Enforced isolation gives us all ample time to reflect on the things that matter. Our own survival is probably top off most people’s list. So isn’t it remarkable that the NHS’s appeal for additional workers got such a huge response?
Does that mean that human beings can do things for others that are not in their own interest? Some cynics might suggest that keeping a public health service going is in the interest of the individual who might need to use it. But risking your own health because you might need a doctor is not a very logical decision, but it is a brave contribution to society.
We stood on our doorstep yesterday evening at 8pm and applauded the health workers along with our neighbours who were also keeping a safe distance in an effort to stall the spread of the covid 19 virus.
So what other crisis might produce a humanitarian response? The famine in Ethiopia was taken up by Bob Geldof who worked tirelessly to save the lives of people starving thousands of miles away. The global giving to charities such as the Red Cross/Crescent, Save the Children, Oxfam, etc peaks when disaster strikes around the world.
However, there is a dulling of our emotional reactions to the endless pictures of starving children, wartorn countries, bombed homes and hospitals and the bodies of victims. We keep our distance mostly unless provoked out of our bubbles by guilt or waking up to the realization that other lives matter, and we have a moral duty to do what we can to ease the suffering of others.
We should spare a thought and keep giving to help those who are still caught in the middle of civil wars, famine, and natural disasters. Refugees and the homeless still need aid.
odespinner 