The Cancer Society here in Nova Scotia is doing nothing, and

The words of Terry Fox—"The Cancer Society here in Nova Scotia is doing nothing, and money is being wasted. I would love to get my hands on the people in Halifax."—strike like a hammer upon the anvil of complacency. They do not rise from malice, but from the fiery furnace of a young man who, stricken with cancer, still chose to lift his broken body in a marathon of hope. This was no idle complaint, no whisper of discontent. It was a cry born from both anguish and vision, from the burning knowledge that while he gave all—blood, sweat, and limb—others squandered the very resources that might bring salvation to countless souls. His words echo across time as a warning: that apathy and mismanagement are more deadly than disease itself.

The origin of this utterance lies in the sacred journey known as the Marathon of Hope, a pilgrimage across the vast dominion of Canada, undertaken by a man with but one leg, yet with a spirit greater than mountains. Along the lonely roads, Terry Fox endured storms, pain, and exhaustion, yet pressed on because he believed that each step would awaken a nation’s heart to the cause of cancer research. When he reached the shores of Nova Scotia, his hope was to find allies in his quest. Instead, he beheld indifference, and the bitterness of seeing money wasted while lives hung in the balance drew from him this thunderous condemnation. It was not hatred of people, but hatred of waste, hatred of sloth in the face of suffering.

The ancients themselves knew the peril of such neglect. Recall the tale of Cincinnatus, who was called from his plow to save Rome. He did not hesitate, nor did he wait upon committees, nor did he demand glory. He simply acted, for he knew the city’s survival depended upon urgency. In contrast, when leaders squander treasure and time while their people bleed, they betray the very trust of those they claim to serve. Terry’s rebuke was in this same spirit: that when the call is sounded, the stewards of power must not sit idle, but must rise, seize the reins, and serve with swiftness and integrity.

Consider also the story of the great Florence Nightingale, who walked into hospitals filled with the dying and the abandoned. She did not endure the filth and negligence with quiet resignation. She raged against it, lifted her voice to governments, and transformed the chaos of war into order, bringing cleanliness, light, and hope where there was none. Her anger, like Terry’s, was not a selfish fire but a holy one, burning away complacency to reveal the path of righteous labor. Just so, Terry’s words remind us that true service demands vigilance, accountability, and sacrifice.

There is a profound lesson here: that righteous anger is not sin but strength when wielded for the common good. Terry Fox’s frustration was born not of vanity, but of a sacred duty, a belief that every wasted dollar was a life betrayed, every idle hand a chain upon the progress of healing. We too must learn this art of holy indignation, to speak when silence would betray, to demand when meekness would allow decay, and to act when delay would cost lives. For in the realm of human suffering, neutrality is cruelty.

And what of us, who hear his words centuries in the making? Shall we nod in admiration and then pass by unmoved? Or shall we rise, as Terry did, upon our own broken limbs, and labor for justice in our own fields? Each of us can guard against waste, demand accountability from those entrusted with power, and give of ourselves to causes greater than our own comfort. For though we may not run a marathon, we can give our hours, our voices, and our hands to the work of compassion.

Therefore, let the teaching be clear: do not waste what is given, do not remain silent when truth is trampled, and do not hoard when others hunger for hope. Whether in the realm of charity, of governance, or of daily life, the principle holds: resources must be used with wisdom, and passion must be harnessed for the common good. Each citizen must be a watchman upon the walls, ensuring that treasure is not squandered, that trust is not betrayed, and that the suffering are not abandoned.

Let us then walk forward, bearing Terry’s words as a torch. If we see waste, let us challenge it. If we see apathy, let us awaken it. If we see injustice, let us confront it. In this way, the anger of a young man cut short by disease will be transfigured into a living legacy, a call to vigilance and to action. And so the Marathon of Hope shall never end, but shall live on in every heart that refuses complacency and chooses courage.