A young Thai boy is caught stealing painkillers in a marketplace. As the pharmacy attendant is furiously berating the child, a local food vendor approaches and soon realizes the boy’s mother is sick. What happens next in this video is an incredibly touching reminder of the power of compassion and giving.

It’s hard to watch this three-minute video without being touched. In one moment the daughter goes from owing a lot of money for medical expenses and being forced to sell the family business – to having all expenses paid-in-full as a result of a past kindness. That one little act of charity thirty years earlier changed everyone’s life.

Yet how frequently do we miss opportunities to extend thoughtfulness and kindness? How often are we caught up bemoaning what was done to us, losing yet another occasion to ask instead, “How can I see this through the eyes of empathy?”

Charity is a way of perceiving the perfection of another even if you cannot perceive it in yourself. (T-2.V.9)

Likewise, we learn in A Course in Miracles that while we may perceive ourselves (and others) as sinful, there is no debt we owe, no judgment or punishment awaiting us, no original iniquity requiring atonement or absolution. Rather, our perception is wrong.

From the right minded thought-system of the holy spirit, we recognize that we are all part of the one sonship, wholly sinless, and unconditionally loved. Join us in Monday’s class where we will explore these concepts of charity, empathy, and giving – and how we can see everyone as a reflection of ourselves. I look forward to seeing you then.