A Good Deed makes You Feel Good (Oh)

There is this song that Cantor Doug sings for the kids about doing good deeds. The tag line (or the "refrain" in musical terms) is "A good deed makes you feel good! (insert grunt here). While Rogers & Hammerstein have nothing to worry about, the lyrics of this simple song actually resonate deeply within me.

I've written before about how I feel most spiritual in nature. The next most spiritual activity for me is social action. When I have the opportunity to directly impact someone's life by my actions, I feel purposeful. More than that, I feel kinda god-like. As if I have the power to change the world. Man, what a trip! Can you imagine if I really had that kind of power? I'd bet everything on red!

I believe we owe it to humanity to constantly do our best to make the world a better place. And while I volunteer, I can't help but hear Cantor Doug singing in the back of my head, "A good deed makes you feel good."

Doing Good Deeds is Spiritual

Helping others is about as spiritual as it gets. Whether lending a hand or ear to a family member or friend, or volunteering to help the homeless or help the environment. It is what connects us to each other and is part of the human continum. Paying it forward as they say. There is always a warm, gratifying experience that the end of such a day.

This Month's Question: How is Social Action / Social Justice / Volunteerism / Mitzvah Doing a Spiritual Activity for You?

We work to transform the world. This is a central part of Congregation Or Ami's raison d'etrê. Our Vision and Values statement explains that we walk together down Jewish spiritual paths which touch our hearts and souls and move us to transform the world into a place of justice and compassion (paraphrased).

This vision points to a direct correlation between our spirituality and our social activism. Is that true for you? And if so, how? Or why not?