You have to have been living under a rock on another planet to not be aware that Australia is burning...literally and figuratively. Thanks to a lack of political will that goes back decades, we have created a climate change problem that this summer is changing our home in a way that has never happened before. Even though it is Christmas, many of us are on a break from work, and even heading to somewhere nice for a beach break, it doesn't seem like there is all that much to feel good about.
Like many of you, I am struggling with how things are and how not to despair about the world and the future. Unlike some of you, I have lost faith in the monotheist beliefs of my childhood, so am unable to find much comfort there. What I think is important, what is really important, is for us all to think carefully about our words and our deeds, and ensure that we do no harm - to other people, our planet or the creatures that inhabit it. None of us is perfect, but if we remember (in the immortal words of Jewel) that 'in the end, only kindness matters' we will have world that all of us can live in and a future that works for everyone.
So this Christmas, one that is quite different to any I have ever experienced, I want to say thank you so much to those wonderful humans who courageously risk their well being to make this world better in some way. It is my belief that there are more of you than there are those that who seek wealth, position and power. Yes, it is the latter who more often get to run the show, but the tide is turning, I think. So, this Christmas, don't sweat the small stuff, and make sure you perform some small random act of kindness every day.
