Whatever You do

I am reminded of a quote from the Bible. Jesus said that whatever you do unto the least of these, my brethren, you do unto me. I have heard this quoted innumerable times. There is always great passion in the speaker. They tout the great rewards of doing good deeds. So, the listeners go their merry way, dropping a nickel in the cup or holding the door for someone and they feel quite important and part of a great plan. Jesus must surely be proud of them.

I remember high school. I do not have the fond memories that some carry into their older years. Rather, I remember the base behavior that seems to blossom during those years. Youth is allowed some leeway to be foolish and do dumb things. Time will surely bring wisdom and better behavior .

I have seen so much where human behavior is concerned. I have seen the ones who offer kindness and help. Sadly, they are not the majority. Okay, I take that back. I see plenty of “acts” of kindness.

There is a part of the quote that I mentioned that I do not often hear talked about. In fact, most that adopt any bits of wisdom from any book of knowledge seldom take the whole thing, rather they break off the bits that best serve them. Truth is something that is scattered, like bits of a puzzle. The powers that be do not want anyone to find all of those pieces and fit them back together lest their power be obliterated by that truth. One thing that I have learned is that sometimes the ones who crow the loudest about doing good acts are the ones whose hearts are the darkest.

I have taken from the Ethyrial Tarot © the Strength card for this article. Traditionally, we see a slight maiden taming a great beast. In this version, we see that the greatest strengths come from within and may not often be out there for the world to see. We also realize that not everything that we see is the truth.

Jesus said that if you do something to one of his brethren, you do it to him. While the feel-good prophets might use this to help you feel special, there is a piece to this puzzle that is often overlooked. Yes, if you are kind and generous to someone, you are being kind and generous to something higher than yourself. However, in the same vein, if you are unkind, cruel, or just plain petty to another human being, so too are you being unkind, cruel and petty to something higher than yourself. It is so easy to forget that the gate swings both ways.

You may have given five dollars to a charity and feel a great warmth inside. Yet, the moment that you said those cruel words to the person in the office, the moment that you made fun of someone else, the very second that you sowed the negative energy, you eliminated any good that you might have done.

Every act, whether positive or negative, leaves a ripple. Each ripple moves outward and touches countless lives before its energy finally dissipates. I know some people who are devout in their religion . They are kind to a select circle of people. They are giving to their children. Yet, when faced with anything that does not conform to their idea of what is good, they become monsters that work so hard to harm those non-conformists that you would think they were totally different people.

What I see is that in those moments of conflict is where someone’s character will show. Just like the Strength card, you do not see what is inside of the acorn, until it is worn by the weather, cracked by the stress, and finally the oak tree is born. Under pressure is where you will see the true nature of a person. Do they lash out and tear you to shreds? Or do they retain some dignity and remember that you are not to blame for their problems?

Who we are inside is what determines what our real self becomes. If you drop the dollar in the bucket and proceed to gossip about your neighbor, you have divulged your true nature. Self-awareness is a rare commodity. Few people actually see themselves as they really are or are willing to change anything about themselves. If you manage to see clearly in that mirror, you have the chance to create your own self-image if you choose. As human beings, we do have the ability to work on ourselves, change things that we do not like, and alter our behaviors.

Look at the Strength card again. Consider what you are and what you will become if nothing changes. If you are happy with what you are going to grow in to, you are blessed indeed. But, if you are like most people, there is always something that we can do to improve our life and how we treat others. Whatever you do unto the least of these, my brethren, you do unto me. Jesus did not mean that to be exclusive to good deeds. He meant it in all areas of your life. If you take his words to heart, you have to take them in full form. You do not get to see the entire picture until you have all the puzzle pieces in place. Choosing to use only some of the pieces leaves you with an incomplete view.

If you want to be an oak, plant an acorn. If you want corn you plant corn. You cannot plant poison ivy and reap roses. Consider that the next time you are tempted to say something unkind or do something petty and childish.