Care for the suffering

 

A person is a person
From LA to Sudan
From Mexico to Gaza
From Congo to Canada
From Lebanon to Texas
A heart is a heart
A hug is a hug
Unimaginable suffering can be anybody’s story
We acknowledge it comes in varying degrees
But our humanity is interconnected
No space for dehumanizing others

All over the world
Fire burns the same
It destroys
It takes away
It alters the future
Hearts ache for lost loved ones

Thousands displaced across our globe
Families and young children
Nowhere to go!
Catastrophic!
Destruction!
 Common cries of “It's all gone!”
”I have nothing left” or
”I am the only one left alive!”

Acts of heroism by many people
Putting themselves in harm’s way
Normal everyday people
Helping complete strangers
Many courageous people on the front-lines
Doctor’s, nurses
Humanitarian workers
Firefighters and the incarcerated

Trauma. Trauma
Experienced differently by every living soul
But the same emotions
Anger and fear
Violent responses
Grief and loss
Lonely
Bewildered
Overwhelmed
Why was it you and not me?
Suicidal and depressed

But lies, ignorance, arrogance and hypocrisy
Are also in the mix
Some stories are elevated above others
Misinformation and fear mongering
These things we don’t want
These things we don’t need

In some spaces there is huge injustice
Making the impact experienced very different
Every person should be afforded safety
To evacuate safely to safer places
To be given life giving aid

What is needed is our care for people
Our love and compassion
Empathy for broken hearts
Our hearts breaking for the pain and suffering
We want integrity and equity
Upholding the same human rights for all

Actions of love and care for the planet
Planting indigenous trees
Trees that tend to the soil and land
Provide safety and wholeness
Taking seriously how our actions can harm
People and planet
It is always about all of us
All of us
All of the time
Always