Unsung Heroes

Commemorating International Human Solidarity Day, 20 December

House after Cyclone Tracy, Christmas 1974. Photo by Bill Bradley on Wikipedia|cc-by-2.5

Our humanity sometimes most noticeably comes to the fore during times of crisis. This Christmas marks the significant anniversary of two such notable human tragedies – and their related stories of human resilience.

Fifty years ago this Christmas Day, a cyclone blew into Darwin and devastated the city, killing dozens and causing many millions of dollars damage. I can recall the Australian news mass media being full of stories of how ordinary Aussies with building or other skills gave up their holiday time in order to travel to Darwin and offer assistance to survivors whose stories – even fifty years later – recall resilience and heroism. Fundraising appeals were held across the country. Even a charity song, Santa Never Made It Into Darwin, contributed to the recovery and rebuilding cause, and as a child I pondered how this outpouring of selflessness seemed to contradict the capitalist spirit of amassing gifts and possessions courtesy of Santa and Christmas.

2004-tsunami.jpg: David Rydevik (email: david.rydevik at gmail dot com), Stockholm, Sweden. derivative work: Wilfredor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Twenty years ago this Boxing Day, a much larger and literally Earth-tilting disaster occurred when an Asian earthquake and tsunami killed probably a quarter of a million people. News clips showing people being swept to their deaths amidst a floating city of debris can surely never be forgotten. What else I recall from this time is the outpouring among ordinary people to donate money and compassion to those affected: the charity telephones which I helped to staff rang non-stop for days; and I even recall a young man standing in a bank queue ahead of me – upon being told that the money for his car loan had been approved – immediately donated the lot to the Asian Tsunami appeal, “because they need it a lot more than I do”.

At such times, humans can be inspired and inspiring: they can cast aside (at least temporarily) the norms of capitalist consumerism and greed and selfishness, but focus instead on helping others. This is surely not only the most humane option, but also the most rational: as a social creature, we instinctively recognise that we need each other if we are to survive as a species.

But it should not take a crisis for us to recognise our common humanity and our common need for empathy and kindness: every religion and philosophy recognises “The Golden Rule” in some form or another, and it simply calls us to act and live in ways that are consistent with our humanity and our humanism. It is even reflected in a certain life insurance advertisement.

What must surely be one of the world’s most famous advertisements (and my favourite advertisement of all time) has enjoyed over 120 million views on YouTube alone. It is an advertisement for life insurance, and it thereby subliminally asks its viewers to ponder what difference their mortal lives might make during whatever short time we inhabit this cosmic pebble. Titled “Unsung Hero”, the ad celebrates the rewards of a humble, empathic, life that is generous to a fault – and the impact that can ripple into the lives of others, including people, animals and plants. Coming from a land where Buddhism is the dominant philosophy, it echoes with secular humanism because it quietly, almost subversively celebrates the agency and commonality of our human connection.

Our lives should demonstrate this same connection.

©2024 Geoff Allshorn

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