Every now and then it takes a child to come along and renew a grown up's faith in humanity - and not a moment too soon. One such boy is Jack Swanson, who raided his piggy bank to help a Texas mosque vandalized in the wake of the Paris attacks, which left 129 people dead.
The tragic events have forced many parents to have difficult conversations with our children, who are left confused and curious.
Jack was no exception. When he learned that the Islamic Center of Pflugerville had been targeted - torn pages of the Koran covered in feces at the entrance of the mosque - the seven year old wanted answers. He wanted to understand why would someone do such a disgusting thing.
Jack's mother, Laura, explained "about [what] churches are for and why everybody’s churches are important.”
"I think it’s really important to get kids involved and let them know what the important stuff really is."
Clearly her words resonated because the boy went on to donate his hard-earned savings - 20 dollars - to the mosque.
To mosque board member Faisal Naeem, those 20 bucks were more like 20 million.
"This gives me hope because this means it's not one versus the other," said Naeem. "If I find the [vandals] I would welcome them with open arms, to have a conversation with them. If this person wants to come and talk to us about why he did it and how we are not connected to what is happening in Paris or the Middle East."
The Islamic Center was one of many US mosques vandalized recently. Another, the only one in Peterborough, Ont., was deliberately torched a few days ago. Canadians reacted quickly. A crowdfunding site raised more than $110,000, with several contributors donating $1,000 apiece.
Sometimes it takes the youngest members of our society to remind us of our own humanity, of our capacity for kindness and compassion. And, now more than ever, we need those reminders.
Image Source: KXAN TV
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