Coronavirus Crisis and the Spirit of Kindness, Generosity and Volunteerism
‘Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see’- Mark Twain
Photo:The Guardian
Coronavirus Crisis and the Spirit of Kindness, Generosity and Volunteerism
“We love our health service. We love it in a way that has no parallel in other countries.’
As a volunteer myself, volunteering at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Patient Partners’ Forum, and the Trust’s Patient & Public Involvement in Research Steering Group, as well as at our local medical surgery, Sky Blue Medical Group, Patient/GP Participation Group, I am full of joy noting this wonderful piece of good news at this time of crisis.- Kamran Mofid
‘The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion’- Thomas Paine
'A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity'. ~The Buddha
‘There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.'- Woodrow Wilson
'What is the essence of a good life?' Aristotle tells us that it is ‘to serve others and to do good.’
VOLUNTEERS
“Many will be shocked to find
When the day of judgement nears
That there's a special place in heaven
Set aside for volunteers.”- Author unknown
What is the essence of a good life?
Kindness in a time of crisis
‘So much of what we value is in fact preserved by kindness and is compatible with it. We can be kind and successful, kind and exciting, kind and wealthy and kind and potent. Kindness is a virtue awaiting our rediscovery and our renewed, un-conflicted appreciation.’-The School of Life
Most of the time, the crises we face are personal - playing out in the realm of our relationships, love, work, family and social lives. Then there are times when we face crises that are national or global in scope: affecting no one person, but all peoples. Times when the world around us seems suddenly unstable, and our species is united in anxiety, fear and despair.
During such times, maintaining a sense of calm can seem harder than ever. Yet simultaneously, the task has never been so vital. In testing times, each of us should give ourselves the time and space to practice strategies for serenity - and to make use of these strategies soothe and reassure those we love.
This is when we must reconnect. We must come together in kindness, love and generosity.
The GCGI has, since its inception in 2002, been at the forefront of thinking about the benefits and techniques of kindness, generosity and doing good by taking actions in the interest of the common good.
This is why I am inviting you to join me by revisiting the GCGI Archives and look at a selection of articles on these timely and timeless values:
Kindness is the Currency for a Good Life: Kindness to Make the World Great Again
Not to be Kind and Generous is a Collective Meanness of Spirit
What does it mean to be kind? What is Kindness?
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
Today is World Kindness Day: Embracing Kindness to Defeat the Political Economy of Hatred
In Praise of Generosity, Compassion and Kindness: Lessons of London 2012 …
What if Universities Taught KINDNESS?
What does it mean to be kind? What is Kindness?
In Praise of Laughter and Joy in these Dark and Uncertain Times …
In Praise of Frugality: Materialism is a Killer …
The Broken Economic Model and the Inhumanity of the Lost Decade of Austerity
What is the essence of a good life?
How volunteering saved my life
''The NHS promises to provide good healthcare to everyone and it looks after, on average, 1 million people every 36 hours.
If you get ill, have an accident, need an operation, have a baby – the NHS is there for you. What an amazing way to reduce everyone’s stress levels and create a more caring society.
As if that wasn’t enough, the NHS is also super efficient. The NHS is one of the best healthcare systems in the world – and unlike many others, remains free at the point of delivery.'-Photo: pbs.twimg.com
Britain’s greatest achievement: Wishing Our Precious NHS a Very Happy 70th Birthday
‘Nothing inspires national pride quite like the National Health Service. More than two-thirds of respondents in a recent poll said they considered the establishment of the institution, which turns 70 this week, to be Britain’s greatest achievement.’
‘Oh my God, I can write millions and millions of words, praising our beloved NHS. But, today, on this very happy day, the 70th Birthday of our NHS, I want to join this celebration by first giving thanks to the NHS and all those who have made it the greatest institution this country has ever seen, and then, by showcasing some of the NHS Blogs, articles, etc, that I have posted on the GCGI website over the past few years.
“We love our health service. We love it in a way that has no parallel in other countries.’
The NHS: The Healthcare for the Common Good
God Bless the NHS: Roger Taylor
The Spirit of '45: When Britons Chose the Common Good
Thanks, Danny Boyle, for Celebrating the Common Good
Photo:bing.com
And now enjoy and be inspired by Glen Campbell’s Try A Little Kindness
If you see your brother standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he sowed
And if you see your sister falling by the way
Just stop and say you're goin' the wrong way
You've got to try a little kindness yes show a little kindness
Yes shine your light for everyone to see
And if you'll try a little kindness and you'll overlook the blindness
Of the narrow minded people on the narrow minded streets
Don't walk around the down and out lend a helping hand instead of doubt
And the kindness that you show every day will help someone along their way
You've got to try a little kindness...
You've got to try a little kindness…
In search of beauty, wisdom and love? Then, come, come, whoever you are come
Friends, do you hear the voice which calls us together here today? That voice which calls us to remember that we are not alone and that we are inextricably linked to all other life—woven into a vast tapestry of existence of which we are a powerful, integral, and holy part.
And just as we have been called together here today, we act as the voice—the heart—the hands of another call:
Walk with the wanderers
Sing and dance with the worshipers
Proclaim the memory of those who have taken their leave
Wrap the despairing and the broken in the arms of love and community
And hold the hands of all of us who have broken our vows and call us back—again and again—to the covenant and work of justice, humility, and steadfast faithfulness.
For this we are here together today. So, my friends, come, yet again; come let us be together.