Altruism as a Manifestation of Faith
As a biologist, I am fascinated by the natural world. It amazes me how organisms are harmoniously adapted to their environments. The morphology, physiology, and behavior of an animal give it an unique niche that no other animal in the world can fill. The part of the natural world that fascinates me the most, however, is the concept of altruism. The laws of the natural world tend to support acts that benefit the donor of the act, and yet altruism is an act that harms the donor and benefits the receiver. I believe that altruism exists in the world as a manifestation of faith. In the natural world this faith may be the fact that a honey bee is willing to go without mating because it has faith that this act will benefit a close relative. In my life great acts of altruism have been shown by simple acts of love.
I will be the first to admit that I am neither a lover of the cold nor an enthusiastic morning person, and thus waking up for school in the winter was not an enjoyable activity. The first half hour after waking up always seemed to be a blur of fumbled grooming and sleepy stares. My motivation every morning however, was the fact that I knew my Dad was waiting downstairs with a hot cup of coffee and an encouraging smile. My Dad chose to wake up hours before he had to go to work because he wanted to make my lunch, start the coffee, and warm up my car before I had to go. Every morning when I walked down the stairs to breakfast I was overcome with the knowledge that I am loved and that I am appreciated through those simple acts. The hardest part of my day quickly turned into the best part of my day. I have always had faith that I am loved, but it was the acts of kindness that only benefited me, and deprived my Dad of sleep, that manifested that love.
I believe that when I truly have faith, it is shown through actions that are for the benefit of others and not for myself. Acting selfishly does not require faith; however acting selflessly proves that I believe in something greater than myself. I want to live a life that is centered not on the benefits that I can receive, but on the benefits that I can give.