, see as a "free ride".
~~~
A couple of responses to older newsletters:
QueenOwl ~ A New Day Dawns - Hi Kit,
I love your thought-provoking newsletters. I can identify and empathize with you with this particular issue dealing with "Home Sweet Home."
I'm an uproot from the Pacific Islands. I've been in the USA for over forty years. My first visit back in the Islands was after twenty five years. I've gone back four more times since then. I get excited when I'm on my way there but I couldn't wait to leave once I'm there! I have become a stranger in my homeland because I have established my home and family here.
But, there is a different home far grander than what I have here. It's that home in heaven with its grandeur and splendor no one has yet seen. That's the home sweet home I look forward to whenever God calls me home!
I really know how you feel! It is definitely true that home is where the heart is. And as for the eternal home... I hope that all of us will make it there. It will be the one place where nobody will feel like a stranger.
~~~
{suser:(geomayr} - Hi Kittiara:
The answer to your question, "Do animals have souls?" is found in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 NKJV. It says, "For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one befalls them: as one dies, so does another. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust...Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?"
So, there's your answer from the Scriptural point of view.
Thank you very much! It still seems unclear to me, though. I am far from a Biblical scholar, but it seems to me that it says that humans and animals are the same. The one has no advantage over the other. They came from the same place, and will return to the same place. So, that would lead me to conclude that if humans have souls, so do animals. Indeed, it refers to the spirit of people and the spirit of animals.
Yet, at the end it seems to say that the spirit of people will go to heaven and the spirit of animals does not. It is phrased as a question, though, which adds to the uncertainty.
This led me to do some Internet research, and every site I have read has come to a different conclusion. It can be tricky to interpret Scripture, and I am far from an expert at it .
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team
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Spiritual: March 26, 2014 Issue [#6233]
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