A time to restore human dignity
ARE we in self-destruct mode? Hindus have a term for this period of turmoil we find ourselves in – they call it kaliyug, which refers to a period of lawlessness and destruction.
A plane is shot down over wartorn Ukraine, killing all on board, while at least three other planes in recent days have just fallen from the sky resulting in fatalities. More than a million people have fled the war in the Central African Republic.
The incessant bombing in Gaza has left many hundreds dead. The victims, mainly Muslims living in this narrow strip of land, were not even given any respite to celebrate the culmination of the holy month of Eid ul Fitr.
Although these people have little to celebrate bearing in mind their personal strife, it is their belief in God which is being compromised. The very belief that can bring back some semblance of normality.
As human beings we consider ourselves to be the most intelligent life form on Earth, yet our collective behaviour belies this notion.
At a time when we need to find God in our hearts all we feel is hatred. Hatred for our fellow man. Hatred for our system of government. Hatred of our very existence.
Apart from these acts of mass destruction, violence of the most abhorrent nature is plaguing the lives of ordinary South Africans as we battle the crime wave that is threatening our lives on a daily basis.
Did the callous hijackers who tried to steal a car in the East Rand last week need to drag four-year-old Taegrin Morris to a grisly death?
Husbands kill wives and vice versa. Lovers’ quarrels lead to murderous plots. Siblings fight over inheritances. Communities are dragged into conflict by drug lords …
Even our hard-earned freedom from the shackles of apartheid is undergoing a significant strain with the emergence of strike and protest actions that inevitably end in some form of destruction.
Where to from here? Have we passed the precipice of no return? Is there still hope for humanity?
The answer lies in introspection. We cannot change the world. But we can change the way we live. Let’s seek the humanity in each of us.
In times of strife let’s make a collective effort to bring comfort to those less fortunate.
Marching for peace brings awareness but we need to engage in something more tangible. Let’s take a lesson from the work done by the Gift of The Givers and make a contribution that can bring about change.
Most importantly, we need to inculcate respect for human dignity to bring us back from the point of no return.