Much Suffering, Much Overcoming: Offering What We Have in God's Name

A World of Darkness and Silence

Imagine being born without sight, without hearing. A dark world, a silent world. That was Helen Keller's world. She was born without those facilities, and because of that darkness, that isolation—not really being able to talk to anyone—she played up, as you can imagine. She was a bit angry at times. Not being able to communicate was deeply frustrating.

The Breakthrough of Connection

But her teacher, Annie Sullivan, one day grabbed her hand and placed it under water, and started writing out—tapping out—the symbols for water on her hand. Helen thought, "What's going on here? Just touches?"

But as her teacher did it day after day, she started to realize that there might be meaning behind this. This communication was saying there's a connection in terms of language, there's a connection in terms of understanding. As she realized these taps symbolized water, gradually she started recognizing that other taps meant other words, and she was eventually able to communicate.

Overcoming Our Limits

Helen Keller became a wonderful example of a person who overcame her limits. She offered to the world not just her ability to see and to communicate—she wrote wonderful things about our existence as human beings and how compassion makes a difference.

"In the world, there is much suffering, but there is also much overcoming."
— Helen Keller

I hope we can take her as an example of offering what we have to make a real difference in the world in God's name.