A cold front was passing through northern Formosa. We were driving at high speed when we suddenly saw someone on the left side of the road. After taking a better look, we found that it was a man bending over and picking things up with a pair of tongs. There was a big black plastic bag next to him. “What is he picking up? If he has to come out in this cold weather to pick recyclables, he must be destitute. Perhaps he needs help.” We parked our car not far away and walked towards him wondering what he was doing. Little did we realize then that the answer would be a total surprise.

He had his back to us and was bending forward to pick up the roadside garbage and putting it into his bag. As we watched him repeat the action, our commiserative feeling for him was replaced by excitement. We thought, “We must get to know him better.” We spoke to him loudly and clearly, “Are you picking up the garbage, sir? Why are you doing this?” He appeared to be about sixty, his face carved with lines of age. He replied in an uneasy and hoarse voice, “Yes, I am picking up the garbage because I find this place dirty!” Deeply touched by his answer, we praised him wholeheartedly, “You are truly a good man! Where do you live? Do you come here often to pick up the garbage?” He was a humble gentleman who would not take praise for his work. He continued with what he was doing, responding only now and then with a few words, “There are many people doing good deeds! This is nothing really. This place is so filthy. I live in the neighborhood. When I have time, I come to clean up the garbage as much as I can.”

The silhouette of this old man and the few simple words he said lingered in our minds. God is teaching us through him that we should not wait until we are living an abundant life and equipped with rich knowledge before we contribute to the world. If we care and if we have love, we can always take action at anytime. Immediately, lots of ideas emerged in my mind: using eco-friendly dining wares when eating out, carrying a garbage bag to clean up the environment when doing exercises in the park, carrying vegetarian dog food to feed stray dogs when going mountain-trekking, extending timely care and help to homeless friends, and constantly reciting the Holy Names and remembering God. In this way, we could create a positive atmosphere for all sentient beings. If we could always remember to share our love with the world around us, I believe we can all become the most beautiful citizens of Planet Earth.

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