Why Stewardship?
by
Jason Snape
Because someone has to.
Because others have.
Because others have, and their actions, words, effort, humility, selflessness and love inspire me.
Because I wonder if the goodness with which I try to live my life might
sneak into someone else’s life, and somewhere down the road make
a difference to everything.
Because it feels right.
Because it feels responsible.
Because it seems irresponsible not to.
Because it makes me smile, inside or outside, and give me the sense
that perhaps, just this once, I did exactly what needed to be done.
Because so many things have inexplicably worked out in my life.
Because for many, things never do.
Because I’ve not known poverty, hunger, violence, illness.
Because others have.
Because I hope that the love I share will be equal to the love I was shown.
Because I forget the exact sensation, the peace, satisfaction, hope,
and fulfillment that it gave me last time, and need to keep doing it
again and again.
Because it might be that one person, that one emotion, that one
experience that answers so many unanswered questions in my heart and
head.
Because we lead by example.
Because we’re capable of such beautiful and terrible things.
Because there is already more than enough apathy.
Because the sun will rise, the spring will come, the rain will fall
with or without us, and this is how we might become better benign.
Because I trust that, if only in my heart, this will shift things ever-so-slightly for the better.
Because it colors my world, my imagination; it fuels my words, speech, gestures, and art.
Because it’s looking inward and outward.
Because it helps me say thank you.
Because you never know.
Because you never know who will inspire you to greater things, or be inspired by you.
Because it’s part of me.
Because it transforms me.
Because it’s bigger than me.
Because of my failings.
Because I’ll be here just. Long. Enough.
Because I want to be the person I’m capable of being.
Because I probably will never get all my questions answered.
Because it will do more than whatever else I had planned for it.
Because I don’t quite know how else to repay the astonishing family of people all around me.
Because I can.
Because I can.
Because I can.
Jason Snape