The power of words can touch the heart. Gan Jing World’s first essay contest, “Good Deeds In Troubled Times,” has come to a successful close. The contest, which aimed to celebrate and promote acts of benevolence through the power of words, received countless submissions as the Gan Jing World community came together and shared their stories of compassion and kindness, inspiring readers worldwide in the process.
Essays submitted included creative prose, short stories, historical accounts, memoirs, and other storied content. These touching stories are a testament to the power of good deeds to change hearts and uplift the spirits of those around us, even amidst the toughest of circumstances! We are incredibly heartfelt by the number of excellent works and filled with gratitude that we could experience each and every one of your precious stories of triumph and grace. Every single story lent itself to shining a brighter light in our world and every story has made an impact on someone who needed it most.
We are pleased to announce the winner for this year’s essay contest.
The Winner of the “Good Deeds In Troubled Times” Essay Contest Goes To…
The Buddha Statue
By Channel Creator: It’s what I saw
A tale of suffering and faith, a sculptor’s lifelong wish is to create something so beautiful, so powerful, that it would inspire generations to come. Inspired by a temple bell chiming in the distance, he is struck with inspiration to create two Buddha statues. As a metaphor for the journey through life, the sculptor starts with two slabs of marble, advising the stone pieces that in order to remove their impurities, the process will be long, hard, and full of suffering, but that at the end they will emerge as magnificent, Buddha statues. A devastating fate befalls one of the statues but in that moment what is revealed is its true heart; it decides to still lend itself as inspiration to others, but now in a different way than it once expected.
Congratulations to channel creator, It's what I saw! Please email us at [email protected] to collect your prize.
With so many outstanding submissions, we wish to also call out these honorable mentions and thank all participants for their submissions, which together made for a wonderful event.
Honorable Mention
The Dramatic Story Behind The Recording Of The 2004 Aceh Tsunami
By Channel Creator: Mata Phena & Lentera Kehidupan
A gripping recount of the worst tsunami disaster in history that killed 160,000+ people in Indonesia and tens of thousands in nearby regions. The magnitude of the disaster was witnessed by the world due to one woman’s resilient heart to record the entire event. Amidst her own life-threatening circumstances and uncertain fate, the woman captures the scene and conditions, saving many people along the way and also recording the spirit of kind hearts stopping in such perilous conditions to help others survive.
Honorable Mention
A Return To Kindness: A Ray Of Hope In Turbulent Times
By Channel Creator: Mindful Living
A physician recounts her experiences administering to patients from the World War II generation, reflecting on characteristics and a ‘way of being’ of this generation that she found to be rooted in kindness and good deeds: “Reflecting on the World War II generation, I'm reminded of a time when family connection, kindness, integrity, and faith were not merely ideals to aspire to, but lived realities.” In a thoughtful approach, the physician lays out the realistic challenges with being kind in today’s more difficult, modern world, and how one can take practical steps to achieve good deeds in what are now complex, troubled times.
Congratulations to the winner and special thanks to our honorable mentions and all those who participated in this year's first essay contest! In our troubled world, through the recording and dissemination of benevolent acts, together we can spread love and kindness to those around us, and like a butterfly effect, send positive change throughout our world. Each and every one of us plays an incredible role in making our world a better place.
We look forward to meeting you again in future activities and hope you will join us again in next year's essay contest.
About Gan Jing World
“Gan Jing” means clean. Our mission is to create a truly positive, vibrant digital community filled with wholesome content, free from violent, pornographic, criminal and harmful material. (About Us)