Why we must remember the light during dark times like these - Daxa Patel

The Home Secretary’s recent comments implying that the homeless have made a lifestyle choice by being homeless along with the many swear words mentioned during the Covid inquiry, shows how low our standards of being decent have sunk. Language has a lot to do with this but the intentionality of people in public service which currently lacks compassion exacerbates the hurt society is currently experiencing.

Is there time and room for us to immerse ourselves in the literature or the millions of acts of kindness to reignite our faith in humanity? I feel there is a vacuum of faith and a vacuum of humanity. Religion tends to divide but religion through spiritual scriptures offers ways to heal if offered in the modern context.

Underneath the evil of war and crime against humanity, there is need for grace and alignment to give us the balance we need to bring to the surface the good over evil.

This Sunday is Diwali, the festival of lights in the Hindu calendar. The festival is to celebrate good over evil. It advocates forgiveness and charitable acts just like the festivals in other faiths. Honouring each other without focusing on our differences helps us to anchor to the goodness in our society. Why can’t we be intentional about this and act with awareness? The colour or faith of others are not differentiators but being a good or bad human being is.

The Prime Minister, like his predecessor, is surrounded by some people who are advancing their own agendas rather than taking a lead in a positive way. Respect and awareness of how their behaviour impacts on society is sadly lacking so this leaves it to people within society to shine the torch.

If I could, I would have a coalition government for a term of ten years with Gareth Southgate as our Prime Minister and Sarina Weigman as our Home Secretary. Their focus would be to build the economy and empower every single person, so they feel valued, and cared for.

We need a national team spirit and all hands to the deck. This does not mean more dependency on social services but more accountability and compassion. In the first King’s Speech for the government, there was no mention of social care, a classic example of not tackling what needs attention.

I would introduce national service for our young people aged 16 to 18. Volunteering and working for the community could inspire a sense of national pride.

Today’s youngsters are far more enlightened than we give them credit for. Let them shine and find purpose rather than hem them in an ever-changing educational system. I am not against education per se, but we need to build character too.

I would also ban 24/7 news coverage. Elon Musk mentioned his concerns about the dangers of artificial intelligence, this is a threat that is rapidly going to change society as we know it.

While we may want a liberal society there has to be an authority that monitors adherence of our common values. It is true that there have been many events where humanity was on the cusp of destruction and this is not the first time, nor will it be the last time, but knowing the trajectory, and the direction of travel, we have a duty to mitigate the deterioration of our common values.

We can be indifferent, but we can also turn this ship around, if not for ourselves but for those who will still be here in a hundred years.

It is time to sow the seeds of healing. There is a universal intelligence that sees the bigger picture. I feel troubled by what I see but I am still hopeful that we will find our way home.

What I crave for us is summed up by the prayer:

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O’ divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek,

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.”

-Saint Francis of Assisi

Let us hope against all odds, for optimism and have faith that we can overcome.

Daxa Manhar Patel is a leadership coach, author and solicitor.