I used to love crackling bonfires and thunderstorms, the dark clouds, lightning and thunder. I always tried to be careful with fire and to find cover during a thunderstorm. These days, storm clouds and fire scare me more. Nature seems to become more unpredictable. An anxious glance at the sky when it’s hot, do I have enough protection from sun and fire, does the app show any weather front approaching. I think I am not the only one feeling like this. There are many climate related conflicts erupting at the moment, unnerved citizens are asking questions, political parties want to win voters in the upcoming the elections, there are arguments on who has what rights and responsibilities, how nature can best be protected. The current thunderstorms have turned into more severe storms, the heat in many countries leads to drought, wildfires and food shortage, in other regions lockdowns and famines threaten livelihoods. Many seem heartless these days, they say that other people and countries don’t concern us. We will probably only survive these deep crises if we pull together, each in their own way. What certainly doesn’t seem inviting in this regard is forced community and mutual support. When helping others becomes compulsory or calculated, it is done without love, it is perceived as uncharitable and it no longer is truly helping. Let’s observe people who really are helping each other to see what truly helping looks like: people help each other because they want to do it, because they feel sorry for the other person, because they think that they could end up in a similar situation and would be happy to receive help from others. Let’s help others truly and authentically, so we will feel useful for each other. Enjoy helping each other!
