In these challenging times when we are faced with stigmas, insecurities, violent crimes, separated families, teenage pregnancies and suicides at an alarming rate, gender inequality, fear and terror, endangered animal species and destruction to their habitat, we come to terms with the reality of how life has changed compared to a long time ago. 

If you look around, society as a whole has started making efforts to save and preserve what we have. Restaurant food chains have a theme on: “Skip the straw.”  Supermarkets have been aggressively promoting eco-bags. Communities have started teaching the people in the barrios  how to properly segregate trash and recycle what is reusable and reducing waste materials.  There are now projects in areas of refilling stations for shampoos to reduce the one-time use of plastics as containers. 

At the Parish where I am a regular attendee, more youth have been participating in the different community formations. Suicidal persons have rekindled their love for life.  A teacher saved a mentally unstable student from shooting someone and to seek help instead.  There are now more visitors to the Blessed Sacrament.  

A relationship on the brink of separation joined a couples seminar to work it out. Good, loving couples still get married.  People still respect and believe in the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony.  Seeing elderly couples still very much in love, loving and caring for each other gives hope to the younger generation that love is possible.  In a world full of doubt, hypocrisy and fake people, real and true love can still be found.  We still believe love can be genuine.

It all starts with one human being.  One who can show how it is to love and care for animals can make a big impact in encouraging others to do the same.  One who can tame somebody’s anger can start a positive chain of reaction to be nice to each other and to be at least, civil.  One who can begin showing someone to smile once more after going through hurtful things, can give new hope to brighter times ahead.  

One inspiring word can build a child’s self-esteem and continue to strive for his dreams.  One who can do a little act of saving the environment can have a ripple effect to saving Earth.  There’s still hope.  We can function as one entity to create a better society that cares and shares love.  As Jesus extends His hand to a man hanging on the edge, a life saved can become the light of hope we need to save someone’s world.