Last night two things happened that put me into a thoughtful, pensive mood that made me reflect on my own life and who I have been, and who I wish to be. The first was that we once again moved our clocks out of Daylight time and into Standard time.  This by itself made me aware of the passage of time and that no one has a guarantee of the length of time we will be here on this earth, and how we must make the most of every day we are given, perfecting our intentions, and living up to our own expectations of ourselves. The second was that I had the privilege of attending a gala awards banquet, held in honor of two men who have spent much of their lives giving of themselves without thought of being honored, without expectation of awards, but simply stated, because it was the right thing to do.

 The teaching and the examples in the homes in which each of the honorees grew up, far from the ease and advantages that we enjoy in the United States of liberty and democracy, taught them something that many of us have come to call “giving back”. But for these men, they were not giving anything back, they were taking the lead in the face of difficult circumstances to, care for the people of their communities, to advance the cause of humanity and culture, and to do the right thing. Both men are refugees from countries where they were no longer welcome after their families had lived there for generations. Both found ways to help their communities in their native lands in the face of oppression and real threat.  One was still a child, and the other a man with a family to support, and yet, both chose the same path—one of service and generosity to his fellow man. I was filled with admiration and gladness that the communities here in Los Angeles found a way to recognize their ongoing contributions to humanity. I was filled with hope for the future that these men, who hold themselves to a lofty standard of service, are the patriarchs of large families who are obviously filled with love for them, stand as examples to the generations that will follow, so that the seed of the idea that service is a worthy standard, will fall on fertile soil, and that there will be a field to harvest in the future as well.

The particulars of the deeds that the two honorees of last night’s gala have done are of special interest in these days when greed is being protested on the steps of state capitols, and indeed at the steps of the federal government. They are of interest not even because of the amount of work and generosity that has been involved over long periods of time.  They are of special interest because the acts and their results are the outcomes of a way of thinking and dealing with the world. 

One of the gentlemen is a doctor who, we were told, did not turn away a person in need who did not have the ability to pay for his care. His kindness and devotion to people shine out from his face in his smile. The other gentleman, having the advantage of being educated in the United States, did not have the added burden of learning the language of his adopted country, retaking examinations in a new language, and the attendant repetition of internships and the like, but he had another burden. He could have gone the way of most college grads who worked so hard to get ahead, and start a business with no thought of service until many years of success are behind them. But, here was a young man who, when he began his business with a partner, laid out that service to the community was to be a part and parcel of that business. I know, because I have served in a small way with this man, how much of his time and energy go into the service he takes so seriously. He is unstinting with his time and his knowledge, and I just know that he must have one of those “time turners” that Hermoine Granger used to such great advantage in the Harry Potter series, because a man with just 24 hours to spend each day could not get as much done as this man of many talents.

The two honorees have something else beside service and generosity in common that is not at all surprising. These are men to whom prayer is neither foreign nor haphazard. It is the stuff of every day life, and it does not matter to whom one prays, but that prayer and reflection and attention to the words of those who are wiser and who came before us are worth our consideration as a guide to how we should conduct our lives.

My admiration runneth over. I am honored to be personally acquainted with these honorees, and it was my pleasure to help celebrate them. Their intentions for themselves are high, indeed, and it makes me wonder if I have set my own bar too low.

So, now that I have shared with you something about what I am thinking this early morning, I am also thinking that we all have an extra hour to spend today.  How are you going to spend yours?