Paris. 15 04 2019. 18:50 local time. Flames. And suddenly the world shifted its gaze. Hearts and minds moved, swiftly, from local headlines to the lines of firefighters forming at the doors of Notre Dame to extinguish flames which evacuating priceless pieces of history.
Days on, as holy week unfolds and embers still exude small puffs of smoke and steam, crowds continue to gather in prayer outside the aching both of the grande dame. Shock and horror has evolved to relief and gratitude. From around Paris and around the world, expressions of strength in the rebuilding of the grande dame rose above the ashes. Immediately donations, huge donations, began. Leading French families stood forward, quickly, pledging amounts which, when combined with others received over the past 5 days, are now nearing USD$1 Billion.
The response to the sight of Notre Dame on fire, and the remains that now still stand, have revealed that something bigger, stronger, more penetrating and purposeful can and does connect people across the global community, pulling people together more powerfully than the local, often biting issues that are defining the political and social headlines of our times.
Donald Tusk, President of the European Council of the EU, said it perfectly the day after flames lit up Paris night skies, he opened his report to the European Parliament on April 10th’s Special European Council (Art. 50) meeting by stating:
“From this place I would like to say words of comfort and solidarity with the whole French nation in the face of the Paris tragedy. I say these words not only as the president of the European Council, but also as a citizen of Gdańsk, 90 percent destroyed and burnt, and later rebuilt. You will also rebuild your cathedral. From Strasbourg, the French capital of the European Union, I call on all the 28 Member States to take part in this task. I know that France could do it alone, but at stake here is something more than just material help. The burning of the Notre Dame cathedral has again made us aware that we are bound by something more important and more profound than Treaties. Today we understand better the essence of that, which is common, we know how much we can lose. And that we want to defend it – together.“
The great efforts and good intentions of givers has made clear that across cultures, communities, societies and boundaries, connecting us is a desire to protect and preserve the signatures of generations past for the sake of generations to come. Within us, as much as there are so many small things that divide us, the desire to be part of something bigger, something better, unites us. No man, no nation, is an island.
And yet, at the same time, criticism has become audible. The voice of France’s Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vest movement) returning to their protests across Paris, is joined by many across the globe questioning both the direction and motivation of these massive donations.
Judgement is being applied to people just wanting to do the right thing, right now. The questions are valid. The reasons to act to do something, somewhere, for someone, are vast.
However, to simply stand back and judge the givers is to jeopardise the receivers.
It should never be an either-or. Whatever the cause, whatever the crisis, wherever tragedy may occur, whatever one can do to help, one must. Now, and again and again and again, whenever moved to act.
Which is why, if the open wounds of Notre Dame have resulted in the opening of hearts and wallets of people across Paris and other parts of the world, than God’s hand is wisely at work. The outpouring of affection and funds for Notre Dame cannot not also be unlocking recognition of the power of one, by the millions, to make a difference for billions.
One can only hope and pray that the rising once more of Notre Dame has sparked a wider spirit and system for giving – however, wherever, whenever and to whomever – that spreads across the global community and calendar, the spirit of holy week rising once more.
And that keeps our hearts ever-aware of our ability to turn prayers into action. x
It is said that one’s true colours are most vividly exposed when faced by challenge – colours reflecting:
Darkness vs. light.
Cowardice vs. courage.
Hopelessness vs. hope.
Separation vs. unity.
Them vs. us.
In the midday hours of March 15th, a time when many of New Zealand’s Muslim community paused for prayer at their local mosques, time seemed to stand still as all of the day’s colours turned to black, and then red. The details are now well known. By the end of it all, 50 lives of local Christchurch residents had ended, each and every one of them far, far too soon.
Looking terror directly in the eye as soon as first hearing word of the people of her nation hearing shots, and while still processing what the madness meant, somehow, somehow, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was able to find words to light a small candle in the terrifying, eclipsing darkness:
“They are us.“
While many across NZ, and the world, felt a sickening feeling in their spirits that seemed to release a whisper of ‘not again!’ in their minds, it was the lone voice, the white, pure light, of Prime Minister Ardern’s words that broke through with a strong, clear, determined message to the people of New Zealand – especially the Muslim community – and the people of the world: ‘‘never again!’
As each hour and day passed, her example was inspiring. Inspiring much, sadly, because it was so unique in its unscripted, unfiltered, unwavering compassion, conviction, and action. Her inner compass seemed to pierce through all of the underlying noise, all of the tragic headlines, all of the bubbling plot lines. In so doing it guided her, without hesitation, without delay, without need for permission, in the absolutely right direction: towards her people, all people, with the Muslim community first. Where she went, what she wore, with whom she spoke, how she helped heal, day after day she made headlines. By standing with, she was standing out.
Her strength was undeniable. Her example unquestionable. But what was it that, days after, continues to have has unique, style of leadership spotlighted, celebrated and desperately sought after.
Her position was clear, her prayers clearly directed. Dressed in black headscarf the Prime Minister stood with mourners at Friday prayers just one week later, national television and radio stations carrying the deep, soothing, unifying sound of the azaan carrying across the nation.
Her words that day did, and will always, reflect a level of unity increasingly unheard in these days of people, communities and nations pushing apart. “According to the Prophet Muhammad … the believers in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy are just like one body. When any part of the body suffers, the whole body feels pain. New Zealand mourns with you; we are one.”
And the coverage changed. Her genuine words, actions, spirit of unity and image dominated international media platforms and city icons. National symbols from the silver fern to the haka were reworked to honour the victims and show support of the wider Muslim community. Never, never before, has the western world seen such a standing up for the Muslim community.
Insha’Allah, it is not the first and last.
What is it about the power of what happened in Christchurch? How did the Muslim community, through it’s unbearable loss, find itself in a position of unbelievable unification of the global community?
How could it be that one single act has caused such magnification of a willingness to understand, a desire to help heal, across one global community?
It all comes down to three little words – NZ’s translation of “I love you’: “They are us'”
Three little words suddenly set in motion, a spirit of change that has gone across New Zealand, and has rippled across the world. Three little words and it could have stopped there. In today’s day of soundbites, quick hashtag activism, it could have stopped there. But it didn’t.
Seeing the Prime Minister Ardern immediately expressing her condolences was expected. What was unexpected was the way in which she bowed down to lay flowers – she did it with her head covered, her leadership taking on the colours and textures of tradition headscarves worn in times of mourning. And in covering her head, she showed an honouring and the respect of the people who were suffering – what they stood for, what they believed in, what held them together, their faith that ultimately came under attack.
Those actions have rippled across the world in a most profound echo.
The question is, for how long will the echo be heard?
Almost two weeks on since that horrific day, as daily reports from NZ are replaced by dramatic daily event unfolding in ie. the UK as the Brexit clock ticks louder and louder, and other new global challenges emerge, how will this time, this turn of sentiment, be embedded?
How will this new way of society looking at itself, looking out for its collective, no longer accepting the divides, endure?
How, when the azaan – the Muslim call to prayer – is heard on the streets of Christchurch, of Auckland, of Sydney, of so many places across the world , will people respond. Will they pause and look up….or will they look away?
Much has been written about Prime Minister Ardern – ‘Jacindamania’ as many now call it. And hopefully, much more will. Why hopefully? Not because it is about her. Nor because it is about her tiny country that is a mere fraction of the size of many global nations shaping the globe in the future.
It is because her tiny nation is showing how one small moment, one small place, three little words, can shift, in a more compassionate and connecting direction, the minds and hearts of the world.
He could have been ungrateful, especially to is early critics, but he chose to be refrained.
He could have been reserved, closed, inaccessible, but instead he was open, personal, unrestrained.
He could have been soundbyte-ready as he responded to reaching the climax of celebration of the greatest performance of his life, but he chose to go unscripted, unedited, unmatched.
An artist who has brought back to life the larger-than-life greatness of another, Rami Malek is, unquestionably and unmatched, a class act. Even his Oscar statuette seems to be bowing in praise.
Just hours ago, 2019’s Best Actor took to the stage of the 91st Academy Awards in front of the industry’s finest and elite, and almost 30 million viewers outside of Hollywood’s iconic Dolby Theatre. It was not his first time receiving the industry’s highest honours – ‘Best Actor’. Awards season had been Rami’s Spring. Across the world, stage lights were shone upon him, calling him to receive yet another trophy for his remarkable portrayal of the legendary, gone-too-soon Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen, the edgy songbird’s original band members watching on in the audience with quiet, tearful pride.
Which is why at the Oscars, the finale of the industry’s schedule of the awarding of statues. he could have been jaded, just a bit unphased, another award not unexpected.
Instead, the only repeat performance he gave was one of pure, genuine, purposeful gratitude: gratitude for the trust, courage, vision, patience and faith of others.
Gratitude for his feeling of difference creating a sense of sameness with the character, the hero, he was to portray. Grateful for simply having a job.
To watch Rami Malek as Rami Malek, to listen to his inner thoughts become his quotable voice, is a re-positioning of a compass. In a world where the person and the personality can become two profoundly different things, where people are forgiven for their becoming distracted by external pressures to ‘keep it real’ by keeping themselves really interesting, to stop, be still, and listen to Rami Malek feels as beautifully, sweetly simple as watching a child approach an it’s all for you candy store with wide eyes, awed by the limitless amounts of goodies in front of him, and then slowly, tentatively, shyly choosing just one, checking again if it is ok to take.
To hear his words feels as if it is to listen to the whisper of his core. It is to hear a clean, warm, peacefully moving breeze. And to give thanks for the reminder of which direction the compass points.
Life imitating art? Or art liberating life?
Having left the stage following yet another magnificent acceptance speech, somehow, beautifully, his last words to the press seem to be those that will be the most lasting. Especially when giving credit to one who gave him strength beyond measure, and to whom he will forever give thanks.:
“I never thought I could possibly play Freddie Mercury until I realised his name was Farrokh Bulsara. And that is the most powerful message that was sent to me from the beginning. That was the motivation that allowed me to say ‘Oh I can do this’. And that man steps on stage and he moves people in a way that no one else does. – All of that passion and virtue and everything burning inside him allowed him to look at everyone else and say “Hey, I see you.”
We all have someone to whom we owe our deepest, truest whispers of thanks. to whom our lives will forever be grateful – someone, somewhere, who, somehow, saw us. How beautifully he has captured this spirit, this praise, this thankful prayer.
Words, wisdom, so deserving of an encore. And a deep bow. x
It was just a matter of days ago. A single moment now etched, actually deeply engraved, in time. A moment that for many lives has changed life forever.
And it was spotted so randomly, half way across the world, half way through a long-haul journey. Half-focused, half awake. Nairobi was under attack. Again.
Immediately eyes filled, heart dropped, blood heated and the voice in the back of my head rose: “Again!”
Once again a nation that has experienced far too many attacks on its people, its security, its stability and therefore its image in its history, is hit. Again.
15.01 2019 – an attack at a well-known hotel in Westlands, a popular, modern suburb in the nation’s capital, by the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, sees the news cameras and social media of the world turn to the scenes unfolding outside the DusitD2 hotel. Scenes feared by cities across the globe, yet seen to often in today’s times of global conflict, eclipse what should be the images that represent the vibrant, confident, characterful and proud DNA of the city of Nairobi, and people of Kenya per se. By the time the dust at the DusitD2 had settled on 16.01.2019, over 20 souls were lost, over 700 evacuees were trying to banish the horror of the experience from their minds and hearts while their bodies healed. Officials, able to contain the situation swiftly (just 20 hrs), were trying to manage the damage to the country beyond the immediate and the obvious. The lingering threat to the magic of Magical Kenya, and magical Kenyans: their image, and their spirit.
When moments of crisis occur, whether acts of God, acts of Mother Nature, or acts of angry men and women, in today’s world of global media, traditional and new media, it is so easy for people thankfully uninvolved, near and far, to simply sit back and watch, safely and comfortably, through screens large and small. Sadly, many quickly feel the desire to also start commenting, whether accurately informed or not, more often hurtful than not. Silence is broken only through social media comments.
These are times, however, when touch is more important than technology. Immediate response should be prayers and support, not opinions and speculation. Such was the instinctive response that day, in those initial moments of the Nairobi attacks. With eyes filling with tears, call were made, reaching out to Kenyans loved as colleagues, friends, citizens, to let them know they were not alone.
Why? because this horror was happening to Kenyans – this is NOT who they are. These are people, not profiles. This was real, this was raw, it is terrifying. Adrenaline was flowing. Fear was mounting, uncertainty was spreading. Prayers were needed. Now.
For one increasingly involved in professional and personal media messaging, it was an interesting moment of truth. True nature rapidly rose to the top: touch, quickly, directly, compassionately. The tech is for transmitting prayers only.
As the days post-attack unfolded, the remarkable strength of spirit of the people of Kenya shone through, again, through their presence both live and online. Because of this the global community rallied around the nation, holding back on judgment and resulting punishment through such blocks to economy, society and identity such as travel advisories and investment alerts.
Magical Kenya’s magic is because of its people, and their ability to stand together, #KenyaStrong.
The spirit of Kenya, Kenyans, burns bright.
Courage takes strength of character – a strength that is able to stand up to attacks of people, place, principle and promise. So too does support, wherever in the world it may be needed, wherever next the world’s eyes are suddenly turned.
Just a few hours to go before the sun has set, the bubbles have chilled, the candles have been lit, the finest is neatly fitted on, the friends and family gather, and the clock’s countdown begins. 2019 is so very close.
For all the excitement, freshness, energy and inspiration the thought of a new year unlocks in mind and heart, in moments such as these there is a hushed voice one is able to hear within one’s head – “slow down, not so fast.” These precious, last few hours of the year about to close are to be savoured by quietly, thoughtfully looking back, not wasted by rushing forward.
What a waste it would be to not pause and reflect back on all that has taken place, all that has played a part in shaping not just the year, but oneself. As has become the norm, the past year has been one with moments beyond expectation, beyond comprehension, and even beyond fiction. Moments of both triumph and tragedy, for the world, and for one’s own world, created distinct bookmarks that will shape the chapter soon to be simply titled ‘2018’. Add in intense personal milestones – births, birthdays, greetings of welcome, and goodbyes – and the combination becomes a heady cocktail. Bitter, sweet, sour, savoury, smooth, sharp, undetectable, ever-lingering….the ingredients all came together, not always tastefully and digestibly, but somehow digestibly. There was no choice but to drink it in.
Why? Because through the year, through all of the moments, memories, milestones, and madness, this is now a signature cocktail – created by, and for, you. Never before blended, never again to be created. A, your, original.
What a waste it would be to quickly throw aside this unique creation, this time, these last hours, without raising a glass to the year present that will soon, so soon, be a year ‘past’.
And so, as 2018 counts down to a close, may your heart feel gentle wave of silence wash over it – a silence that instinctively causes you to close your eyes, allow those signature moments to surface with the help of your mind’s eye, feel the invaluable part that each and every one has played – good and bad, high and low, perceived blessing and curse – and release a quiet whisper of ‘Thank You’ as you blow a kiss goodbye.
May the final sunset of this year reflect back onto you a warmth, and wink, for all that 2018 has been. And may tomorrow’s first sunrise greet you with an exciting, inviting, embracing smile of “Now let’s begin!!”
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