Hey everyone. Technically, Social Issues week started yesterday, however as many of you know, my family and I just bought a house and so we are swept up in packing, moving, making repairs, and all that fun stuff. So the regularity of posts will be frantic for the next week or so, but Project Conversion is chugging along.

I had a plan for Social Issues week, but as usual, things switched up due to unexpected, seemingly unrelated circumstances. So far this month we’ve learned that the Zarathushti Faith is one of action. Unique to the faith is the concept of frashokereti, the “making wonderful” of the world. What’s interesting about this ideal is that this “making wonderful” isn’t simply an eventual point in a linear timeline, but a progression of work–a partnership between man and God. This is the path of Asha, where we conduct Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds to bring about perfection in the world.

So in this context, God doesn’t want us sitting around praying all day and telling him how awesome he is, he wants us moving, working WITH him to make the world what it ought to be. Thanks to my new Zarathushti friends Shawn and Dan as well as my Mentor in helping me realize this.

Indeed, some of the most important manthras (that’s mantras to my Hindu family) in the Zarathushti Faith read as follows:

“Happiness unto him through whom happiness may spread to others.” –The Gathas, Yasna 43: 1

“The will of the Lord is Asha (the law of righteousness). The gifts of Vohu-mano (the Good Mind) to the deeds done in this world for Mazda. He who relieves the poor make Ahura king.” –Ahunwar prayer

This world is a dynamic place where both wonderful and great events unfold. Like earthquakes.

We could slip into despair and try to rationalize how such a tragedy could take place. We could fall on our knees and beg God for an answer. We could be like this woman and conclude that God shook Japan to get the attention of the atheists:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8braCnvXwY&feature=related

But to a Zarathushti, you are wasting the time and resources of both yourself and God. While the faithful of other religions are asking “Why oh why?” the devote Zarathushti asks “Okay, what can I do to help?” and then with holy fire lit under their tails, they get to it.

So this is how we are going to kick off Social Issues week. See that “donation” button in the right sidebar of this site? I created that button because Project Conversion is expensive and I need all the help I can get. But for the last two weeks of our month with the Zarathushtis, all donations to this site will go directly to a relief fund for the victims of the Japan earthquake.

This is part of frashokereti. Acts such as this are what make the world wonderful, when we reach out to our fellow man and indeed, the planet as a whole, and we do what is right. For us, it doesn’t matter who they are. Let’s reduce the world down the least common denominator and work accordingly: they are human, they need help. BOOM!, they qualify.

Think about it. Pray about it. Let’s roll.