One of the valuable insights reinforced in me while I was still teaching in the University took place about a decade ago this week.
To mark Random Acts of Kindness Day that Feb. 17, I encouraged the students in our early evening class to write down what they have done on that day without being aware about the observance.
The international event was started to encourage people to engage in acts of goodness and kindness.
Majority of the students recounted seemingly ordinary episodes – from helping their parents on the day’s chore, buying a post-Valentine’s Day gift for a nanny, smiling to an elderly couple in a fastfood joint, giving street directions to an apparently lost stranger to sharing with a street child pieces of candy from one’s pocket and being polite to sales clerks in the mall.
As we processed their day’s experiences, we realized and agreed that demonstrating kindness need not be a deliberate and conscious effort – and the act comes straight from the goodness of one’s heart.
That class discussion reverberated in mind also when I recently came across Major Sunkyung Simpson’s article, “The Call To Kindness: A Christian Perspective”.
The author promotes the idea that “kindness brings people together even if they have nothing else in common.” True, indeed, when we think if people who go out of their way to share goods, services, funds and materials during calamities, which come too many today.
In a world that has become rather impersonal, kindness, however, appears to have largely become an uncommon act.
“Kindness is the way to show love and compassion to those in need, and it is what we are all called to practice as followers of Jesus,” the author wrote as he cited that Ephesians 4:32 teaches us ‘to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’
The Bible, he continued, teaches us that “kindness is something that we must strive for, not just something we must do. We are called to be kind, loving and merciful.”
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Another significant global event, especially for rights activists, is being marked on Feb 20.
The event is World Day of Social Justice.
It is a day initiated by the United Nations in 2009 designed to restore focus on social justice.
The day reiterates the commitment to create equitable opportunities, reduce socio economic and political differences and dispel disparities in culture and beliefs.
Advocates underscore that the principle on social justice is grounded in the conviction that “everyone deserves equal rights, opportunities and treatment regardless of economic status, race, sexuality and gender identity.”
Among its goals is the diffusion of wealth and political power, which is apparently more of an idealism and wishful thinking considering the power hierarchies that operate in society.
The concept of social justice is enshrined in our Constitution. Article 13 underscores the protection of the right to be ensured of human dignity and, at the same time, the reduction of inequalities.
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This year, the theme of the observance goes further than the common concerns of the past. It is environment-focused: “Strengthening a Just Transition for a Sustainable Future”.
The United Nations, which is championing the global event, stands by the proposition that in strengthening a just transition for a sustainable future institutions must make sure that the move toward low-carbon economies must benefit everyone, especially the most vulnerable sectors or members of the society.
“It requires a holistic approach that weaves environmental sustainability with social justice, ensuring that workers, indigenous peoples, and marginalized communities receive the support they need—through retraining, job creation, and strong social protection measures.”
It means, UN added, “decarbonization and economic transformation should go hand in hand with policies that fight poverty, reduce inequality, and open up opportunities for all.”
UN further said: “At the heart of this vision is the idea of integrating ‘just transition’; principles into both global and national policies.”
When these principles are built into sustainable development agenda, the world body further said, “policymakers can create a fairer environment where the costs of change are shared equitably.”
Have a meaningful observance of World Day for Social Justice and, yes, show kindness not only this week but all throughout our days in this world.
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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (I Corinthians 13:4) | NWI
