Eight Billion Points of Light

I watched in horror as images of a girl’s elementary school in Iran, destroyed by US military missiles, flashed by on the New York Times website.

If you are a parent, your absolute worst nightmare, the most excruciating thing that could ever happen to you, would be to lose your precious child.

Some families lost multiple children in that attack.

I was filled with rage as I was presented with evidence that my country had just killed over 130 children. (I almost wrote “innocent children,” but that would have been redundant, wouldn’t it?). 

When my rage had been replaced with grief and disbelief, I began thinking about each child. I imagined their faces, their laughter, their buoyant spirits. I started talking with them as if they were the children I once taught.

“I’m so sorry; you didn’t deserve this. You were priceless, and you still are.”

Against the backdrop of these faces, a magnificent blue sphere, made of glass, appeared. It was covered with eight billion points of light, one for each soul on this planet.

One of the children, a little girl, emerged from behind the sphere and asked me an unusual question.

“Which point of light is the most important, the most beautiful?”

Confused, I replied, “They are all beautiful - how do I choose?”

The child responded,

“You can’t, and you can’t choose the most important one either. Each light is unique. Each one adds to the radiance of the entire sphere. Remove one light and the whole sphere dims.”

I was beginning to understand.

Each of those points of light represented a human being on this planet. No point of light was brighter than another nor more essential. Each life was miraculous. When that missile struck that school, 130 of those lights were extinguished.

We all suffered because we all live on that sphere.

Gazing at the sparkling blue sphere, I asked the child, “Were you in that school?”

She nodded yes.

“I want to do something to honor you and your friends, but I feel helpless. I am so angry about what happened to you and your friends. I do not want to respond to violence with violence. Help me. What can I do?”

The little girl stood there, with tears rolling down her dusty face. She looked like a fragile street urchin.

“Be kind. When you choose kindness, it spreads to those around you. The lights on the sphere begin to shine more brightly. At first, only a few. But in time, thousands are touched.”

And then she added something unexpected…

“It takes courage to be kind when others would seek revenge, hatred, and brutality.”

Were those the words of a child?

No, they were not. They were the words of a child who no longer walks among us. They were the words of grace, humility, and compassion, spoken by a transcendental being. Words spoken by a child who no longer suffers.

A few hours later, while walking into a local store, I met a young man and woman standing outside. Their jackets were emblazoned with “Child Fund International.” I stopped to talk.

For as little as about $40 per month, I could sponsor a child in one of dozens of countries. The little girl’s words began to echo through my soul.

“Be kind, be courageous.”

I took out my phone and researched Child Fund International and discovered that it is a world-class charity. This was not a scam.

On the spot, I selected an eleven-year-old girl in Ethiopia to sponsor. A bright shining light on our blue sphere. 

I no longer felt helpless.

I could think of no better way to respond to the horrible deaths of 130 children than to pour my love and money into a child. I encourage you to do the same.

If you feel helpless in the face of senseless violence, please consider supporting a child through Child Fund International. I have included links to their website below and to Charity Navigator’s evaluation of Child Fund International.

If you are seeking courage in your life, take a moment and subscribe to this newsletter. As a sign of my appreciation, I will send you:

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An 8-step system for building courage in the arena of life.

Be kind, be courageous.