The world is a mess right now. Honestly, we know it’s always a mess, but you know, there are some times that are messier than others. To start off, the planet and life itself is in danger from climate change and pollution. We’ve been warned about this since at least the 1970’s, and while some places have made great strides in lowering various types of pollution, other places have only gotten worse. In the midst of an ongoing pandemic, US troops just pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban made short work of taking over. Families of US soldiers killed over the past 20 years of war in Afghanistan are left wondering if they lost their loved ones “for nothing,” and some soldiers wonder about their time and losses in that arena. Afghan citizens who thought they could have their country back are thrust into terror. We are reminded by our president that our purpose over there was never to build a nation, but to protect our own country and our allies from terrorism. We can’t stay there forever. I don’t know all the details, nor do I know what is the right thing to do for our leadership and that of our allies on the world stage. All I know how to do is pray for those who are affected by this in any way, and hope against all hopes we don’t get into something like this again.
During this upheaval, the tiny country of Haiti has been hit by a huge earthquake even as they are still reeling from a series of hurricanes over the past years. They have never truly recovered from a devastating earthquake in 2010, their president was assassinated last month, they face ever growing economic challenges, and there’s a tropical storm called Grace bearing down upon them. Haiti can’t seem to catch a break. Again, there is little I can do to help. I know that the US has many nonprofit assistance organizations that help with disasters such as this. All I know how to do is pray, give whatever I can, and share information about those organizations. You will find links to some good places where you can donate to help Haiti and other locations suffering from disaster, drought, and hunger at the end of this post.
Here in the United States, families are still torn apart over politics and the politicization of public health. If my social media timeline and news preferences are at all correct, this is the same in some other western countries as well. Children are returning to in-person school, pulled left and right by the issue of masking. Parents are arguing for and against, using real and “fake” science to support their stance, while pundits label them as “left” or “right” based on their opinions about wearing masks or taking vaccines.
While I’m not sure that these times are unique, I am sure that with everything happening in the world around us, many are surviving in high anxiety mode. It is not healthy for body, mind, or spirit to live in survival mode on a continuous basis, yet this is where many find themselves even when they have access to all they need to live. This is a result of having access to a 24/7 window to the world.
There are some who choose to detach from the news and even social media. This can be helpful, if one can pull it off. However, many more of us really don’t have that option unless we wish to completely change our way of life. For many, it is easier to attempt to limit exposure to this traumatic window. Livelihoods that require use of social media or keeping a finger on the pulse of current events make it impossible to cut off access completely. For many other folks, social media is a lifeline – a connection to other people that they may not have “in real life.”
Wherever we stand on the various issues and however we are affected by the relentless stream of information, many of us want to make a difference but don’t know what we can do about any of it. Those who have time, energy, and strength to gather together in order to amplify their voices and those of others will do so. Some have the fortitude to voice their beliefs on social media, taking care to choose words wisely and support their opinions with back up. Others voice their opinions with little or no evidence and a plethora of name calling and expletives. These latter are a cause for stress and despair for many, such as myself. So, what can we do? How can we lower our stress levels without leaving the virtual world? Further, how can we help that world and the world outside our doors become better?
The reality is that most of us will not be doing any big and wondrous thing in our lifetimes. We will not end up in the history books for either the good things or the bad things we do. Nevertheless, we do have the ability to make a difference. It is possible to make a difference both for our own peace of mind, and in the chaotic world around us.
I think probably one of the first and simplest things we can do is to choose wisely what issues we take on, and how we do so. This means consciously allowing others to work on what matters most to them, even if we disagree with them. It means keeping ourselves informed on the issues we care about most, and withholding our uneducated opinions on other topics. It means taking a break, turning off the media, and spending time by ourselves or with our families, focusing on something totally unrelated to the issues. I’m not saying this is easy, it’s not. Yet it is crucial for our peace of mind, for our mental and physical health, that we don’t allow ourselves to be constantly overwhelmed with world events. Spending time in contemplation, meditation, exercise, being in nature, reading, or even mindlessly watching a feel-good movie or television show can help us stay centered as we navigate this chaotic world.
There are times when we cannot help but be moved by the plight of others, and we may find ourselves reassessing our priorities when faced with new challenges. This is, I believe, a healthy exercise on a somewhat regular basis. If we become too mired in our own interests for too long, we may miss something important that we can do something about. So, while I am saying we should winnow out the many issues that tear apart our hearts and our minds to find what we can logically and practically focus on, I think we should continue to be aware of whatever else is going on. The trick is to be able to “scroll past” the things that cause us undue stress when we know this is the case, to “stop by” to educate ourselves about new issues, and “move on” to what we ourselves can do something about, even if we can only do a little bit.
The reality is that most of us can “only do a little bit.” Following is a list of ways we can do our little bit to address some of the issues we are hearing about today.
Cleaning Up the Earth
The EPA has some ideas on how individuals and groups can work toward a cleaner environment, as does NOAA.
Helping Refugees
NPR published an article today with some excellent suggestions for helping refugees from war-torn Afghanistan.
The International Rescue Committee helps individuals and families who are taking refuge in the US from all over the world. You can donate at their site, find out how to volunteer, as well as learn how else you might be of help.
UMCOR
United Methodist Committee on Relief is administered through allocations from all United Methodist Churches based on membership, which allows for all donated funds to be distributed 100% to those for whom the donation is earmarked. These are two major projects. Explore the website to find other ways you can help financially around the world.
Haiti Earthquake Relief and relief for other world disasters: UMCOR International Relief
U.S. Disaster Relief: UMCOR US Relief
You Give Goods
This website allows you to donate to various causes, or even to set up your own event to collect food or other items for those in need.
GoFundMe Charity
There used to be a great fundraising site called Crowdrise, where one could raise money for charity. This site was bought out by GoFundMe in 2017 and has recently reopened.
GoFundMe
You can peruse the regular GoFundMe site to find individuals and families in need. Many of these people are facing unexpected financial challenges, and can use a little bit of help from a lot of people. This is a great way to do a little bit that can be a big help.
Helping Veterans
Military.com has a good list of sites you can check out if you’d like to help and support US Veterans.
You can also reach out to your local VFW, American Legion, DAV, or other veteran’s organization to see what their specific needs may be.
Helping Educators
Donors Choose is a great site to help teachers in your area or around the US get the funding they need for projects they have identified as important.
UNICEF works toward improving education for children around the world. You can read about how they help, and become a donor if you wish.
ChildFund is a nonprofit that helps children in poverty-stricken countries. You can donate, volunteer, purchase goods to help various localities, or sponsor a child.
Become a Mentor, Peer Support, or other Helper
You can earn a living or volunteer through organizations to provide one on one assistance to individuals in need. Check out a few of these options, and further search for ways you can connect with mentees or jobs in your area.
Whatever you do, whether it be simply stepping away from the window for awhile or choosing an issue or two to take on, do it sincerely. Surely, even these will help us to have new eyes to see the events of the world the next time we look out the window.
No comments:
Post a Comment