No Man Left Behind

In the Spirit of No Man Left Behind, I am requesting that you consider making a donation to our scholarship fund. The Conrad Burke Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by one of our men, Mathew Burke, and his family to honor the legacy of their father, Conrad, who had attended a number of our retreats. Conrad graciously and generously supported all of the men in our community through his open and loving participation on retreat. He had become a central father figure and Mathew and the family had donated to us in his memory. Our coffers are now bare and we do have men that would like to attend the retreat but are at low ebb financially. If you will consider giving a minimum of $25, each donation of $25 or more will go directly to supporting a brother in need of financial support making it possible for them to join us. You can make your check out to Sacred Path Scholarship Fund and mail it to: Men’s Center of Los Angeles, Suite 214, 21243 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91364. If you wish to use your credit card, send us an email message or give us a call at 818-348-9302 and we’ll assist you. I’m including this story below from Daily Om. I think it expresses what we need to consider at this time when resources are scarce for many. Thank you for your generosity.
Stephen

The Wisdom of Sharing
Stone Soup

Imagine a world in which we all shared our gifts and bounty with each other rather than focusing on self-preservation.


There are many variations on the story of stone soup, but they all involve a traveler coming into a town beset by famine. The inhabitants try to discourage the traveler from staying, fearing he wants them to give him food. They tell him in no uncertain terms that there's no food anywhere to be found. The traveler explains that he doesn't need any food and that, in fact, he was planning to make a soup to share with all of them. The villagers watch suspiciously as he builds a fire and fills a cauldron with water. With great ceremony, he pulls a stone from a bag, dropping the stone into the pot of water. He sniffs the brew extravagantly and exclaims how delicious stone soup is. As the villagers begin to show interest, he mentions how good the soup would be with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brings out a cabbage to share. This episode repeats itself until the soup has cabbage, carrots, onions, and beets; indeed a substantial soup that feeds everyone in the village.

This story addresses the human tendency to hoard in times of deprivation. When resources are scarce, we pull back and put all of our energy into self-preservation. We isolate ourselves and shut out others. As the story of stone soup reveals, in doing so, we often deprive ourselves and everyone else of a feast. This metaphor plays out beyond the realm of food. We hoard ideas, love, and energy, thinking we will be richer if we keep to them to ourselves, when in truth we make the world, and ourselves, poorer whenever we greedily stockpile our reserves. The traveler was able to see that the villagers were holding back, and he had the genius to draw them out and inspire them to give, thus creating a spread that none of them could have created alone.

Are you like one of the villagers, holding back? If you come forward and share your gifts, you will inspire others to do the same. The reward is a banquet that can nourish many.