Temptation to Sing

Raoul’s Two Cents: January 5, 2024

Did I Fill the World With Love?

In the news today is the forced resignation of the proud President of Harvard University. I say proud because she blames rather than apologizes for her racial beliefs and extensive plagiarism. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — the education system in the US is broken. College institutions 1) don’t teach young people positive values, 2) they offer no guarantee of future employment yet 3) they drown them in debt. Except for a few complex degrees towards health and scientific professions, one has a better chance of employment from a vocational school. It’s no longer shocking that the waiter serving your dinner may be a college graduate balancing life with a 50k student debt.

There was a time when values were pure, when teachers were role models, and the goal was for the greater good of society. Today the system is tainted with powerful, bitter, greedy scoundrels raised by wolves and indoctrinated to seek revenge. I didn’t realize how far our values had veered off until I revisited an old song I grew up with. It comes from the movie Goodbye Mr. Chips — a story about a nerdy school teacher in an all-boy school during the 2nd World War era. He accidentally found love in the arms of a socialite. Despite coming from the opposite spectrum of society, each of their empty existence found true purpose. The result of that love rippled to the blessed generations of students.

In a poignant scene Mr. Chips apologizes to his wife because they never had children. His wife surprised him with her response: “What do you mean? We have hundreds of children … all boys!”

Fill the World With Love
In the morning of my life I shall look to the sunrise.
At a moment in my life when the world is new.
And the blessing I shall ask is that God will grant me,
To be brave and strong and true,
And to fill the world with love my whole life through.

(Chorus)
And to fill the world with love
And to fill the world with love
And to fill the world with love … my whole life through

In the noontime of my life I shall look to the sunshine,
At a moment in my life when the sky is blue.
And the blessing I shall ask shall remain unchanging:
To be brave and strong and true,
And to fill the world with love my whole life through

In the evening of my life I shall look to the sunset,
At a moment in my life when the night is due.
And the question I shall ask only I can answer.
Was I brave and strong and true?
Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?

I was just a boy when I watched the film for the first time. In the final scene, old man Mr. Chips stands at the school entrance reminding the current batch of students of the precious legacy they inherited. Today I am that old man but I am mourning our lost legacy. Will those admirable qualities ever return? Only if I fill the world with love. Will YOU fill the world with love? Hmmm …

TGIF people.

Raoul.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, California

Parting Shots

I found these

The Traveling Boy

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with this.

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