COLUMN: Selflessness requires a little initiative
Within hours of the earthquake in Japan, humanitarian and relief groups were mobilizing. Individuals all around the world were praying for help and support to come to the people of Japan in their hour of need. It has never ceased to amaze me how in the face of destruction, people seem to take on a higher calling. Hurricane Katrina, Haiti’s earthquake and the Indian Ocean tsunami are just a few recent examples of when nations have joined together in a common cause of selflessness and service.
However, it is in moments of trial that I wonder if we are really living up to our potential as a society or as individuals. True, it is a marvelous thing to watch as so many people from so many countries band together to help those in need. I will never grow tired of seeing that unity, that strength. I think that is what makes us human. But between the calls, between the storms, between the chaos, where are we?
When the dust settles and we have met our goals, we retreat back to the ho-hum of our everyday lives. We forget about that desire that so recently filled our hearts. We forget about the love that brought us together.
Where were you the day before Japan’s earthquake hit? I can tell you where I was. I was sitting in my apartment, thinking about what work I had to get done. Like most students, I was thinking about how I was going to balance my homework with my extracurricular activities and my social life. I was thinking only of myself. It’s a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless, one that I have been pondering on as of late. The moment I heard about the earthquake, I was ready to do whatever I could to help. But the moment before, it was the last thing in my mind.
Why do we need the rallying cry? Yes, it warms my heart that we answer so quickly and readily each time, but do we really need to be called in order to answer with service? The answer is no. We are ready, we are able, so let us do. Around the globe, one billion people go to bed hungry each night. Two billion cannot read. Three billion have to live in fear of oppressive governments, limited freedoms, exploitation, torture and death on a daily basis.
Fortunately, there are humanitarian efforts working to solve these problems today. These are the quiet laborers that work even after the news dies down. These are the servers that help out even though no one asked them to. They took the selfless initiative. However, these labors are small in comparison to the large-scale disaster reliefs that we hear so much about in every headline and on every channel. They are small because there is no disaster.
These issues can be seen on both a national and an individual scale. Personally, I think the individual scale is the more saddening occurrence. Sometimes it’s a complete stranger, other times it is a close friend in need of help. We glance over them because there is no red flag. We don’t care to look past the obvious and see the inner struggles that we all in no doubt face every day. These are the kinds of problems that we can have the most impact on if only we take the initiative to serve without being called.
Imagine what the world would be like if we were always as eager to help others as we are now, no matter what was happening in the world. Even if there was no immediate outcry, imagine if we were there anyways, lending a helping hand to those who could use it. We certainly have the capacity to do so; all that is missing is the desire.
This is where we must take the responsibility. When we have the ability to help, how can we sit back and do nothing? We don’t need a catastrophe to alert us to the sufferings. If each of us kept on the offensive, always seeking out opportunities to help and serve, not only would the world be a much better place, we would be much better people for it.
I can promise that there is no greater joy in life than serving. It doesn’t matter if the need is dire or if it is simply a personal wish. Service is the rent we pay for living life, and we shouldn’t have to wait for adversity to present itself before we make our move.
Do what is in your ability to ease the burdens of others, regardless of the severity of the burden. Don’t wait for catastrophe. If you wait to serve, you’ll miss out on crucial opportunities where your help could make all the difference.
Jared Arnell is a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering. He can be reached at aero15243@hotmail.com.