Humanitarian Service Quotes

Be nice to people... maybe it'll be unappreciated, unreciprocated, or ignored, but spread the love anyway. We rise by lifting others.

the humanitarian workers [in refugee camps in Goma} were treated rather like the service staff at a seedy mafia-occupied hotel: they were there to provide-food, medicine, housewares, an aura of respectability

There are two kinds of people in the world - first those who run away from danger, then there are those who run towards danger, to see if someone needs help.

They say, love God, for it is the greatest virtue. I say, love humans, for there is no greater virtue, no greater religion, than the love of humanity.

Live for your country, die to yourself; live for yourself, die to your country.

The broken humans of the world make the greatest healer.

Be the person who moves hearts - be the person who heals wounds - be the person who makes darkness disappear - be the person who makes colors reappear.

Humanity first, nationality later - compassion first, religion later - acceptance first, formalities later.

Be naïve, be humble, be human, that's all that is needed to heal this wounded world.

One person's sacrifice makes millions wake up from their sleep of indifference.

What are you good for, if your life doesn't make a single trace of contribution in the alleviation of people's misery!

By serving humanity, I automatically serve myself.

In lifting another person, we also lift ourselves.

You have the power to turn this tearful world into a cheerful one. The question is, will you?

The greatest gift you can give anyone is love.

I care not about science, I care not about spirituality, all I care about is service of humanity.

Suppose a problem in psychology was set: What can be done to persuade the men of our time — Christians, humanitarians or, simply, kindhearted people — into committing the most abominable crimes with no feeling of guilt? There could be only one way: to do precisely what is being done now, namely, to make them governors, inspectors, officers, policemen, and so forth; which means, first, that they must be convinced of the existence of a kind of organization called ‘government service,’ allowing men to be treated like inanimate objects and banning thereby all human brotherly relations with them; and secondly, that the people entering this ‘government service’ must be so unified that the responsibility for their dealings with men would never fall on any one of them individually.

My goal - my purpose - the reason for my existence is only one - it is to ensure that humanity doesn't lose sight of its humanity, in the constant battle between beliefs - between ideologies - between opinions - between religious orthodoxy and radical reasoning.

Imagine a problem in psychology: to find a way of getting people in our day and age - Christians, humanitarians, nice, kind people - to commit the most heinous crimes without feeling any guilt. There is only one solution - doing just what we do now: you make them governors, superintendents, officers or policemen, a process which, first of all, presupposes acceptance of something that goes by the name of government service and allows people to be treated like inanimate objects, precluding any humane or brotherly relationships, and, secondly, ensures that people working for this government service must be so interdependent that responsibility for any consequences of the way they treat people never devolves on any one of them individually.

If you want to be an extremist, be extreme in your acts of kindness - if you want to be a fundamentalist, practice the fundamental principle of acceptance in every walk of your life - if you want to be an intellectual, use your intellect to improve human condition.

Be a glass of water and quench the thirst of others.

There's no healer, only helper.

Salvation not shared, is salvation wasted.

Human you are, and your purpose is to live for others as much as you live for yourself.

Light up your heart and the world will be lit.

A true healer is not the one with magical powers, but the one who does everything in their power to help those in need.

God may arrive late if called, but not you, for you are the only living God on earth, and all others are mere imitations of your image.

Burn yourself so that the cold world can have some warmth.

I haven't come for science, I have come for love.

If you are not ready to surrender in service at the feet of the helpless, don't tell anyone you are a human.

Pray less, help more.

If no one comes, walk alone.

I urge you my dear sibling, to offer your body and mind as a living holy sacrifice to the service of humanity, for this is true worship.

One who knows pain, can help others without gain.

If you say, "let there be light", and then act with all your capacity to make it a reality, only then there will be light and hope in the world.

If humanity is in misery, it may not be my fault, but if I die leaving humanity with the same amount of misery, then it is my fault.

Countless souls are starving to death around the world, yet you keep wasting heaps of money on alcohol, cigarettes and cheap thrills - how can you be so nonchalant, my friend!

The greatest pleasure is in bearing pain for others.

Taking care of your own family is good, taking care of your neighbor's family is better and taking care of all the families in your neighborhood is the best.

The sun doesn't ask for admiration in return for its light and warmth.

Even the most stubborn darkness fades away in front of one tiny flame.

Life is not lived till it's lived for others.

According to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation statement, approximately 10,000 American military women were stationed in Vietnam during the war. Most were nurses in the Army, Air Force, and Navy, but women also served as physicians and medical personnel, and in air traffic control and military intelligence. Civilian women also served in Vietnam as news correspondents and workers for the Red Cross, Donut Dollies, the USO, Special Services, the American Friends Service Committee, Catholic Relief Services, and other humanitarian organizations.

I look upon the whole world as my fatherland, & every war has to me the horror of a family feud. I look upon true patriotism as the brotherhood of man & the service of all to all. The only fighting that saves is the one that helps the world toward liberty, justice & an abundant life for all.

I look upon the whole world as my fatherland, & every war has to me the horror od a family feud. I look upon the true patriotism as the brotherhood of man & the service to of all to all. The only fighting that saves is the one that helps the world toward liberty, justice & an abundant life for all.

It doesn't matter how many scriptures you have memorized - it doesn't matter how many academic publications you have studied - it doesn't matter how many pilgrimages you have visited - what matters is are you wise and conscientious enough to bring your understanding in the service of the people around you.

Yesterday I was stupid, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am more stupid, so I am changing the world. And tomorrow there will be a hundred more stupid like me, for this stupidity for changing the world can never accept any excuse for inaction, even if that excuse happens to be a most rational reason.

The world is full of doctors, but healers are rare. The world is full of pills, but medicine is rare. The world is full of stethoscopes, but listening is rare. And when someone’s in misery, I have no doubt you’ll appear.

Forget the world, forget civilization, forget all those pompous ideas of progress and global goals, simply take a stand in your vicinity, in your locality, against discrimination, against prejudices, against corruption and harassment.

There is no greater jihad than to help the helpless - there is no greater crusade than to bring hope to the hopeless - there is no greater advancement than to lift the fallen - there is no greater humanity than to burn oneself for others to have warmth.

In the case of many Kennedys,” Neubauer continued, “their drive for power is often supported by good deeds, by a desire to help the poor and disenfranchised, by humanitarian goals. They describe what they do not merely as ‘politics’ but as the much more lofty-sounding ‘public service.’ All this reduces the need for them to feel guilty about their single-minded pursuit of power.

You won't find Christ in the church - you won't find Krishna in the temple - you won't find Jehovah in the synagogue - you won't find Allah in the mosque - the only place they reside is in the humans. Lend a hand to a human in misery and it'll be the highest service to the lord.

The path of service is but a thorn-infested trail in the woods - a trail that is not yet made a trail, but simply lies indistinguishable from the rest of the jungle. And the work of a torch-bearer of progress is to make the trail appear and soften the thorns by crushing them with their own footsteps, while bearing an infinite amount of agony.

We're born accompanied; sacrifice is essential. Their pain is real, my pleasure's potential.

Light doesn't say 'o look at me, I am so bright' - all it does is shine.

The purpose of my life is to make immortal Gods of out of every mortal human.

Wake up, start walking and stop not till the world is lifted.

The purpose of my life is to make Gods out of every human.

Power doesn't mean to control people, real power is to bring happiness in their lives.

Discard all shortsightedness, Do away with all narrowmindedness. Move high, from "my, my, my", Be a champion of collective progress!

Average people measure themselves by the amount of pleasure they can buy for themselves, reformers measure themselves by the amount of pain they can bear for others.

You don't read about a life of service, you live it.

All assume that the purpose of life is happiness - it's not - happiness is only a byproduct of service.

Those who mock me today, their children will thank me tomorrow.

Better a kindhearted fool than a heartless tool.

We are the God, We are the Goblins. Amidst fanatic foolery we are divine lightning.

Darkness is everywhere, so is light. What matters is, whether we simply turn our back on darkness or be the light to erase it.

That's what the world needs, not blue blood and white collars, but blood that boils at injustice and collar that soils in service.

One person caring for one neighborhood, that's how we'll change the world, not with policy and policing.

Light united is world ignited.

Forget about afterlife, focus on afterlight, light that is left behind, by your deeds of life.

In some circles, I am called a genius, Yet the only genius I know of is service. In other circles, I am branded fraud, Yet the only fraud I know of is prejudice.

If you want to teach real religion to the kids, throw away the Bible, the Vedas, the Quran and all the scriptures, and teach them the religion of love.

It is your existential responsibility to raise your child as a human being above everything else – catholic, muslim, jew, asian, caucasian or whatever.

When another being is in pain, Only blasphemy is indifference. If we can't be cure to each other, It's not life, but derangement.

Messiahs don't drop from the sky, As mortal suffering jumps the fence. A messiah is just a mortal, Minus all the indifference.

Be the glee to those in gloom, Be gentle amidst the genteel. Be the brave amongst the blue, Be the knight amidst them who kneel.

Anybody can live in flesh and blood, but to live on long after the flesh has dissipated into nature – that’s the life I always wanted.

If you can starve to death while sharing your bread with others, instead of appeasing your own hunger while others starve to death, that's the highest miracle of all.

A heart that bleeds for others is the only human heart, all others are mere animal hearts.

I started off as a scientist, but the needs of the society turned me into a reformer.

I walked through centuries after centuries in the bodily vessels of countless monks and philosophers, and still my work is not done - it is far from done. I still have a long way to go with my heart bleeding in agony and my feet burning and trembling in tiredness, but still I shall not stop till every single human on earth realizes in the very core of their being that they are humans above everything else, and to achieve this, if I have to go through the heartache of loneliness and the mortal misery of social indifference and mockery over and over again in countless more lives to come, I shall most willingly do so.

The world needs a janitor, to clean its stains of barbarianism - the world needs a mechanic, to fix its broken conscience in the fog of socio-cultural conditioning - the world needs a plumber, to fix its internal plumbing that carries courage, compassion and acceptance. And mark you, it doesn't matter whatsoever, of what color your collar is, what matters above everything else, is that - are you responsible, and then, are you committed and courageous enough to act on that responsibility!

Let me make one thing absolutely clear. I'm not here to enlighten or awaken anybody. Anybody who says they can awaken you, is either lying or plain deluded. I'm just here to burn, and if you want, you can burn with me, for light united is world ignited.

I belong to America, as much as I belong to Russia - I belong to England, as much as I belong to France - I belong to Bulgaria, as much as I belong to Turkey - I belong to India, as much as I belong to Pakistan, Bangladesh and so on. I belong to every nation on this planet. Every country is my country - every culture is my culture - every history is my history. One who sacrifices the self in the service of others, no longer sees any separation whatsoever between the self and the rest of the world - it all becomes one.

Someone asked me, 'politicians and celebrities are plagiarizing your statements quite a lot, yet you keep silent, why!' I replied, 'all I care about is to unite the humankind - whether someone quotes me without crediting, is not my concern, I leave that to the people'.

Sonnet of Human Duty To deliver humanity from inhumanity, Is the duty of every human. To deliver the innocent from injustice, Is the duty of every human. The indifferent may call it god complex, Apathetic pessimists may call it idealism. I call it the meaning of life and sanity, The opposite is just a sign of doofusism. Differences won't destroy the world, Indifference is far more ominous. The problem is not the evil doers, But the silent spectators. Mark me well, the day I stay silent is the day, Lady liberty throws her torch away.

Often pastors as well as my fellow scientists ask me - are you a believer or non-believer - I smile and reply, all I care about is to abolish the barriers that people have raised among themselves. I work to create living Christs in every field of society to take care of every corner of the world.

When you can't live a day without helping others - when you can't breathe without watching someone smile because of you - when you can't even taste the food until you know that someone is able to put food on the table for their family because of your kindness - that day you'd know what it is to be human.

O my brave Almighty Human, with the ever-effulgent flow of courage, conscience and compassion, turn yourself into a vivacious humanizer, and start walking with bold footsteps while eliminating racism, terminating misogyny, destroying homophobia and all other primitiveness that have turned humanity into the most inhuman species on earth.

Sonnet of Sapiens No religion is greater than love, For love is the embodiment of divinity, No church is higher than the self, Cause the self is the manifestation of the Almighty, No worship is greater than help, For helping is the service of God, No prayer is as sacred as kindness, For in kindness lies the real act of the Lord, No scripture is more glorious than the mind, For the mind is the creator of the scriptures, So learn from that scripture within to be of help to your kind, And be the glue to the fabric of humanity healing all ruptures, Heal your kind my friend with your wisdom and warmth transcendent, If not you then who else will unify humanity and rise as sapiens triumphant.

In Line of Service (The Sonnet) World is my Louisiana, I am its Mississippi. Whenever it's in trouble, My blood boils in agony. Each drop of tear around, Makes my bones ignite. My life finds its meaning, As I respond to their plight. Joy is only joy to me, When I bring it to others. If gained in line of service, Even wounds are my treasures. Once I die for the people’s future, Then I can live in peace forever.

What does the river, the trees, the sun care about the concept of God - their sole purpose is to sustain life on earth - and so is mine. Christ made his sacrifice for his love for society, I have made my sacrifice for my love for society, and I believe strongly more than anything else, that this tradition of sacrifice will continue through many more Christs and Naskars, so long as there is human suffering on earth.

You may come or not to walk beside me, I won't stand still in silence while the oceans burn and the sun turns dark - I will either right the wrongs or perish in the attempt - and even if I burn to ashes in trying to humanize my surroundings, those ashes of mine will still smoke inclusion, equality and humaneness - I am not born a human to crawl as an indifferent vermin, I am born a human to embrace death for the values, the principles, the virtues that ought to be the foundation of human civilization - I am sleepless and I will stay sleepless till all the children of earth can sleep in peace with a full stomach and a happy heart, without worrying about guns and bombs, without worrying about prejudice and phobia, without worrying about discrimination and deportation - I will stay sleepless till the whole world becomes a family, not in theory, not in philosophy, not in argument, not even in futuristic vision, but in reality and practice.

I only know of one divinity - kindness. Save kindness all else is fiction - from the fundamental facts of physics to the direst doctrines of scripture. Every construct of society must prove its worth in relation to kindness, in relation to uplift. If they can't, they require correction. And despite countless corrections if a construct fails to uphold the uplift of human condition before all else, it is the duty of the civilized beings to leave such construct behind as an appendage of human evolution.

People often ask me, "you are not a believer in the common sense of the term, then why don't you call yourself an atheist", I tell them, "that's because atheists place all importance on facts, I place all importance on people". As a scientist, I am very much aware of the value of facts, but facts are never more important than the people, in fact, they are only valuable so long as they serve the welfare of people - in circumstances where facts go against the welfare of the people, a civilized human must always choose people over facts.

Even so, little separation between the soteriological and the humanitarian motifs was in evidence during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The missionaries persisted in the pre-Enlightenment tradition of the indissoluble unity of “evangelization” and “humanization” (cf van der Linde 1973), of “service to the soul” and “service to the body” (Nergaard 1988:34–40), of proclaiming the gospel and spreading a “beneficent civilization” (Rennstich 1982a, 1982b). For Blumhardt of the Basel Mission this clearly included “reparation for injustice committed by Europeans, so that to some extent the thousand bleeding wounds could be healed which were caused by the Europeans since centuries through their most dirty greediness and most cruel deceitfulness” (quoted by Rennstich 1982a:95; cf 1982b:546). And Henry Venn, famous General Secretary of the British CMS, urged missionaries to take their stand between the oppressor and the oppressed, between the tyranny of the system and the morally and physically threatened masses of the people to whom they went (cf Rennstich 1982b:545).

Lives to Serve Before I Sleep (The Poem) Lives to serve before I sleep, 'cause service is my salvation; Wounds to heal before I sleep, 'cause time is wailing for absolution; Bridges to build before I sleep, 'cause too many walls are raised already; Peoples to unite before I sleep, 'cause civilization is trembling and walking unsteady. Shackles to shatter before I sleep, 'cause corruption festers in the stagnant norm; Labels to erase before I sleep, 'cause they've only confused our global dorm; Sects to humanize before I sleep, 'cause segregation has weakened the human bond; Blades to burn before I sleep, 'cause they've turned the world into a bloody pond. Tears to wipe before I sleep, 'cause the society is lost in fun; Homes to heal before I sleep, 'cause ego has wrecked the nests a ton; Biases to alleviate before I sleep, 'cause bigotry has outweighed compassion; Purity to pour before I sleep, 'cause all are chasing petty gratification. Spirits to lift before I sleep, 'cause the minds are running dry; Gods to build before I sleep, 'cause orthodoxy makes humanity cry; Wars to end before I sleep, 'cause no life is expendable and puny; Humans to raise before I sleep, 'cause where humans act human there reigns harmony.

I Write to Destroy You (The Sonnet) I don’t write to pamper your ego, I don't write to give you comfort. I don't write to teach you self-love, I write to destroy all selfish thought. I don't write to inspire your pride, I don't write to cater to your insecurity. I don't write to entertain shallowness, I only write to abolish self-centricity. I don't write to tickle the instaslaves, I don't write to peddle false perfection. I don't write to lick the privileged boots, I write to make soldiers of self-annihilation. My science and my art were born on the street. That's where I learnt, all suffering is born of greed.

Letter to the tech giants: When fame and abundance kiss somebody’s feet before that person is wise enough, he or she is very likely to lose track of what’s necessity and what’s luxury. And modern society is filled with examples of such intelligent stupidity – stupidity that is carried out by apparently smart humans. Because being smart is not the same as being wise. The world has enough smartness, but not enough wisdom to bring that smartness into proper productive practice – and I mean productive practice not sophisticated practice – there is a difference. A person smart enough to visualize a Falcon rocket engine can easily pinpoint the locations of various organizations that spread terrorism, yet the person chooses to explore the space further instead of prioritizing the technological advantages to first fix real issues of the human society that inflict harm to the humans every walk of the way. The world is a miserable place not because we have lack of resources, but because those who have an abundance of resources do not have the slightest idea of true human need. The resources needed for colonizing Mars if put to proper practice can fix the world’s global warming issues – it can fix the world’s climate change issues – it can fix the world’s terrorism issues, yet people are more interested in the pompous idea of living in Mars for whatever reason, instead of paying attention to improving human condition on earth. I am not against technological advancement, for I am a scientist, but my soul aches when I see smart people are dumb enough to chase after illusory glory of doing something different and innovative instead of focusing the powers of their soul on cleaning up the misery business on earth. You can, yet you don’t. Why? Smartness without wisdom is stupidity. You are smart – yes indeed – but I am sorry – you are stupid at the same time. How can you dream of having a cheese burger on Mars when your own kind on Earth is suffering! How can you think of taking rich kids into the orbit just so they can admire the beauty of earth from the heavens, when that very earth is infested with the primordial evils of human character! Awaken the human within you my friend, and pay attention. Awaken the human within and let it consume all the miseries from the world that you live in. Say a member of your family falls ill, would you ignore his or her misery completely just because you want to make life more comfortable for others than it already is, or would you first try everything in your capacity in order to heal your loved one! Be wise my friend, for it is not enough to be smart. You are smart – there is no doubt about that – so utilize that smartness for humanity and heal your own kind. Heal your kind with your capacity my friend. It is wailing for healers – not some delusional faith healers, but real tangible healers. Would you not do anything! Would you not give your soul to fix the broken soul of this world! Arise my friend, Awake my friend and work for humanity, not to make it sophisticated, but to make it peaceful first. Remember, humanity first, then everything else. Peace first, sophistication later. Harmony first, luxury later.