And we think we have problems

This picture shows Rohingya found at sea lnguishing at a temporary refugee camp in Myanmar.  They are obviously thirsty and getting water the only way possible at the time.  And we think we have problems. 

This picture appeared on my Facebook and I was just struck by it.  I was so taken not just by the horror of human desperation it depicts but by the utter humanity it shows us.  So I searched for its origin and found it came with a line from the Dalai Lama: 
"No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster."
How true!  Then I also think of the line from Mathhew 25 - "I was thirsty and you gave me to drink". 

Being here with Caritas, I have become in an unplanned way a little cog in a big wheel that is turning to help stranded Rohingya stuck in the south of Thailand.  It is one of those challenges in life where you just value what you can do and appreciate that something done is better than nothing tried.  You just do something for the sake of humanity and for the sake of one's very own humanity.  I don't wish to proceed down an expected line of discussion here but rather highlight one simple part of my experience in trying to further assistance for these poor people. 

I was at a Caritas Asia conference last week where I facilitated a discussion on their situation.  As a result, I became recognized as the resident expert on the topic which I am not.  The real experts are those down in the south of Thailand giving out the food and water and offering the accommodation.  Anyway, as the point person at the conference, I was asked what is being done to help to which I naturally replied:
"Instead of asking questions, how about volunteering to do something?"
At this time in proceedings of the conference, there had been no one new coming forward to actually do something to help.  These inspired few words raised a welcome response as now there are a team of volunteers acting in our little corner of the world to do something.   

It just upholds my theory that you don't need the big project, the big money to do good.   A few simple and spontaneous words from the heart can have as much an impact for good as any amount of money or as any sophisticated plan for action.