The sharing of foods began with a wheel of thanks to God for all the donation received. Thus the Network-of-Light group of Guaruja, a coastal city of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, began the task in the Community of Morrinhos IV.
On last December 20, the group followed its weekly routine of raising and giving donations of foods destined to the community. Nowadays, 86 families are registered. In the wheel of thanks, there is always a dialog with all participants. Then, each family receives a number, a queue is formed and the handing of the raised donations takes place: fruits, vegetables, greens and the like.
During this month of December, the spiritual meaning of Christmas was remembered. “We became surprised because many children do not know the celebration of the birth of Jesus. They only recognize the date as the ‘Day when Santa Claus gives presents’. The meaning of the manger was also a new topic”, tells Rosi Freitas, a member of the Network-of-Light.
The last will be first
When the numbers are distributed, the families use to have the expectation of receiving the first numbers, that is, they always yearn for the first places on the queue. In the face of this fact, the group tried a new experience: on some days, it made the distribution of donations in crescent order, and on others, in decreasing order.
This change in the order of the queue caused a very intense internal movement, in the sense of learning that the “last will be the first”. It was perceived that the residents of the community became increasingly aware that there is neither first nor last, but rather equality among all of them.
Presents for the children
Right after the moment of thanks, before the distribution began, it was asked for the children to return because there was a surprise. The group separated the best fruits and offered a “Christmas gift” for each child: three fruits of perfect quality. The joy was overwhelming.
A very expressive fact at this moment happened when Rosi Freitas asked, “Do you want a gift?”. All of them excitedly answered “Yes!”. Then she jokingly replied, “What about my gift, what shall I receive?”. At that moment, the seven-year old Adryan Oliveira, who has been considered the most “rebellious”, due to a family situation, said, “A hug!”. Rosi tells that she received this hug not only physically, but in the soul and in the heart.
According to the spiritual philosopher Jose Trigueirinho Netto, abundance, in spiritual sense, “does not mean a great amount, but ideal amount with quality; it is a living spiritual vibration, imprinted in the world of forms”.
Francisca Santana, the coordinator of the Network-of-Light group of Guaruja, concluded, “We perceive that donation is an exercise of detachment and of love. It develops an attitude exempt of criticism; we become less rigid, less inflexible, less resistant regarding life and people. In short, today we leave grateful and with the certainty that love alone helps us develop harmonious attitudes”.
