Things Not Seen

"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise..."
- Hebrews 11:39

* * *

My friend and neighbor, John K. died on Friday afternoon, November 11. And when I heard the news about 6:30pm that evening, I was devastated. Yes, he had been unwell for a while. Yes, he had in the past recovered from worse afflictions and bounced back to good health. It was however, different this time around.

* * *

The Bible calls us to hope. To persevere, and have faith in things not seen..

"They were living by faith when they died," Scripture tells us. "They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on Earth."

This is how President Obama began his remarks in Eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney who among others, was gunned down in a mass shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

* * *

John died of meningitis.

In worldly, materialistic terms, he died at the worst possible time. Having known the guy for more than a decade, this year was to be his best.

He had recently built a very nice house but had only occupied it for less than a month. For the first time in years, the guy had good cash running into some million shillings in the bank. He was looking at very steady, recurrent income for years to come.

All the planning and execution of grand plans that the guy had made in the last two or three years was only now beginning to bear fruit. In our view, 'huyu jamaa sasa alikuwa amefika.'

But all that was not to be.

* * *

Speaking with my sister about John's death, we explored the place of hope and making long-term plans when death can - in an instant - take it all away. Winni opined that much as there are no guarantees that we'll see another day, we each have a reason to hope. And to willfully do good things that will most likely benefit others.

The thing about not knowing when one will die is what makes life pretty interesting.

We know of people who have given up on life and extravagantly spent up all their money with the belief that they'll die in a few years... Only to live for decades in self-afflicted misery.
We also know of people who pass on at the prime of their career, or just after seemingly 'making it' in life.

This is because each one of us is subject to his or her own timeline in this life. In my view, much of what we do in this life is in fact meant to benefit us for a while, and others for much longer.

* * *
 
I have this poem that I make sure to share soon after I make a new friend:

"Each day is a new beginning,
Another chance to learn more about ourselves,
And to care more about others."

It is true that life offers no guarantees. But we can shape an uncertain future through our words and deeds. We can ensure we continue to have an impact after we die. We can continue to live for years if we seize the day and selflessly do things that will, long after we are gone, benefit others. 

Why do Good People Walk Away?

Altruism is defined as the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. In other words, it is the behaviour of something that benefits another at its own expense.
Altruistic persons stand in harm's way for others. Call it taking one for the team, etc.

We have looked at altruism in the past, on The Walkabout. Today, we seek to find out if altruism in in fact absolutely unconditional.

Naturally, good people are expected to do good to others without expecting anything in return. These are the people who will free their time for you, whereas every person else attends to you in his or her free time.

But why do people stand in the gap for others in the first place?

People will help either because it distresses them to see another person in trouble, or because they actually empathize.
It is worth noting at this point that altruism, and deeds borne out of empathy should not be irrevocably harmful. In other words, while there is always a cost to genuine empathic acts, it should not be fatal, or altogether damaging.

Otherwise, it becomes mindless altruism.


Truly Unconditional?

Is it then possible to continue doing good in perpetuity, or are good things dependent on something?
In the Bible, God is portrayed as eternally loving, with his kindness enduring forever.

For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endureth for ever, And his faithfulness unto all generations.
- Psalm 100:5 (ASV)

Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
- Psalm 136:1 (ASV)

But there is a caveat. You cannot continue doing what you please and expect Him to not do something about it. The following is just one of the things awaiting those who do not live according to the will of God.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
- Romans 1: 18-21 (KJV) 


I'll take vengeance on them, punishing them severely in my anger. They'll know that I am the LORD when I take my vengeance on them.
- Ezekiel 25:17 (ISV)

God may be all-knowing and all-good, but He expects something in return.



It's Only Human


Human beings, too, are not far-removed from this. Even the most generous and benevolent among us wish to see some return for extending a helping hand, for investing emotionally or materially in another person's woes and hence saving the day. 
Appreciation is at the top of what is naturally expected of those who are assisted.

As depicted in the top graphic, reciprocity both encourages more good acts and enhances cordiality.

Creating meaning is another thing that any good person would hope for. 
Nobody wants to do meaningless acts, no matter how good they are. No person would be happy to dig up holes, only to fill them with soil even if there is pay attached to the act. A person in such a situation will feel used, as a means to a meaningless and demeaning end.


The Deal Breaker

Human nature is such that people are mostly predisposed to abuse privilege. Many people, after getting what they want, mostly indulge.

A common problem those who set out to help others often experience is the unrealistic demands and a sense of entitlement that quickly develops in those being assisted. At this point, favors are now seen as responsibilities of the part of the giver. Unwarranted demands are placed on those who opted to help out of the kindness of their hearts. To a point where the same needy persons will become vengeful if help is delayed or no longer forthcoming.

When good people are taken advantage of and they do nothing about it, they endure the same thing that happened to a certain Arab in this Aesop's fable:





Faced with such a situation, a good man will say enough is enough and hit the road. No sane person would tolerate the insolence of ungrateful souls whose primacy is in taking advantage, abusing privilege and developing an unnecessary and inappropriate self of entitlement.

In some circumstances, it is always advisable to let go, learn the lesson and move on.


* * *

Sometimes, it becomes necessary to walk . . .

Life after Pete

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

- Nelson Henderson.

Better and more frequent posts, thanks to you

I haven't posted on The Walkabout for a while. In fact, I at some point considered pulling down the entire blog and concentrating on other stuff such as writing books, my design business and farming related activities.
As I kept postponing the deletion of this blog, I realized that I often keep reading many of the posts I wrote back in the day. Some of these posts date back to as far as 2009, but their worth remains timeless and profound.

A case in point is this post about Gratitude, Generosity and Altruism, written back in July 2010. These are character traits that every person of goodwill can only aspire to. Admittedly, they remain ideals in my life, but I still try.

 
Anyways, I eventually decided NOT to shut down The Walkabout. It has insights that need not be obliterated, and my page views still show that people visit the blog every now and then from diverse locations across the world. The Walkabout should continue existing for reasons much bigger than myself.
All in all, posting will indeed continue on The Walkabout and with your support, we shall all continue to learn, share and grow on The Walkabout.

Beyond Pete

Lately, I have been thinking about what I'd love to outlive me.
Well, for many people, one's life is considered "not-wasted" when they leave offspring, regardless of what genetic maladies are propagated or how dysfunctional a family this might comprise. For others still, properties irrespective of how ill-gotten the wealth may have been, and political positions regardless of how bloody and damaging to others the rise to the top was... that is how badly modern society considers a "life well lived" to be.

For this reason, we praise rich criminals during their funerals, celebrate the misleading influence of powerful politicians and adore corrupt businessmen who routinely embezzle public funds.

I live on a small farm and right outside my house are about a dozen cypress trees which elicit everyone's admiration for the expensive, high quality timber they have. The trees were planted back in 1959 by my father and it is I, my siblings and my first cousins who are now using the timber to meet our construction needs.

Consequently, and in gratitude for these trees, I have been planting over a hundred trees on this farm, not with the intention of eventually benefiting from them, but those who come after me. Future generations should find some trees to use just as I have.

In remembrance

The above example of trees is quite literal, but I now extend my argument to an area that has more impact, with a far-reaching, enduring influence.

My life is greatly shaped by what I read. Reading what I consider valuable for going beyond mere entertainment leaves me better informed, as I benefit from other people's experiences, the writer's opinions and their now-shared knowledge which is published for posterity.

After I am gone, I don't want to be remembered for all the wealth I had, or the kids I might leave. I don't want mine to be a legacy of material things which will only benefit, maybe even damage a few. I want to leave a legacy of boundless influence that will continue to elicit debate, shape opinion and change perceptions. Something that will far outlive me and those around me, something that will continue to enlighten, entertain and edify for all time. I therefore purpose to hold open doors into a better life for others, and what better way than through my writing?

As a writer, it is my intention to leave a legacy of writing that adds value. Writing that makes you have an "AHA moment" or otherwise leaves you much better and edified than when you started.
The books 'Counting Down the Days' 'When the Deal is too Good...' and 'Meditations in an Emergency' will be globally available on Amazon soon. Afterwards, it is my stated objective to publish at least once every year, a book that explores the human condition.

In the meantime, we continue to share insight, inspiration and self discovery stories on The Walkabout.

Finally, someone has helpfully expounded our Nelson Henderson lead quote:

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. Be a tree, give fruits, flowers, shade to others without expecting anything from others. Whatever you want from others first you have to give that to others. Whatever you give to others, you will be given in return. If you give love, respect to others then surely you will be given love and respect from others. Thats why we should learn to give good things to others.

Have a great day guys!

 

 

 

The Need to Play Your Part

Only when we simultaneously play our respective roles do we collectively become a whole that's more than the sum of its parts.

As I was reading Andrew Brown's piece titled 'Why life without faith is impossible' on the Guardian's Comment is Free yesterday, I was reminded of just how much we depend on one another for our lives to be complete.

We are highly interdependent, we simply cannot get everything done all by ourselves. Functional societies and communities exist when each member proceeds to his own duty with a trust that the other members will simultaneously do theirs.

Giiving it further thought, I asked myself how then, in spite of the roles others play to enhance our lives, we still fail to achieve common purpose.

How the Minority Defeats the Majority

Ironically, the few usually control the many. All over the world, a small minority controls the bulk of the wealth, a small band of thugs can terrorize an entire neighborhood, and most importantly, a very small number of politicians can run down an entire country.

Even when faced with a common danger, one person is still able to manipulate many others as happened in House of 9.

Imagine a hostage situation. A bus carrying over sixty passengers is hijacked by five thugs, armed with crude weapons.
How are these thugs able to control these passengers who outnumber them by a ratio that's greater than 1:12?
According to Andrew Brown, the passengers are easily defeated thanks to the following:

because the highwaymen [thugs] can count on one another, while each passenger fears that if he makes a movement of resistance, he will be shot before any one else backs him up.

The Magic of Teamwork

Teamwork, we all know, works by dividing the effort and multiplying the effect. In other words, when we each do a little more, we all do a lot more.

That said however, there are reasons why we do not fully exploit the spirit of teamwork:

1. We are mostly self-seeking. With every person for himself, nobody does that which will benefit others. We are not altruistic.


2. We refuse to stand in harm's way or take the fall, for the sake of others. Very few are unwilling to take one for the team. Nobody is willing to sacrifice anything for others.


3. Unlike the thugs in the aforementioned example, we lack the assurance that others will watch our backs. There is no motivation to look out for others as well.

Playing Our Roles

The need to play our roles in life cannot be gainsaid. Whereas it may not be very clear to us, what we do invariably has an effect on others. Sometimes, this effect is both far reaching and long lasting.

The onus is therefore upon us to make sure that we do the needful in life, because only then can altruism and sacrifice have true meaning. Go ahead and play your role, no matter how irrelevant and insignificant it may seem. It all starts with you.

Gratitude, Generosity and Altruism

Last week, I took time to take a fearless and searching inventory of my life. This was largely necessitated by my birthday [I was born on July 05].

More than my birthday, July usually marks the beginning of a fiscal year. I wanted to align the end of several things with the end of June, and the commencement of several others with the beginning of July.
That said, I realized that the easiest way to do all this was to focus on the past, the present and the future.

The Past

"Let the giving of thanks be your sacrifice to God, and give to the Almighty all that you promised."

- Psalm 50:14

Looking back, I realize that mine is indeed a blessed life. Whereas I deliberately avoid comparing myself with others, I never lose sight of the fact that I am immensely blessed.
Whenever I feel like I am inadequate in some small way, I am quickly reminded that I do have that which I currently possess for a reason.

God has abundantly supplied all my needs, therefore I do not want. He has provided all that I need. As I go about life, I realize that the more content I am, the more I have peace of mind to attain my mandate and better appropriate my place in this world.


The Present

I firmly believe that we live so that we can positively affect others. These others may refer to other people, our environment, our work place, animals under our care and much more. Many have postulated that the "here" and "now" is called the present because it is indeed a gift.

Gifts are things we get, but do not necessarily deserve. In view of this, the least we can do to pay homage to our creator for the present is to simply see it as an opportunity to add value. In my life, I have come to realize that by being generous in life, you lose nothing. In fact, being generous opens the way to blessings.


The Future

With growth comes change. Having appreciated my past, and living the present in the best way I know how, I actively seek a way of living that'll ensure I'm happy, satisfied and more than this, fulfilled in life. Looking through my Bible, I came across Romans 12. In my mind, this chapter basically lays down the way to altruistic living. Following is the entire text in Romans 12.

Rom 12:1  I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.
Rom 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but continually be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is-what is proper, pleasing, and perfect.
Rom 12:3  For by the grace given to me I ask every one of you not to think of yourself more highly than you should think, rather to think of yourself with sober judgment on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you.
Rom 12:4  For we have many parts in one body, but these parts do not all have the same function.

Rom 12:5  In the same way, even though we are many people, we are one body in Christ and individual parts connected to each other.
Rom 12:6  We have different gifts based on the grace that was given to us. So if your gift is prophecy, use your gift in proportion to your faith.
Rom 12:7  If your gift is serving, devote yourself to serving others. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching others.
Rom 12:8  If it is encouraging, devote yourself to encouraging others. If it is sharing, share generously. If it is leading, lead enthusiastically. If it is helping, help cheerfully.
Rom 12:9  Your love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Rom 12:10  Be devoted to each other with mutual affection. Excel in showing respect for each other.
Rom 12:11  Never be lazy in showing such devotion. Be on fire with the Spirit. Serve the Lord.
Rom 12:12  Be joyful in hope, patient in trouble, and persistent in prayer.
Rom 12:13  Supply the needs of the saints. Extend hospitality to strangers.
Rom 12:14  Bless those who persecute you. Keep on blessing them, and never curse them.
Rom 12:15  Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Cry with those who are crying.
Rom 12:16  Live in harmony with each other. Do not be arrogant, but associate with humble people. Do not think that you are wiser than you really are.
Rom 12:17  Do not pay anyone back evil for evil, but focus your thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people.
Rom 12:18  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with all people.
Rom 12:19  Do not take revenge, dear fiends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord."
Rom 12:20  But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him. For if he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will pile burning coals on his head."
Rom 12:21  Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

A Life well Lived

In view of the foregoing, it is my hope that I'll live a worthwhile life. I do believe that my best days are ahead of me, so this shouldn't be a problem if I do the needful.

* * *