LET US CHANGE OUR WORLD FOR THE BETTER

Have you ever thought what sort of influence you exert on other people by your actions, your words, your very nature? Have you ever felt a desire to change something for the better in your society, in the education of your children, in your own spiritual life? Have you ever tried following up that desire by doing something real, or have you mainly tried to sooth yourself and your conscience by sticking to a laissez faire policy ("It is really none of my business"!), or by pursuing individualistic principles ("I am only concerned about my own life"), or by declaring your own helplessness ("I could never make any real difference"!)? What if indifference and callousness started creeping into your heart long ago, and you didn't even notice? ("The less I know, the better"). All influence begins with a decision. It begins within us: who we are, what we do, how we spend our time, what we think about ourselves and other people, what sort of goals we set for ourselves. Our future depends on our present decisions. Which decisions will turn out to have been empty and meaningless, and which will prove to have been a key turning point of our lives? It is quite daunting to think that each given moment we carry the responsibility for all the consequences of our decisions, that each of those decisions  — from the most mundane to the most momentous  — is something that bears fruit in eternity; that with each decision we either use or miss an opportunity which is given to us today only and never again. Whatever we bring about by our decisions, remains in the world. Making decisions means taking responsibility for yourself, your own life and your convictions. This does not necessarily mean a care-free life. Quite the contrary, it often creates tension, causes us say "no" to certain things and to make sacrifices. Being human means constantly finding yourself in situations which present an opportunity and a challenge at the same time. These situations give us a chance of personal fulfillment, when by accepting the challenge we create new meaning. Each of them is a call, waiting for our listening ear and our response. I think that each Russian person needs to realize his or her personal worth and significance in the society. Decades of Communism and centuries of serfdom in Russia put an indelible mark on our national mentality, producing some of the things that we encounter today in the thinking and lifestyle of many Russian people: lostness, apathy, hopelessness, a passive stance towards reality, self-victimization (an agonizing yet often preferred position), etc. We will probably need one or several generations to see true quality changes in the Russian society. Some people believe that, as the Israelites had to wander in the desert for 40 years before they entered the Promised Land, any other society needs 40-50 years to experience quality changes and renewal, to understand its own value and significance, to accept its unique culture, to find its meaning and purpose and to fulfill its mission in the Creator's master plan. We can start those changes today by making a decision to change ourselves, to change our relationships with our families, friends and co-workers. We can start today by deciding not to think only of our own welfare, but also of making a real difference in the world. Only such decisions will gradually, one day at a time, bring us to a new society. We want to make a difference by our personal life, our commitment to the work we do in and through our calling and gifts given to us by God. I welcome you to the AGAPE Center web-site and sincerely hope that it proves helpful and interesting. Sincerely yours, Natasha Sobina, Director