Act!
Like people around the world, you’ve probably
heard about the incredible damage done by the tsunami
that hit various countries in South Asia and East Africa.
(For an interactive map which both shows and gives information
on the various countries that were affected, click
here and click on “Map of Damage” in
the right hand column.)
It’s common to feel helpless and sad when hearing
about so many people suffering. None of us can fix this
terrible situation, but all of us can do some little
bit. Perhaps you and your friends or UU group would
like to have a fundraiser to send money to help the
victims. There are, of course, lots of ways to do this,
from contributing money raised by babysitting to having
a lemonade stand. Or perhaps you’d like to sell
beautiful origami lotus flowers.
Lotus flowers are found throughout many countries of
the area devastated by the tsunami, and they are a Hindu
symbol of prosperity and new life. For the Chinese,
the lotus represents creative power and purity in difficult
surroundings. And for Buddhists, the lotus flower is
a symbol of the religious community. So what could be
more appropriate as a way to help people in Asian lands
to build a new life in their demolished world through
the help of our religious community? Click
Here (PDF)
for instructions on how to fold a lotus flower from
paper. For best results, you will want to use colored
origami paper. To make layered flowers, make a blossom
out of any sized square you want, and then make one
out of a square that is half the size of the first one,
and one out of a square that is twice the size of the
first one.
You might want to make up tags to go with your flowers,
explaining the lotus flower and the how the money you
raise from selling them will be used. Now, with help
and permission from your parents, you’re ready
to sell your beautiful creations to neighbors, teachers,
members of a UU community or whoever else you can think
of.
Then, ask a grown-up to help you in sending your money
to the Unitarian
Universalist Service Committee. The UUSC is working
with partner organizations in the affected countries
to help the people there re-start their lives.
The act of making lotus blossoms and the act of helping
those in need are prayers of our hands—prayers
for our sisters and brothers in South Asia, that they
may find ways to prosper through such difficult times.
Through such prayers we can, indeed, change the world. |
