The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others
Albert Schweitzer
Here we are on the last day of 2022 and another year is almost over. In a matter of hours we will be wishing everyone a Happy New Year, setting resolutions we probably won't keep and looking forward to a fresh start. If we were to look at the news headlines, though, there doesn't seem too much to celebrate. Devastation and death continues in Ukraine. The United States has been hit by one of the worst blizzards in living memory. The threat of recession looms on the horizon for many nations, and if homelessness and financial struggles were not enough for many Australians, we have been shocked out of our safety zones by acts of violence. A home invasion has ended with the murder of a loving wife, mother and friend. A seemingly tragic but accidental fire that claimed two deaths has now been escalated to a potential murder investigation. And west of Toowoomba, two young police officers were gunned down in an ambush.
What is with people??
Only a few years ago, at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the words on everybody's lips were: We're all in this together! There was a strong sense of community, isolating side by side, wearing masks and social distancing - all to keep each other, and especially the more vulnerable, safe. Children wrote encouraging chalk messages on the footpaths. The internet almost exploded as we did everything together online. We applauded the medical staff working on the frontlines and got angry with rule breakers. In extraordinary times, we humans have the capacity to pull together, stand shoulder to shoulder, and face communal threats with determination and courage. Looking out for each other, caring for the vulnerable, ensuring that no one is left behind - this is what "we're all in this together" means. This is what it means to live in community.
I guess it was too much to ask that this extraordinary surge of solidarity and community last beyond the initial threat of Covid. How quickly it seems we have returned to "every person for themselves." It is natural, of course, for us to be focused on our own family and life concerns, and perhaps it is easy for us to become blind to the needs around us, but the amount of violent behaviour that seems to be going on makes me really wonder about what is going on in some people's heads. Everyday life can be quite stressful at times, but that doesn't mean we have the right to abuse people who are just doing their job. Plenty of people are doing it tough financially right now, but breaking into people's houses and stealing their hard-earned stuff is just not right. And the ease at which people resort to violence does not bode well for a happy new year. Whatever happened to "we're all in this together?"
Caring for each other, going the extra mile, doing things for others voluntarily, defending the vulnerable and those in need all come under the banner of service. In our modern times we have an aversion to the idea of being a "servant." We see it as demeaning, slaving away doing all the menial jobs of cleaning, cooking, washing and ironing, gardening….hang on a minute! That sounds just like the life of every woman. Of course, no one would argue that these tasks aren't important, but there is a fine line between doing what needs to be done and being taken for granted. Around the world it is true that many people, especially women, are exploited as indentured servants, in conditions that justify the term slavery. However, serving others doesn't necessarily have to be demeaning or exploitative.
Service comes in many forms. Many of us have jobs where we are serving others, such as nursing and other medical professionals, educators, disability and aged care workers, even people working in retail - we all need food, after all. Then there are those who serve others by putting their lives on the line, such as police, emergency services and defence personnel - these people choose to do dangerous jobs, choose to go into life threatening situations - in order to keep others safe, to protect the lives and property of others, to serve the community. Sometimes this service comes with a high cost.
Barely two weeks before Christmas we were all shocked by the ambush and violent murder of two Queensland police officers, who were just doing their job, following up a routine enquiry, serving their community. Police put their lives on the line everyday and tragically many have lost their lives in the line of duty, but this event rocked us to the core. It hit hard for the surrounding communities of Chinchilla, Tara and Dalby.
We used to live in Chinchilla. Dan and Bec grew up in Chinchilla. We know the Chinchilla-Tara Rd. We have been up and down that road many times. For a rural community, this kind of violence against our police service is unthinkable. It was unreal to see so many reporters in Chinchilla, standing outside the Chinchilla police station, a building we have been in.
Along with many Australians, we watched the memorial service that honoured the service of these brave young officers. I don't think we had ever seen such a sea of blue before. Hundreds of police from across the state gathered in Brisbane and lined the street as a guard of honour. It was incredibly moving to witness the formal honours and rites of our police service and to hear the testimony from friends and family about these two exceptional officers. It makes us feel so incredibly grateful for the service rendered to us by our police and other services. It humbles us because it shows the high regard in which they hold all of us, the community, in that they willingly put their lives on the line for us. Service is about honour. It highlights the value of each and every individual who is being served by another.
Acts of service can be seen in all walks of life. While I was in Adelaide recently I was able to witness the acts of service rendered to the residents of the Retirement Village where my parents live. Care has been taken to provide services that enhance their quality of life, such as a community coffee shop and library. There is a bus service to take people to the local shops and a tri-shaw service that enables residents from the nursing home to visit their friends and family members living in independent units. I was quite stunned one day when I saw this fit young volunteer pedalling an elderly couple around to visit their sister. Apparently the tri-shaw was specially imported from Scandinavia!
Many people are employed in delivering aged care to our elderly, but I was particularly impressed by the way the staff honour the residents by serving them at the annual Christmas lunch. All the residents are invited to the Christmas lunch, a three course meal with wine, totally free. All staff, from the CEO down to the maintenance crew, are involved in serving the residents, pouring wine, taking away dirty dishes, dressing up as Santa. It is such a beautiful example of the truth, that no matter what position you hold in life, no one is ever too important or too high up to serve others. By serving the residents, the staff demonstrated that every thing they do every day in their jobs is all about serving the ageing community. People are at the heart of service.
Martin Luther King Jr once said: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" When we think about it, nearly every role or position a person can perform in life is an act of service. Most industries are about providing a service we need, some more essential than others perhaps. Too often, though, we get sidetracked by the career ladder and the financial rewards, rather than remembering the people who are at the heart of why we do what we do. As we prepare to farewell 2022 and usher in 2023, perhaps we might resolve to resurrect the words "we're all in this together' and make it our community motto. Perhaps we could resolve to honour and respect others with acts of service. Perhaps we could resolve to restore compassion, humility and service to the centre of our life.
Wishing everyone a Happy, Fulfilling and Generous New Year
No comments:
Post a Comment