by Ross Bishop
As a people, we tend to be self-focused. After all, life is a struggle where, if you are not careful, you can get trampled by the masses who are struggling for their own survival.
But what is that all about? Is life really so desperate and fragile that we cannot help the stranger who has fallen? Caring about someone near us is one thing, but who really cares about some starving kid in the Hindu Kush? There might be a faint pull on your heartstrings, but that’s easy to ignore. Yet that pull is significant.
To be fair, we have come a long way since I was a kid. When I was young, our interests were primarily local. We rarely heard about overseas events, whereas today what happens around the world is a part of our daily news. So where do we draw boundaries — or should we? That’s where things get a bit tricky.
For thousands of years, spiritual teachers such as the Buddha, Christ and Lao Tsu have urged us to consider all of humanity in our endeavors. Some individuals have heeded that advice, but they are comparatively few and remain isolated from the mainstream.
Instead, most people invest their energies in the capitalist system, a distinctly self-focused endeavor. Capitalism, morally bankrupt in itself, encourages individualistic values such as personal success and the accumulation of wealth at the expense of the rest of society. In the capitalistic system, “charity” is an afterthought, something to be doled out to minorities and cripples - the non-achievers in the capitalist system. “Socialism,” which spreads the benefits of society amongst the people, is considered anathema!
What gets lost in the equation is the price we pay for our self-centeredness. Conflict and war are the big losses. We don’t often make a direct connection between them, but if we were less self-centered and more compassionate, the strife and conflict that are the hallmarks of our society would be considerably lessened if not eliminated.
And we pay a very heavy price for our conflicts. As I look at the progression of wars since WWII, I have to ask what we really have accomplished with the huge expenditure of both our nation’s wealth (in $trillions) and the waste of many young lives in the wars in Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, Afghanistan and the current conflict with Iran?
What I am about to say won’t settle anything, but I ask you to consider, for example, the teachings of Christ as one of our great spiritual guides. I am not advocating Christianity here; I am just using teachings that you may be familiar with. Jesus spoke of:
HUMILITY
Every spiritual journey begins with an inner bankruptcy. To be humble means to accept a state of complete spiritual destitution, which is the opposite of the self-righteousness that characterizes the lives of most people today. This isn’t about material poverty but spiritual poverty. Along with it, humility brings openness and inner peace. Those who humble themselves can admit their fragility. The teachings tell us that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied.
MERCY
Mercy is the benevolent nature within us, and speaks to the compassionate feeling we have toward others, especially those who suffer. Love, empathy and mercy build strong, healthy relationships and lead to peace. This is expressed through grace — forgiving offenses, showing compassion to the suffering, and extending help to those in need.
FORGIVENESS
Being pure of heart means being free of selfish purposes and self-seeking motives. It’s the opposite of double-mindedness—the divided loyalty which tries to serve both man and lesser things. Forgiveness restores relationships and promotes healing through supporting one another with genuine care. Love strengthens unity and peace. It allows freedom. Forgiveness prevents despair and promotes healing. This encourages us to extend grace and help others heal.
It means first understanding what drives others to act as they do. We are reminded that letting go of offenses leads to peace. Forgiveness brings restoration. This encourages us to demonstrate forgiveness through action.
Forgiveness is not merely about helping a single individual, but about the health and unity of the entire civilization. Love in action strengthens community. By choosing to forgive, we not only promote healing but also safeguard against the schemes of the adversary, which thrives in division and discord.
MAKING PEACE
Peacemakers not only create peacefu lives for themselves, but they also work to share pease and friendship with others. However, we cannot give others what we do not possess, and therefore we must strive to achieve our own inner peace.
BEING CENSURED FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE
Living righteously in a fallen world inevitably brings opposition. It threatens the self-centered foundations around which our society has been built. It can sometimes even engender outright hostility, especially from those invested in a success-oriented society.
So, the question is, “Where are you?” Are you, like most of your neighbors, in self-serving life situations, or have you risen above that to encompass a wider view? Where were you when Trump cut food for children in Africa or drugs to fight malaria?
And this isn’t just about giving money and then closing the door. Where is your heart these days? Do you really understand, or even care about, what is happening for the infirm, the sick or the disabled? Is there someone in your neighborhood who needs help? Do you even know them? Are you part of the solution or the problem?
copyright@Blue Lotus Press 2026
