I once asked a clergy member the question of whether angels existed, goose bumps covering my skin as I related some poignant stories I had heard. He smiled at my superstition, patted me on the shoulder and said, "Eric, it doesn't matter whether angels are spiritual beings or not. They are real. Angels can be you, or me, or the person down the street. They can be anyone. We never know when we're called to make a difference in someone else's life."
The minister's words ring true. More people believe in angels than God because there are real angels in this world, and they're at work every single day. Angels are you and I when we go out and make a difference. A few years ago, my friend John learned first-hand just how true this is.
John was canvassing door to door when he came upon an old lady whose lawn was covered in over two feet of leaves. He'd never seen so many leaves piled up before, and he realized that this little old lady couldn't do much about it. So the next day, without being asked, he returned with a few friends and raked up all the leaves. The lady was astonished and offered to pay them, but John and his friend refused. They never even told the lady their names. They simply cleaned up her lawn and left.
As they were preparing to leave, the lady broke down into tears. She told them how lonely she was living in this little house, how her nearest relatives lived nearly six hours away and how she couldn't keep up the lawn anymore by herself. She even mentioned how she had been praying for a miracle, and now, here it was. John and his friends couldn't have known when they decided to rake up those leaves what a difference they would make in that lady's life. They didn't know how lonely she was and how much she was in need of help. They had no idea she had been praying for a miracle, but for that lady, these students who showed up one day, raked her leaves, refused to take payment and never gave her their names, must have seemed like genuine angels. I like to think that John and his friends made a difference that day. Their little deed was the type of thing that could wipe away the lady's loneliness. Such a deed may very well have restored her faith in humanity.
Which brings us back to angels and ourselves. John is no angel, at least not literally, but for at least one day, he played an important role in that woman's life. In "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff," Richard Carlson has a chapter entitled "Practice Random Acts of Kindness." He tells of Chicago motorists who, when paying their toll, also pay the toll of the car behind them. Imagine if you pull up to the tollbooth and are told not to worry about it because the car in front of you has already paid. What kind of effect will that have on you; how will that change your attitude for the day?
Humans believe in angels because every now and then some random person, with no selfish motive, does something kind for them. Are we so cynical that we think only supernatural creatures can behave this way? Imagine how great life would be if we all practiced random acts of kindness.
You don't need to rake leaves for hours to make a difference in someone's life. It's the little things that matter. You never know what kind of difficulties a person is facing and what a difference your little act might have. Even such a small thing as smiling and saying hello can brighten a person's day. Try it. You'll see what I mean.
What would happen if we all behaved this way? How would life be different at Amherst? Can you imagine the change we could affect in this community and beyond if we all approached life trying to be an angel to someone else? What would we do for people's attitudes? And since attitudes are contagious, how would that good cheer spread to others? If we were to live life with this outlook, we might have a virtual revolution on our hands. Why don't we find out? There's no time like the present.