It’s a week into January 2020 and we greet each other with “Happy New Year” wishing this for ourselves and each other. However, bad news continues relentlessly. Horrific bush fires in Australia, provocative military attacks in Iran, violence in our own neighbourhoods. It’s difficult to remain optimistic that ‘happy’ and that ‘new’ can prevail.
In the face of the destruction, hostility and abuse which either enters our homes through TV or we witness in our everyday life, how do we maintain a positive attitude and keep believing that “Happy New Year” is a possibility?
I believe we can often feel powerless to do anything which will make a difference. Sending well-intended ‘thoughts and prayers’ is all we think we can do. But there are those who say sending “thoughts and prayers’ to those who are suffering is not enough. More than just sending thoughts and prayers, they challenge us to take positive action to bring about the changes that are necessary.
The founder of “GIvealittle”, ( Nathalie Whitaker) has said recently in an article titled “FORGET BUSHFIRE DONATIONS. CHANGEALITTLE” …” the heaviest realisation from my time as Givealittle’s founder has been harder to unpack - that generosity is totally insufficient for solving our problems. We need unity. The simple fact is that the most important issues we face need us to change how we live, more than they need our donations”. (Refer to newsroom.pro to view Nathalie’s full article which includes suggestions for action.)
There are many suggestions available for the types of actions we can take - we each need to choose those we can best commit to and make part of our daily lives.
And it helps to keep in mind the ‘big picture’ as we make the necessary changes …
“Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.”
