Love and Aid and Development Work
whenever we exercise power we are attempting to influence the course of the world, of humanity and we are thereby playing God. Most parents, teachers, leaders - most of us who exercise power - have no cognizance of this. In the arrogance of exercising power without the total self-awareness demanded by love, we are blissfully but destructively ignorant of the fact that we are playing God. But those who truly love, and therefore work for the wisdom that love requires, know that to act is to play God. Yet they also know there is no alternative except inaction and impotence. Love compels us to play God with full consciousness of the enormity of the fact that this is just what we are doing. With this consciousness the loving person assumes the responsibility of attempting to be God and not carelessly play God, to fulfill God’s will without mistake. We arrive, then, at yet another paradox: only out of the humility of love can humans dare to be God.
From M. Scot Peck’s The Road Less Travelled.
I think that this passage from The Road Less Travelled if taken to heart could improve the way aid and development work is done a lot. I was going to say a lot about this, but I think the quote does a much better job then anything I could write. I will however share some of my thoughts. Changing the world is a big responsibility and the responsibility I hold for the small insignificant amount that I do as one person is certainly enough to humble me. I am comforted that I have the humility Peck talks about sometimes. Some of the most inspiring people I know have far more of this humility then me though. Which is good because it challenges me to improve.