| Pay it Forward.... I saw the movie "Pay it Forward," more than 10 years ago and we just showed it last Friday for our Conscious Movie Meet-up. What an inspiring film! A social studies teacher gives his 7th grade students the assignment to come up with a new idea to change the world and then to implement it and make it happen. This one boy comes up with the idea to "Pay it forward," to do some thing out of the ordinary/extraordinary even, for someone else and in exchange ask the person they helped to "Pay it forward," to three more people. So the idea is that this giving would spread exponentially. While it is a heavy movie with some adult themes it challenges the viewer to really examine themselves and their willingness to truly give and to look into the hearts, minds and very lives of those they interact with...To really see someone's need and do something about it. In our discussion that followed many people shared how it is clear that most people give to "get," something in return, whether it is to look good, get praise, material goods etc. It also came up how people hold back from giving because it isn't convenient, they feel in lack somehow, or just too overwhelmed. And then there were testimonies and reflections shared that it is when we do extend ourselves, when we go out of our way for someone just because we feel called to that this well of overwhelming love opens in our heart...and everything looks different/is different. Another heart opening piece to this film was the boy with the idea began to get discouraged because he thought it wasn't working but in fact it was...and the giving was spreading, huge life-saving/life-changing gifts that he couldn't see right away. In fact those he gave to...as broken as they were...let the love they received open in their hearts to extend themselves to others....We can't always see the ways that Love is working but I have total faith that any kindness spread, prayer asked, forgiveness extended, and help given truly does change the world. What an amazing World this would be if everyone sought to give in all situations! "Everyone can be great because everyone can serve."-Martin Luther King Jr. "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."-Anne Frank |
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Pay it Forward- Concious Movie Nightposted Aug 20, 2008 5:28 PM by Rev Cynthia [ updated Aug 20, 2008 5:49 PM ] |