Have been doing some thinking...
The world is getting more and more inter-connected. With the advancement of technology, particularly the popularity of the new media, news from all over the world are made available to us at an alarming rate unprecedented in the history of mankind.
These news include both good and bad news. Given the myriad amount of information bombarding at us, we can do one of two things when we learn about disasters happening around the world. We can either be apathetic or empathetic.
As can be observed in our society, we have more people who are apathetic than empathetic.
Being human, I believe none of us start out being unfeeling. It's just that after being exposed to seeing and hearing tragedies happening ever so often around the world that people become so accustomed to them that they eventually become indifferent and resume their way of life in the state of normalcy. They would be thinking, "After all, what can I possibly do anyway?"
On the other end of the spectrum, there are others who would be totally overwhelmed by such news of tragedy that they would yearn for the end of the world to come sooner so as to end their and others' sufferings sooner.
This is a dangerous mode of thinking, I must say. Surely, all things that live, will die sooner or later. However, there is absolutely no necessity to hasten the death of any individual or group of people or organisms on Earth!
Fortunately, there is something called "prayer" -- that is the invention of our human race.
Given our short human history, there exist so many religions around the world. It is not the purpose of my write-up here to argue on the superiority of any particular religion. However, suffice it to say, any prayer (regardless of which religious affiliation), coupled with concrete actions, for the happiness of people around the world and for the attainment of World Peace, will go a long way in making this world a better place for us and others to live in.
Hence,
in order not to be deemed as apathetic and inhumane;
at the same time not to be overwhelmed by empathy that we become dysfunctional in carrying out our normal role, let us offer our sincere PRAYERS (based on whatever religious affiliation you are having) for the happiness of the victims of accidents, natural disasters or political plight all over the world.
I feel that so long as we can start to do this (offering up sincere prayers) for suffering people that we come to know, we are resolving the uneasiness in our hearts -- progressing from apathy to empathy.
Of course, offering prayers is the very least we could do.
Should anyone feel that they want to do more in terms of rendering physical or financial help to alleviate the sufferings of people in any part of the world, by all means. :)
I hereby, not just wish but, pray for a happy 2014 for everyone that I know, and for World Peace!
