With a Deeply Heartbroken Heart, We Stand With Nepal, and With Every Human Being Suffering Across Our World

Today, Nepal is at the forefront of our hearts.

I am profoundly heartbroken by the devastating tragedy affecting the people of Nepal. To every family grieving the loss of a loved one, to every person who has been injured or displaced, to those who have lost their homes and livelihoods, and especially to the children and elders facing fear and uncertainty, I extend my deepest compassion and stand firmly beside you.

We stand with the people of Nepal. We stand with the courageous rescuers, volunteers, humanitarian workers, neighbours and ordinary citizens who are reaching out to one another during these extraordinarily difficult moments.

Yet even as our attention today is focused upon Nepal, we must never forget that human suffering has no borders. At this very moment, somewhere in our world, another mother is grieving. Another child is hungry or frightened. Another elder is alone. Another family has lost everything. Another community is facing disaster, conflict, poverty, displacement, illness or uncertainty.

We may not hear every story. We may not see every tragedy on the news.

But their suffering matters too.

Therefore, my appeal today is not only for Nepal. It is an appeal to the conscience of humanity.

Wherever there is suffering, let compassion reach it. Wherever there is loneliness, let someone sit beside it. Wherever someone has fallen, let another hand help them rise.

Not everyone can travel to Nepal or to another place experiencing tragedy. Not everyone can make a financial contribution, particularly during these difficult economic times.

But every one of us can give something.

• Give your time.
• Give a helping hand.
• Give a smile.
• Give a kind word.
• Give your presence.
• And sometimes, simply give your ears and listen.

Listening costs nothing, yet it can be one of the greatest gifts one human being gives another.

Look around your own community. Perhaps there is an elderly person who has no one to visit them. Perhaps there is a child who would treasure thirty minutes of your time, a little encouragement, or simply hearing you tell them a story. Perhaps someone is carrying groceries and needs a hand. Perhaps a neighbour is struggling quietly. Perhaps someone simply needs another human being to sit beside them and say, “I am here. I will listen.”

These acts may appear small. They are not small to the person receiving them.

You do not need wealth to be compassionate. You do not need a title to serve humanity. You do not need to cross an ocean to make a difference.

If you cannot reach Nepal today, reach someone near you. If you cannot give money, give your time. If you cannot change someone’s circumstances, give them your presence. If you cannot do anything else, give them a genuine smile.

And please, let us not wait for another disaster before we remember how much we need one another.

Today our particular attention, compassion and solidarity are with the people of Nepal. Tomorrow, another part of our human family may desperately need the same compassion.

Let us therefore make kindness something we practice every day, in every country, every city, every village, every neighbourhood and every home. Go where people need companionship. Visit elders. Spend time with children. Volunteer. Listen to someone’s story. Help a neighbour. Comfort someone who is grieving. Hold the hand of someone who feels forgotten.

These things do not cost money. They require only humanity.

And when you begin giving compassion without expecting anything in return, observe what begins to happen within your own life. There is an abundance that cannot be measured by money — the abundance of peace within yourself, gratitude, human connection, kindness and knowing that because of you, another living being suffered a little less today.

So today, from the deepest place in my heart:

And at the same time:

We stand with every child, every elder, every family and every human being suffering anywhere in our world.

Let the tragedy before us remind humanity of something we should never forget:

Wherever you are, do one compassionate thing today. One helping hand. One listening ear. One kind word. One smile.

It may cost you nothing. But to another human being, it may mean everything.