Why "Longspoon"?

Over the last few months, we’ve been blessed with mini testimonies from friends and associates about how they “seek the good of others”. Many have asked me why the blog is called “Longspoon” and what is it all about? Here I offer an explanation...

When Jesus was asked which commandments are the greatest, He said, Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39).

Later, Jesus tells His disciples: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). With this He provided a standard for loving that we are to follow.

But what exactly does it mean to love? The word has been used so often to mean so many things. St. Augustine provided guidance to early Christians that still applies today: to love another person is to “will the good of the other”. (It is interesting to note that the saint is said to have borrowed this definition from a non-Christian philosopher, Aristotle).

In today’s manner of speaking, “willing the good of the other” may be understood as “desiring and working for the good of the other”.

The Longspoon blog is all about the many ways that people desire and work for the good of others. Some posts are about the actual work that that they do, and how they express love for others through their work. Other posts are about the perspectives, ideas, and behavior that helps them love others.

In the coming weeks, we are looking forward to reading about how certain organizations are loving others, especially those who are vulnerable. Some of these organizations are loose and informal groups, while others are established, SEC-registered and staffed with professionals. All of them share the mission of seeking the good of others.   

But why “Longspoon”?

The name comes from this old story about how a group of people are gathered around food and given spoons that are longer than their hands. For some reason, they can’t bend their arms or hold the spoon other than at the tip of the handles, so they can’t put food in their mouths. That really frustrates each person.

Then somebody uses his spoon to feed someone else. Others see and follow suit. Soon everyone is feeding everyone else, and each person is no longer hungry.

The story suggests that instead of looking out for ourselves, we should look out for the good of the other person. Thus, “Longspoon”.