Each person who contributes in any way to the welfare of the human race benefits from the feeling of usefulness and purpose that enriches his or her spirit , and anyone who actually gets help in some tangible , appreciable way can enjoy the blessings of spiritual life in the thought and affection embodied in it .
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with profound disabilities in nursing homes or special-care facilities . There are convicted felons who will spend the rest of their earthly days in frightening prisons . There are people who have been horribly abused – not to mention those who hurt themselves by being abusive . And there are people who suffer from acute pain , confusion , depression , mental illness or plain , old-fashioned sin . What is the value and purpose of life on earth for these people ?
If we only think materially about these cases we won ’ t get much satisfaction . We might even be inclined to favor euthanasia . But if we think spiritually a new perspective comes into focus .
First , we need the experience of life in this world to provide the sensory input that allows each one of us to develop a unique perspective based on a unique set of circumstances . Whether we are rich or poor , healthy
Each person who contributes in any way to the welfare of the human race benefits from the feeling of usefulness and purpose that enriches his or her spirit , and anyone who actually gets help in some tangible , appreciable way can enjoy the blessings of spiritual life in the thought and affection embodied in it .
or sick , whole or disabled , the sense impressions we take in create a bank of memories that will serve us to all eternity – not that the memories define us , but what we do with them does .
Secondly , as challenging as they are , our disabilities can help us recognize the spiritual value of life in the world by limiting and directing our attention to specific challenges and to the people whose love and wisdom can help us deal with them . As for facing disabilities in others , the value for us is to inspire understanding , compassion and material consideration , which often means spending time or money unselfishly , a choice and a discipline we all need to learn .
Something similar applies when we suffer from abuse , persecution , crime , sickness , deprivation , and so on – not to make light of any of this , but if we have a heart and can let go of our resentment or anger we can learn to be compassionate toward others who have suffered similar things , and even to become advocates for them in the public forum . In the end no one is as effective at helping someone in distress as another person who has suffered
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