The Fifth Element

Earth, water, fire and air are the four life-giving elements that we are born from and to which we will return one day.
But, what about the time spent in between? The time from when we are born into this world to the time when we return to the world we came from? The time during which we find ourselves a home, a family and a place where we belong; the time we call Life.
I truly believe that we are nothing but wanderers in this world, always searching for something precious. And, in this short visit that we have been presented with, God meant us to find a Fifth element. It would be rare, but a precious element, greater than any materialistic treasure of this world. It would be a treasure so hard to find, we’d have to search within our souls. It would be an element that would take us through this life and deliver us from all vices. It would make this life worth living. It would make the world go around. This element is Humanity – the fifth and most important element for life.
When God made us humans, he gave us senses so we could feel for people other than ourselves and care for them. Humanity is such a priceless emotion. Though small in quantity, it radiates the light of the world. Humanity is like a seed, which if nurtured, will grow to encompass the entire world in its beauty. However, if it were neglected, it would vanish into nothingness.
God gave us life in the hope that we would cherish it not only for ourselves but for others’ as well.
Humanity is one of the most important virtues of life – and for life. And it is up to us to understand that this gift of life is more than just the drive to get somewhere and leave someone behind because, at the end of the day, the only place we will ever get is closer to God. So, life is basically a quest to see who gets closer to God. It is nothing but a test for humanity, or the greater good. And in the end, the best woman or man wins!
We need to kill the pride or the superiority complex within us in order to find love, compassion and empathy towards other people. We need to understand that no one is greater or lesser than anyone. When we breathe the same air; drink the same water; eat the same food and walk the same earth, why then should there be a difference in our feelings towards one another?
Life is given to everyone. The only difference is that some have it harder than the others. Some have the remarkable ability to endure pain; but does that give us the right to inflict pain on them? Everybody is equal. However, everyone is not a fair player. For them, this quest is an endless maze in which they will be trapped forever.
All we need is a little humanity towards each other. Humanity does not pertain to an individual in particular; it engulfs the whole world in a shield of love.
Humanity is a very rare gift. How often do you see a man fondling a street dog? How often do you find a person buying balloons from a street vendor even if they don’t require them? How often do we see someone getting off his or her car to help the old man cross the road? Or how often do we buy the poor kids some ice cream instead of gulping it down greedily? Not very often. But, these are the few simple things we should be doing as humans.
A world without any humanity would be a ruthless hell, and it’s the only place we’ll get if we forgot how to care because we were too busy being selfish. If we show a little kindness and a little love for the poor old woman or the slum kids across the street, it wouldn’t kill us. This is what humanity is all about – giving unconditionally. It is about finding happiness in helping those who are in need without any ulterior motive.
A little compassion is all it takes; and it costs nothing.
So, we should give humanity a chance to grow. Then, there will be nothing less in life because; humanity is that element which takes us beyond just living for ourselves. It teaches us to grow; it teaches us to live for the world. Humanity gives life a deeper meaning and gives death a greater cause – to grow closer to God.