Hope for Humanity
The steepest paths lead to the sweetest views. This is what caught my eye this morning on the back of the Sanitarium cereal box. It is Sunday on the weekend which has been deemed the darkest time in NZ history, in the aftermath of the horrific terrorist attack in Christchurch on Friday afternoon. By yesterday a mere 24 hours post the attack, the response was absolutely astounding. Particularly here in New Zealand. The love and displays of compassion, unity and fight for who we are as a nation, words cannot describe. The tears that streamed down my face and dull ache deep in my heart along with millions of others, speak louder than anything else. These un-comprehendible acts have resulted in our fast paced, technology driven society coming to a halt. However, NOT in the way intended by the disturbed individuals involved. Instead we pause to reflect on what matters, the basic human values that drive the overwhelm of emotion seeing the rise of infallible unity amongst individuals, groups, politicians and nations who in usual circumstances have different norms, values, beliefs and priorities. We have all come together in one common message, we are one on this, we are all hurting, we are together, we all support one another to get through this. Never have I witnessed a disregard for differences in order to come together and stand for what is right, for our future, for what is the common ground of humanity, like this phenomenon. This is a display of true empathy. This gives us hope. Hope for humanity and that we can turn our society back to what matters most. We are a nation cripple with social issues, including one of the highest rates of child abuse in the world, a child dying from abuse in our country every 5 weeks on average. Up until now call to come together as a community, to stop the blame and tendency to focus on our own interests, our 'own backyard', to promote citizenship that does not accept issues like children being abused and killed, has proven difficult. I now have hope. Hope for a future here in our beautiful country that condemns terrorism, abuse, judgement based on difference. A society that embraces community responsibility to achieve safety, belonging, acceptance and empathy for one another.
How to talk to your kids about terrorism.
