Blog
What’s our role in a global crisis?
by Amy Riley
January 14, 2010
We have all probably recently heard some of the shocking and disturbing details from Haiti. An article from the Associated Press starts with, “The tiny bodies of children lay in piles next to the ruins of their collapsed school. People with faces covered by white dust and the blood of open wounds roamed the streets. Frantic doctors wrapped heads and stitched up sliced limbs in a hotel parking lot.” It’s the description of heart-breaking devastation. I can’t begin to wrap my mind around it. I don’t know that I want to.
So, what do we do in the face of such information? What’s our role when there’s a global crisis?
There are probably infinite possible responses to this question. Here are a few that align with what we aim to practice in the Tiara community.
Allow the recent events to shift your perspective. When you hear of a calamity in the world, it’s an opportunity to bring things back into perspective for yourself. I know the news stopped me in my tracks and had me saying to myself, “Well, all the things you think you have to do before you go on vacation next week, don’t seem so important now, do they?!” We don’t have to shame ourselves for being caught up in our day-to-day circumstances. It’s a human thing to do. Yet, we can let it be an opportunity to shift our perspective to the bigger picture and appreciate ALL that we have and do.
Take the opportunity to be of service. We have an innate desire to want to help others, to want to be of service. Here’s an opportunity. We can find a way to contribute that’s aligned with our values and talents. We can donate to an organization that we respect. We can find out how to support a local family that is awaiting news of their loved one visiting Haiti. We can join a prayer group. Whatever is aligned with your desired way to help. I know that a natural reaction can be, “The help is needed in Haiti, what can I do here?” Yet, if we look, there are numerous ways we can be of service.
Give yourself permission to feel good. What? Feel good? There are potentially hundreds of thousands of people dead or dying in Haiti, how can it be appropriate to feel good? Isn’t that selfish? This one is the most difficult to explain, and I definitely don’t mean that we should dismiss the suffering of others. However, it’s easy to get caught up in the despair and focus more on the fear and devastation than is helpful, both in our own lives and for the greater good. We can use the opportunity to remember take care of ourselves, hug our kids, cook a good meal, share an intimate conversation, or smile at a stranger. Revel in the present moment in your life and allow yourself to feel grateful and good while at the same time sending your positive thoughts (as well as funds and medical supplies, if so inspired) to those in dire circumstances. In fact, in some metaphysical circles, they say feeling good, grateful, loving or peaceful in the face of any circumstance is the greatest service we can provide to humanity.
Our thoughts are with our fellow Haitians.
And, a heart-felt thank you to those in Haiti providing direct service.