Years ago, when I was a boy scout, I was trained to do the “good turn” or a “good action”—a selfless action one does without waiting for a reward. We were always encouraged to help the needy and the elderly, especially those living alone. When there was a shortage of running water, we were to go to the wells to draw water for those who could hardly walk, help with the groceries, do the cleaning, remove the grass along the streets, and the like.
These gestures of love would help us not wait for things to happen but to go out and make them happen, especially when they were of great help to the beneficiaries. One of the words we would often hear was “solidarity.” Solidarity in the sense that we belong to each other, and the more we help, the more we contribute to creating a society where individualism, isolationism, indifference and selfishness have no right to exist.
Our scout leader always stressed that “solidarity is what keeps us together as human beings. Without proper attention to the needs of our brothers and sisters, we run the risk of becoming focused on our personal needs. Such a spirit leads our humanity straight to its downfall. A small gesture of love changes lives”.
These words would still come back to my mind whenever I heard the term “solidarity” and later shaped my personal belief that “when you train your mind to work for no reward, love grows freely in the heart”.
We want to fly to new horizons, to discoveries or, as some would say, go back to the ‘normal’ way of living. However, there is no going back! We move forward, taking into account what we have learned today so that life may become more beautiful and more joyful.
One of the terms that should motivate our actions today should be ‘solidarity’.
The ongoing pandemic indeed affects our thoughts, ideas, and plans. Moreover, one of the most anticipated plans nowadays is for “life after Covid.” We wait for the pandemic to go away so that life may “go back to normal.” We dream of catching up with our projects once the pandemic is over: travels, visits, pilgrimages, family reunions, safe working environment, and of course, the chance to breathe freely without wearing masks that stop us from sharing the beauty of our smile, seeing each others expressions or understanding the state of our emotions.
It sounds funny to say, “smile!” before taking a picture because we know that the smile behind a mask hardly makes any difference! It appears as if we have become confined in some waiting room, waiting for our flight to be announced. We want to fly to new horizons, to discoveries or, as some would say, go back to the ‘normal’ way of living. However, there is no going back! We move forward, taking into account what we have learned today so that life may become more beautiful and more joyful.
What have we learned? Instead of waiting for the pandemic to go away, we are witnessing a solid sense of belonging to each other during this difficult time. For example, we share the relevant information to keep safe, buy the needed medical kits to check our health status and reach out to the help of the weak so that they feel loved. Furthermore, there is a growing awareness that no one will be spared in this Omicron variant outbreak.
In order to become more sustainable, solidarity needs to become a culture, and each culture has pillars upon which it is solidly built. This culture will transform us from the inside and make our actions more sincere, more selfless than the desire of just performing a show
At Caritas we call it the care for “the last, the least and the lost.” This sense of belonging can be called solidarity, for it cares for the other and seeks to unite everyone into one body of the universal family.
According to the social teachings of the Church, the virtue of solidarity “expresses in summary fashion the need to recognise the ties that unite people and social groups among themselves and the space given to human freedom for common growth, in which all share and participate” [Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 194].
Pope St. John Paul II describes this virtue as “a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all responsible for all” [Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, no. 38]. Solidarity is not a one-time disposition but a persevering determination that enables us to work for the good of all continually. There is no common growth without common good and vice versa.
In order to become more sustainable, solidarity needs to become a culture, and each culture has pillars upon which it is solidly built. This culture will transform us from the inside and make our actions more sincere, more selfless than the desire of just performing a show.
As the Church says, we achieve solidarity by promoting peace and justice. To these essential values, we can add communication, listening and empathy. We build a family not merely to provide material help to its members but also to get in touch with their feelings and expectations.
As I mentioned “listening,” I could not help but think of the Chinese character ‘聽’. It has an inspirational meaning indeed. I will focus on three characters that make ‘聽’. They are ‘耳’, ‘心’ and ‘王’. My Catholic belief will certainly influence the analysis of this word.
We, too, are called to impact our people, to create an environment where solidarity and brotherhood can be felt. We will do so by having Jesus, our true ‘王’, as the role model and inspiration. It was his prayer, “May all be One” [John 17: 15], which is a call to solidarity and universal brotherhood.
‘耳’ [ear] is vital because it is the channel through which the sound penetrates our system. However, a clean ear is more valuable as it conveys the real message without filters. When we can hear what is actually said, we have done justice to the message and its sender. And to ourselves as well! Wrong information destroys the message, and the kind of solidarity based on distorted messages creates confusion.
‘心’ [heart]: Listening is an action of the heart. When we get in touch with other people’s feelings, we doing more than listening. We share their situation and become an insider, not an outsider. Empathy belongs to this level. How often do the gospels report that Jesus’ heart was moved while coming into contact with people?
Finally, ‘王’ [king]: A Congolese saying goes this way: “A king that listens feels the needs of his people”. A king is not necessarily someone sitting on a majestic throne but a notable and respectable person who can listen and impact his people.
We, too, are called to impact our people, to create an environment where solidarity and brotherhood can be felt. We will do so by having Jesus, our true ‘王’, as the role model and inspiration. It was his prayer, “May all be One” [John 17: 15], which is a call to solidarity and universal brotherhood.
By reading, living and sharing with others about this value of solidarity as it is promoted by the social teaching of the Catholic Church, we contribute to creating a culture that sees a human being as they are, regardless of colour, creed, tribes or social class.
Father Dominique Mukonda CICM
Assistant Chief Executive,
Caritas-Hong Kong
