Photo courtesy of NBC News | Guest Writer Derek Seifert asks his fellow Musketeers to spread kindness in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting.
My fellow Xavier brothers and sisters:
The morale of America was impacted by a severe tragedy in Las Vegas on Oct. 1. In light of the recent tragic event in Nevada, now more than ever is the time for us to unite in support of each other. It is in times of great loss and sorrow such as these that we must remember our humility, and in recognizing that humility, we must remember our true being.
No matter our political, religious or moral beliefs, it is imperative that we remember what we all are – human. We all feel emotions – sadness, anger, hatred and curiosity, and we all question “Why?”
Why must there be evil in the world?
Why must there be hatred and bitterness in a world that some believe to be inherently good?
If those questions can be answered, I do not know. I do know, however, that we must currently take two important actions: First, we are to accept that our world is imperfect and will have hatred and sorrow. The sooner we realize this, the more quickly we can change it. Secondly, and most importantly, we must divert our energy into counteracting the evil that exists and push back with an even stronger force of good.
If we are to act truly as “One for All,” we must cast off our masks of false care, cast off our burdens of selfishness and instead adopt a spirit of love, care and genuine devotion to the other.
Mahatma Gandhi is credited with saying, “Live as if you are to die tomorrow; learn as if you are to live forever.” I would like to amend that by saying, “Live as if you are to live forever, but love as if you are to die tomorrow.” It is very likely that some of our fellow students, our fellow Xavier family members, are from Nevada and have left their families behind to come here. If you are one of those students, do not hesitate to open up your worries to your friends. We are all here to comfort those who need a friend. True courage comes from the one willing to be vulnerable. Do not be afraid; we will overcome this loss together.
For those of us who are not from Nevada but know of friends who are: Take an extra effort to care for them. Console them and put yourself in their shoes. Our friends are there for us in our moments of desperation, and now it is time for us to be there for them. Provide them the love and kindness they feel is lacking in the world. Provide them a spiritual and emotional shelter, where they can be safe from their troubles. Buy them lunch, spend some time with them, whatever it may be – just be kind.
For those of us who don’t know, or think we don’t know, anyone from Nevada, be nice. Do not ever hesitate to be nice to our fellow humans. If we are to see a world improved by kindness, we must make the choice to be kind. Let us all bring hope and shelter to those who need it. Everyone is in need of a friend, and a friend can be found in everyone. We may not be able to change the past, but we can send ripples through the future.
So, let us ease the wounds of each other. Let us truly act out what it means to be a society for and with others, and let us truly be “One for All and All for One.” Show how good of a person you are through your actions, and do not wait until tomorrow to do so.
Derek Seifert is a sophomore HAB major and guest writer for the Newswire from Lawrenceburg, Ind.