Watching the world go by

I was in Highbury & Islington gym this morning – my habitual time of 6.30am when it is surprisingly busy – and as usual I started with a 20 minute warm-up. Today it was cycling. Pretty boring cycling in a gym – I prefer to be on my road bike. Inevitably, as I cycle, my eyes go between the line of TV screens in front of me. On one screen there’s ‘wrestling’ – one of the most ridiculous fake sports but incredibly with a whole channel dedicated to it! The two screens right in front of me were so contrasted it felt surreal. On one I was watching awful images of Syrian casualties being treated in hospital or buried in makeshift graves. The images of suffering were dreadful to watch.

On the screen next to it, a woman in England was showing viewers how to refurbish a wash-stand and a bedside table so you could make them look good and sell them for a small profit. The mindlessness of the programme was almost as depressing as what was being shown on the screen next to it.

It’s no wonder many people come to me in some stress when the world is so conflicted and such different realities vie for our attention. For me, life – and the history of the world – unfolds as tragedy. Nothing can stop it. So it behoves us to take the world seriously and treat people as human beings in pain. Kindness and generosity of heart go an awful long way.