Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. - Desmond Tutu
Stop and ask yourself: Are you a good citizen? Well, do you even know what that means? Is being a good citizen subjective? Does it mean the same thing across the board, or is it different for each individual person? Surely, it can’t be the same for us all… can it? My achievement of “goodness” will only fall within my means. Capabilities, sphere of influence, access – all which vary from person to person – will impact as well as alter how we express goodness.
When I think of goodness, when I think of what it is that would qualify me as “good,” I don’t think of some big, grand act. I think of the little things. What I do in my day-to-day, the actions that force me to step outside of myself for the betterment of my community, the betterment of those around me. More than that, I think of the things that I do that will in no way come back to me: kindness that does not result in me taking credit, helping someone who I don’t know, taking my time to do work when there is no pay, giving when you won’t get anything in return. Goodness is not doing what someone else does, meeting some quota, or donating a certain amount of money. It is not even always a task, but often shown through the things you say, the considerations you make. Your expression of goodness will not look exactly like someone else’s. That’s what makes it yours.
When we look at the body of Christ, we see this same concept exemplified. Though all parts of the body do not have the same capabilities, they all contribute to the bigger purpose; they all work towards the good. For some, this means using your social media platform. For others, this may qualify as taking your voice to the street to be heard. It may be shown through acts of kindness for the marginalized, or songs of peace for the troubled. Not all of us are singers, nor are all of us active on social media – knowing this is of utmost importance. We do not need a sea of social media activists, because then, who will do the groundwork? Who will go door to door if we all sing?
Contribution to the greater, which makes a good citizen stand out from any other, is this. Sharing information online when you cannot travel, using your voice to speak in the street for those who cannot speak for themselves. Working within your means. So how can we create the changes that we want to see? More often than not, it means taking those little steps first. Assessing problems, bringing attention to them, and making changes that are right at your front door. What can you do in your household? Your community? Your town? We have to be brave enough to start. We must take the necessary steps to address the change at our own front door.
What does it mean to be a good citizen? Some consider it intention, whereas others consider it action. Yet, the common theme expresses itself as doing what you can with what you have. That leaves the question, what do you have? What does that look like for you? It may be monetary, or it may be thirty minutes a week helping at the local school. Nothing is stopping you from being a good citizen, right where you are. Are you? If not, will you be?
Originally published on November 10, 2020
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.