In the absence of light

During the Depression in the 1930's many people struggled to survive. Many people didn't make it, others did, life moved on. That's what life does, it continuously moves on. Regardless of whether we are jumping with joy or immobilised with pain. I read a story of a doctor who during the Depression walked tirelessly from home to home and helped anybody in need. He didn't ask for any payment, he just helped, comforted and did what he could. In the middle of a drought when nothing grows, with no water for neither beast nor plant, the sun relentlessly forcing all life in to submission, the temptation to just throw ones hands in the air and give up may seem mighty powerful.
Yet, somehow, this is also a time in which the most unexpected brightest lights appears. There are many recorded stories of amazing human feats performed under the most horrifying of circumstances, of insurmountable obstacles overcome, and expressions of compassion extended in times when "save yourself" might have been a safer option.
What is it that compel human beings to risk their lives for others in times of planetary trouble yet in "good" times ignore their neighbor? Does mankind need a threat to the spieces as a whole in order to find that altruistic spirit?
I am an artist, and I paint my impressions of the world in which I live. Sometimes I use a palet exploding with colours, and other times just variations of black and white. Often people ask me: "why do you use so much black, it's so depressing, so dark?" Black offers maximum contrast for all the other colours and so they become even more luminous, is my answer.
Different cultures interpret colours and their importance differently, who is to say white is for birth and black for death? And why attach any prejudice to colours anyway? Actually, what is colour?

"The colour of an object is seen by the eye when white light is shone upon the object's surface. The surface reflects some colours and absorbs others. It is the reflected light (or wavelength) that is picked up by the eye.
The amount of energy in a given light wave is proportionally related to its frequency, thus a high frequency light wave has a higher energy than that of a low frequency light wave.
The higher the frequency, of the colour, the closer together the waves of energy are.
Higher frequency colours are - violet - indigo - blue
lower frequency colours are - yellow - orange - red."

So what then is black or white? Black is the absence of light and white all light, or put another way, minimum or maximum reflection. All the bias attached to any colour is in my opinion highly subjective, so I will leave this topic for now.
Anne Frank wrote:  “How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straightaway... And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!” 
It seems to me that in the absence of light around us, we can find it inside us, bring it out and become beacons, to help light up the world for others.