For the Sake of Others

When I was working on my doctorate at Princeton I stayed just around the corner from the home where Albert Einstein once lived. I heard many interesting stories about his life at the university. I decided to learn a bit more about him and discovered some very interesting quotes from this scientific genius. I came across one of my favorite again recently in an unexpected place—a new guitar book I recently purchased.

"Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, but sometimes seeming to divine a purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know, that we are here for the sake of others—above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, but also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are attached by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the efforts of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.” Albert Einstein

It’s fascinating to me that a man who had the intelligence to discover the solutions to some of the greatest mysteries of God’s universe also had the wisdom to discern the greatest secret to living in that universe. “There is,” he insisted, “one thing we do know, that we are here for the sake of others.” This great scientific thinker understood that he lived in a symbiotic relationship with human beings and was dependant upon others. He could never have accomplished what he did without the help of so many.

I also found it fascinating that the author of a guitar book, Aaron Shearer, would record this quote in his discussion of why someone would want to learn to play the guitar. “Music,” he maintains, “is for sharing.” But for Shearer is goes deeper than that. About the quote from Einstein Shearer wrote, “‘For the sake of others.’ These words sparked a flame in my imagination which has endured to this day. They’ve been a stabilizing force for me during difficult times, and have strongly contributed to my generally rewarding life.”

A famous guitar teacher/author; an infamous scientific genius. Both men discovered an eternal truth taught by Jesus two thousand years ago. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”