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> For me at least, the answer to this is simple: Hope. The hope that this attitude of caring and trying to do the right thing *will* make a difference, if even a slight one, and slowly make the world a better place to live in.
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> I know that there are many problems in the world today. I know that there are many who simply do not care and do not know right from wrong. I know that it would take an eternity to give so many, many people the ability care, the ability to know both good and evil.

I don't know that it's always or even often the lack of ability, that makes people uncaring; or that they don't neccesarily know the difference between good and evil. Some people just prefer to chose evil. You can educate them all you want, they can possess the intellectual or emotional capability to care, but they just don't *want* to.

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> I know that it can be saddening to think of the problems with the world and it can be quite pychologically exhausting, especially considering how powerless we seem to be to do anything major about it. But always remember that just by belonging to the caring group and knowing both good and evil yourself, you are already making a difference. For that's one less person in the world who doesn't care, and one more person in the world who does. And that, I believe, is enough to keep my on the harder path; enough to give me hope for the world.

The problem is, though, is that the "caring group" and the "uncaring group" aren't static card-carrying entities that always fight for one side. I'm nice to old people, children, and dogs, but I've also been known to be mean, lazy, spiteful, envious, rude, dopey, grumpy, and sleepy. And, so have you. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23 [oh, you *knew* I was going to throw in a Bible verse ;-)] And yet, we're both caring people, right? Aren't we the "good guys"?

Problem is, we're not "good enough" guys. I agree that *hope* is important for us to keep going, but it must be based on a firm foundation. I don't want to base my hope on a bunch of other people trying to do good in the world, because I know they are just like me. I know that though I'm usually well intentioned, I'm also inconsistent, unwise, ineffective--and so are they. Not a firm foundation. I would rather place my hope in an eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and *powerful* God and in His Christ, who won't neglect doing the right thing just because, for instance, blood sugar is running low, or it was a bad day at work.
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koalamom