I just wanted to share a quick thought that has been on my mind lately. I’ve really been struggling with thinking about social inequality over the past week. I struggle with the idea that the context you are born into determines your ability to access basic education and healthcare, your ability to provide food, shelter and security for your family and often your lack of ability to change any of these things. I think privilege can be a difficult thing because we often don’t recognize it unless we don’t have it. The more I think about the extremes in social inequities, the larger and more complex the system becomes and the smaller I feel.
When I think about what any of us can do to the the world a better place, socially, politically, economically or environmentally, it seems like a drop in the ocean. I spent a good part of my evening last week reflecting and praying on this idea and then a poem popped into my head that my friend shared with me earlier this year, and it refined my outlook on this situation.
I hope you enjoy it.
As I walked along the seashore
This young boy greeted me.
He was tossing stranded starfish
back to the deep blue sea
I said, “Tell me why you bother,
why waste your time this way?
There’s a million stranded starfish,
does it matter, anyway?”
And he said, “It matters to this one.
it deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one,
I can’t save them all I know.
But it matters to this one,
I’ll return it to this sea.
It matters to this one,
And it matters to me”
~ Author Unknown
