Are You Surprised?

The day is short and the work is great.

This might as well be the motto of any nonprofit. Time, money, resources-- they often seem to fall short of our goals for doing good. But our capacity to affect positive change and innovate is also threatened by something else:  indifference.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said this:

"morally speaking, there is not limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings, that indifference to evil is worse than evil itself, that in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible."

Marching from Selma to Montgomery, Heschel said, "I felt like my legs were praying."

The legwork can be daunting, but if we do not imbue our sweat with the nobility of believing we can make a difference, we risk indifference.

Heschel:

"I would say about individuals, an individual dies when he ceases to be surprised. I am surprised every morning when I see the sunshine again. When I see an act of evil, I'm not accommodated. I don't accommodate myself to the violence that goes on everywhere; I'm still surprised. That's why I'm against it, why I can hope against it. We must learn how to be surprised. Not to adjust ourselves. I am the most maladjusted person in society."

Poverty. Violence. The achievement gap. Racism. Teen pregnancy. Drug abuse. Are you surprised?

If you want to wake up surprised every day, consider taking action. Camp Fire Minnesota is hiring and we are looking for people who want to make a difference in a kid's life.

Job description can be found here. Please share with your community.

The day is short and the work is great.