To share a book or a disc or a file: Look! See! Listen! Do you know what this object is? It is the finished product of so much work, these few hundred pages of story, this half-hour of music, this 90-minute film — someone had a story to tell, an argument to make, a desire to inspire and encourage and motivate, and here is what they created. Now dropped into a pile or stacked lovingly on a shelf, each of these objects is a time bomb waiting to be rediscovered and set off again in a willing brain with a ready heart.
Do you know how many millions of things are out there waiting to be found, and what fabulous good can be done when they are? The literal wisdom of the ages in our hands — an explosion of the greatness and vision and passion — people who overcame personal doubt and uncertainty and wrote down the thoughts and stories and dared to go forth and say, “See here! I need to share this with you. I think it’s important.”
And this here — this book, this music, this film — these words — this vision — this greatest story told so well —
See here. Don’t look there, and don’t be afraid. See what I’ve found, or rather see what I’ve rediscovered. The guy who wrote Ecclesiastes was full of despair because everything ends and comes to dust, and he concluded that means it’s all meaningless, but in the transitory and the inevitable ending is where the meaning is. In a world where all things must pass, the best use of that precious time is to be kind, seek out the good, care and share the wealth of knowledge and wisdom.
Fire not the flames of hatred and anger and despair. Spark the heat of hope and compassion and understanding. Offer the open hand of friendship, not the fist, the plowshare, not the sword. Life is short enough without hastening death.
All these thousands of creations, and that’s just in this one house — the books, the albums, the films, the TV shows — all of them promises against the darkness, declarations of “See here! This is important and I want to give it to you —” Souls sharing what they’ve learned for your delight and inspiration, and you may find this sort of collection in million of homes, likely yours, too — shouts against the darkness wherever darkness may turn.