By Rob Rohrbough
Text from Psalm 37:1
1 (A Psalm of David.) Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Several years ago there was a popular Jackie DeShannon song, “What the World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love”. Is it love that we need? Or is it something else?
Kingdoms rise and fall, sometimes based on the love affairs of their royalty. A major example is the love affair that started World War I. The Chief of Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Army, General Conrad von Hoetzendorf loved a married Italian aristocrat named Virginia (“Gina”) von Reininghaus. According to Wikipedia, this tumultuous relationship “may have vicariously contributed to his prewar obsession with launching a preventive war against Italy and Serbia. Indeed, it may have contributed to the outbreak of the First World War, given Austria’s pivotal role in the conflict.”
In his 1937 movie classic, Frank Capra directed the film version of the James Hilton novel, Lost Horizon. The story centered around the mythical community of Shangri-La. There were no police but yet no crime.
The hero, British diplomat Robert Conway, was mysteriously kidnapped. He was on an Eastbound plane flight from the Chinese town of Baskul to Shanghai, where he would board a ship to London. Instead, the plane was diverted West to the Himalayan Mountains where it crashed, killing the pilot. The five passengers were convinced they would die in this barren, wintery waste. Magically, a group of locals, led by a man known as “Chang”, appeared out of nowhere and guided them to the mythical land of Shangri-La.
Shangri-La was the picture of tranquility. This paradise had a secret to its success. The High Lama explained that it was “Based on one simple rule: Be Kind”. He envisioned a future time, “When that day comes, it is our hope that the brotherly love of Shangri-La will spread throughout the world! Yes, my son. When the strong have devoured each other, the Christian ethic may at last be fulfilled, and the meek shall inherit the Earth.”
Can we not see that principle in our own daily lives?
The famous Irish tenor, Ronan Tynan, performed for a flag “unveiling” to help the city of Omaha celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary. A couple of decades ago I took my late wife to see Dr. Tynan perform at the Holland Center. After the concert we waited with many others for an autograph. When it was our turn, my dear Louise, who was suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s, picked up one of the silver markers he was using to autograph his dark colored CD covers. When she went to pick up a second marker, he not only let her have it, he handed her another! This big man explained that his mother had Alzheimer’s. He had given up a career in medicine to take care of her!
I never will forget his kindness that evening! What experiences in your life reveal the kindness needed for our world to flourish?