Things I Care About (And Why): The Introduction

“I submit to you that if a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Any person worth the air they breathe has discovered things they care passionately about. Things they are willing to fight for, dedicate their lives to, and ultimately, things they are willing to die for.

I want all Zizzle-Zot readers to know that I place infinite value on each and every one of you; not because you boost the “blog views” counter and my ego, but because I know that you all are the people who recognize and care about issues larger than and outside of yourselves. I know from our conversations that you are the people who seek Truth, who work diligently to understand the world around us and understand that the fate of our collective humanity rests on your shoulders.

This understanding and commitment places on you all a tremendous responsibility, and unfortunately, at times, a terrible burden. I’ve been thinking lately about the direction I want Zizzle-Zot etc., to take for the next week or so, and beyond that a project I think we all could (and should?) undertake as our small contribution to the betterment of the world.

What if we could make everyone care? We don’t have the resources, the power, or the numbers to fix the ills of the world on our own. In reality, the governmental approach of throwing more money at major global concerns such as poverty and sickness is a little bit like putting a band-aid on a bullet hole. Important, yes, because it slows the hemorrhaging, but in the end it will never be enough to heal the wound. Often times more money simply means more for the wealthy, powerful and corrupt to line their pockets with.

What we can offer is passion, our hope in a better way, and our voices.

Imagine a world where everyone cared. A world where everyone recognized that we are all in this together and where everyone took responsibility for the well-being of the least of these, for the stewardship of the environment, etc.

Imagine the world as a unified front of goodwill.

Such a world would have no need for wars or violence of any kind. There would be no crime. We would have little use for political systems or government programs. Each individual would be their own governing body and their own ambassador for mankind.


I realize that this goal is difficult to imagine, and a little vague, but that’s intentional. We all have different passions, different dreams, and different gifts that were uniquely created and placed in us for a reason. Over time these gifts have been exploited, the dreams have been distorted, and our passions have been smothered by materialism, by possession, by the pursuit of individual prosperity at the expense of humanity. Let’s take them back. Let’s reclaim our passions and put them to work for the good of all.

I realize that on most of these points I’m preaching to the choir. You all already understand the importance of goodwill and the potential (if unrealistic) beauty of a world where everyone cares. Think of this (and upcoming) posts as an exploration, a journey. Let’s figure out ways (minor or grandiose) to get those around us to truly care about something, anything, outside of themselves.

I’ll start by spending the next few days writing about some of the things I think are important, things that make me tick.

If any other Zizzle-Zotians feel so inclined, please write your own entry and email it to me at grueri@bethel.edu. It doesn’t have to be some deeply philosophical, theologically rooted issue. Everyday things such as family, the outdoors, friends, etc. are just as important. Just tell us what you care about. A good place to start is to lead by example. Let’s show the world that we care.

Thanks for reading.