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MAKING IT BETTER: Love, Kindness And Compassion

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Sunday, June 18th, 2017
5 comments

Some of you might have heard of the recent tragic fire that gutted a low income high rise housing in West London. This tragic event is one coming so close behind the terrorist bombing at a concert in Manchester where young people had got together to relax and enjoy themselves. Prior to that London had also suffered other terrorist attacks.

I live in London at the moment and have felt much like many others living here, that our slumber has been interrupted with the mother of all nightmares. It feels like an onslaught of one tragedy after another. Our hope is that these things come in the proverbial three and there will be no more.

I, like so many here in the UK and I’m sure across the globe who have seen the pictures, footage, and heard the horrifying stories of families who went to bed and were woken up by the realisation that were sealed in an inferno and either would die or would never see their loved ones again; all of this just in the twinkle of an eye. Parents were throwing their babies and toddlers out the window in the hope that they could save them. Others were jumping from the windows themselves. It’s impossible to conceptualise the absolute despair and horror that a human being must feel in such a situation. I am starkly aware that this type of experience or similar or worse (if that is possible) is a reality for many people around the world.

Looking at the images of the fire men as they came away dejected, frustrated, traumatised because of what they witnessed and probably even more so because of how hampered and futile their efforts were to save people they simply couldn’t get to in the blaze. There were people standing at the windows of the burning building pleading to be rescued. Many fire fighters watched as children and adults came flying out of the burning buildings. Many of them have children themselves and fought in desperation to save lives. Thankfully they did manage to save a lot of lives but those images will certainly be imprinted in their minds.

This particular tragedy has hit most people almost harder than the recent terrorist attacks. Its possible people can actually empathise and connect more with the situation, thereby bringing the horror of it closer home.

There are many questions around how and why it happened and already there is emerging evidence of man’s greed and lack of compassion for his fellow man. It’s beginning to appear that it certain inferior or inappropriate and flammable material was used to cover the building. This is also a lesson that corruption, greed, avarice and lack of moral compass exits everywhere. In the 21st century in modern day Britain people are shocked that something of this nature could occur.

However, what this particular event has generated in the UK is a sense of community and love, care, passion that has been glaringly absent for some time. Between the economic strains, and the government of the day installing policies that cripple the most vulnerable in the society, to the increase in racism and everybody feeling paranoid and put upon, people just seemed to go around angry, stressed and behaving badly.  This representation sounds quite familiar to me. I could easily be talking about life in my own beloved Nigeria.

This particular tragedy appears to have stopped everyone dead in their tracks. The entire society has come together and has instinctively reverted back to their God given nature, embodying compassion, love, and kindness. People have flung open their doors to take in those who have lost their homes. People have been coming in the hundreds, bringing food, clothing and every possible thing that they can think of to provide comfort and succour to the victims. In less than three days over a million pounds was offered in cash donations. So much has been donated in kind that the public was asked to stop giving because there was nowhere to keep all the things.

It’ s so heart warming to see the extent people are prepared to go and their need and wish to help their fellow human beings. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to help people to get perspective and take a moment, take a deep breath and open their hearts up.

Please pray for the survivors and the children. Send good thoughts and wishes to them. We are one human race. What affects our brothers and sisters in one end of the world affects us all in spirit. The collective heart beats as one!

 

May we all be gifted with hearts of compassion and mercy

May we be generous of spirit in our works and ways

So we may also receive divine mercy

 

God bless you all and keep you safe

5 Responses

  1. It’s sad. A friend lost his family there also. His mum, sister and dad. They died there. He’s since been so dejected. I pray that God will heal everyone and heal the land of London

  2. It’s horrible. Another attack has happened in London again. I just hope this whole thing will finish

  3. Amen to your prayers ma’am. It is so nice to see people showing so much love. I pray for strength and the fortitude to bear the loss of the affected families. It is well with London.

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