Be kind to each other

Last year, in the aftermath of the mosque massacre in Christchurch, the Prime Minister became a familiar figure of national unity as she encouraged the nation to reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters, but also to each other, in that time of intense national soul-searching amidst the violence of that tragedy:  “Be kind to each other” was, at that time too, a frequent reminder.  It was comforting then, as it is now, and there were and are at least anecdotal examples of people responding to her call.

All of which raises some interesting questions: Has “Be kind to each other” become a “go to” when we have a national tragedy?  Have we got to the stage in our society that we have to be reminded, in the face of death and destruction, to even be kind to each other?  Do we forget, between calamities, that being kind to each other actually works, that it makes both others and ourselves not only feel better but be better? 

We’d better practise this “Be kind to each other” bit.  The new normal that will exist after lockdown is unlocked is going to call on us to apply it to thousands and thousands of our brothers and sisters in a much more sustained way than just answering a clarion call once in a while.