Saturday, September 13, 1997

Mother Teresa, Princess Diana set noble examples

By Joy Thompson

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

The deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa within days of each other stunned everyone. The sad events also have left many people throughout the world depressed. Indeed, in the areas of compassion and mercy, the princess and the nun were exemplary. The despised and ignored of the world - the maimed, the ill, the poor - found champions in these women. Their passing leaves a vacuum in such leadership.

This is definitely a time for fans and admirers to mourn. But it also is an opportunity to ensure that these women did not live in vain. Princess Di and Mother Teresa set noble examples in their service to the suffering. Examples are made to be followed. We can build a living memorial to these women by following their example.

While one person can make a significant difference, several can make much more. That principle is made extremely clear in the Bible.

In the book of Exodus, Moses was warned about the limitations of one by his father-in-law, Jethro. Jethro noticed that Moses was wearing himself out hearing the disputes of the Israelites every day from morning to night. As a result, Moses took Jethro's advice and picked God-fearing, trustworthy men to help him lead the people.

Jesus could have opted to spread the gospel alone, but instead chose to train 12 men to do the work, as well. As a result, after his death, the gospel did not die with him, but spread throughout the world.

Before he died, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24 (NIV)

Mother Teresa, in particular, was a very special seed. She lived and died for others. She adopted India as her homeland and its lowest caste of people as her family. She reserved her kindness and mercy for the poor and her disdain for the people who exploited them. When she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she accepted it in the name of the "hungry, the naked, the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society." And in 1990, when she "officially" retired from the order she created, the Missionaries of Charity (her charitable work continued), she made it clear that she expected her seed to spread: God will find another person, more humble, more devoted, more obedient to him," she said, "and the society will go on.

Few would be able to fill the shoes of this great woman. She helped and inspired millions of people. But she was only one. She could not personally touch, hold and comfort everybody.

But we can multiply that one seed of compassion into millions, if we simply take a part of Mother Teresa's mission and make it our own. Just imagine if one million people in the world made it their personal goal to help three people during their lifetimes. They would make it their mission to feed or clothe three people, or enable them to receive medical care, or give them an education or teach them a trade or skill, or simply make them feel loved and believed in. Then, three million people would be helped - simply because someone decided to do his or her part.

"Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ," the Apostle Paul told the church at Corinth (I Corinthians 11:1 NIV). If we consider Princess Diana and Mother Teresa heroes, then we should strive to imitate the qualities that made them heroic - their love, mercy and compassion for others.

The other day I received a phone call from a woman who asked me to "please write about the Christian love Jesus taught us. I don't find it here - not even in the churches." The woman is deaf (her phone call was transmitted through an operator). She said she was born in Egypt where she was persecuted for being a Christian. And now she lives in Long Beach. How sad and ironic for her to come to a free country and find little compassion.

The deaths of Mother Teresa and Princess Diana may make our hearts heavy. But we also should also allow the memories of the good examples they set to move our hearts - and then our feet, hands and mouths to walk over to someone, touch them and tell them we care.

(Joy Thompson is an editorial writer for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. You can write to her at 604 Pine Ave., Long Beach, Calif. 90844.)